“Lip lift” is not one operation. Surgeons use the name for several techniques that differ mainly in where the skin is removed, and so in where the scar ends up. This guide explains the types that appear in published reviews, using their own descriptions. Which one suits a particular face is a question for the surgeon who examines it.

Key takeaways

  • In a 2021 review of 17 studies and 2,265 patients, 93.6% had a subnasal lip lift, and the bullhorn pattern was used in 71.7% of cases.
  • A corner lip lift raises the corners of the mouth; a 2026 review describes it as complementary to, not a substitute for, shortening the upper lip.
  • A gull-wing lift places the incision along the edge of the red lip; a 2023 review notes that a scar there may affect how the lip functions.
  • A 2023 review describes surgical lip lifts as lasting but with an inevitable scar, and non-surgical lifts as temporary.

If you are planning surgery in Turkey, our guide to a lip lift in Turkey covers cost, stay length and the questions to ask before paying a deposit.

What types of lip lift do published reviews describe?

Three reviews were used for this guide: a 2021 literature review of 17 studies (2,265 patients), a 2023 systematic review of nine studies, and a 2026 systematic review of seven studies (1,754 patients). Between them, they name the following.

Type Where the skin is removed What the reviews report
Subnasal bullhorn Along the base of the nose, in a shape like a bull’s horns The most common technique: used in 71.7% of cases in the 2021 review
Subnasal wavy ellipse Under the nose, in a wavy ellipse Used in 18.1% of cases in the 2021 review
Endonasal lip lift Under the nose, with flaps extending into the nostril One surgical team reported 311 cases over 15 years
Deep-plane lip lift Incision not described; limited sub-SMAS dissection and muscular suspension One series of 823 patients, revision rate 0.6% (2026 review)
Central lip lift Incision not described in the 2026 review One series of 87 patients reported changes mainly in the central lip
Corner lip lift At the corners of the mouth One series of 498 patients, thickened scars in 4.6% (2026 review)
Gull-wing (lip advancement) Along the edge of the red lip (the vermilion border) Described in the 2023 review; the scar may affect lip function
Vermilion border excision (lip advancement) Along the vermilion border 49 patients, 2.2% of the 2021 review

The table follows the reviews’ own groupings. The patient numbers come from individual published series, so they describe those series, not the results of any one clinic.

What is a bullhorn lip lift?

The subnasal bullhorn is the classic technique. The 2026 review traces it to the early 1980s and describes a bullhorn-shaped excision along the base of the nose that hides the scar in the creases beside the nostrils. In the 2021 review, 93.6% of patients across the included studies had a subnasal lift, and the bullhorn pattern was used in 71.7% of cases.

The 2026 review reports what one comparative study measured in its traditional bullhorn group: the upper lip skin shortened on average from 14.02 mm to 12.03 mm, and the visible red lip increased from 5.05 mm to 7.01 mm. In the 2023 review, the most common long-term complication in the subnasal studies was a visible scar, in 34 patients (4.36%).

Several variations keep the incision under the nose:

  • Wavy ellipse. A different excision shape under the nose, used in 18.1% of cases in the 2021 review.
  • Endonasal lip lift. A 2014 report describes a subnasal lift modified with flaps inside the nostrils, performed 311 times over 15 years. The authors list better scar appearance among its benefits and say disruption of the nostril sill “remains an inevitable drawback.”

The deep-plane lip lift is described differently. The 2026 review defines it by limited sub-SMAS dissection and muscular suspension (work beneath the layer of tissue that covers the facial muscles), aimed at a longer-lasting result, and does not say where its incision sits. Its largest series had 823 patients and a revision rate of 0.6%. The review also says claimed advantages in longevity and scar quality still need comparative trials.

What is a corner lip lift?

A corner lip lift works at the corners of the mouth rather than under the nose. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) describes it as adding slight elevation to the corners, and quotes a surgeon cautioning that corner lifts “can leave visible scars.”

The 2026 review included one corner lift series of 498 patients, with thickened (hypertrophic) scars in 4.6% and revisions in 3.4%. It describes the corner lift as “complementary to, not a substitute for” procedures that shorten the upper lip. A 2009 report from one practice, covering more than 3,000 perioral procedures over 28 years, likewise describes using a lip lift for the central lip and a corner lift for the sides.

What is a gull-wing lip lift?

In a gull-wing lift, the skin is removed along the vermilion border, the line where the red lip meets the skin. The 2023 review calls it “lip advancement with vermillion border gull wing excision” and says the incision along this border gives a different direction of lift than a subnasal one. It also notes a limitation: “the scar around the vermillion may influence anatomic function.” The 2021 review lists a separate entry, lip advancement by vermilion border excision, used for 49 patients, or 2.2%; it does not call this a gull-wing lift.

You may also see the term “direct lip lift.” The 2009 report above uses “direct excision” for its perioral procedures and describes the trade-off as a scar that is “barely visible from inches away.” Its abstract does not say where the lip lift incision sits, so this guide does not define a direct lift from it. If a clinic uses the term, ask where exactly the scar will be.

Are there other names you might hear?

  • Italian lip lift. The 2026 review lists it in Gomi’s group of modifications (Italian lift, corner lip lift, extended alar base) and says that group improved the contour of the sides of the lip, but gives no incision details. I did not find a description precise enough to define it here.
  • Lip lift during rhinoplasty. The 2026 review includes an indirect technique done as part of a nose operation, “without a direct subnasal incision,” with lip length reduced by 23.5% at one year in 45 patients. Our guide to procedures combined with rhinoplasty covers combined surgery.

Is there such a thing as a scarless lip lift?

Not among the surgical techniques above. The 2023 review concludes that surgical lip lifts seem to have a longer-lasting effect “with an inevitable scar,” while non-surgical techniques are minimally invasive but temporary. Its only non-surgical study, a case report of three patients treated with botulinum toxin, found that the lift lasted less than a month.

If an offer says “scarless,” ask whether it is surgery at all, and if it is, where the incision goes. Our comparison of lip lift and lip filler covers the main non-surgical alternative.

How much does a bullhorn lip lift cost?

This guide gives no price, because the published reviews it draws on describe techniques, not fees. For what could be checked about pricing and the stay when the operation is done in Turkey, see our guide to lip lift cost and stay in Turkey, and compare written quotes that name the technique.

What should you ask about the technique you are offered?

  • What is the name of the technique, and where exactly will the incision and scar be?
  • Can I see healed photos of that technique, months after surgery?
  • How often have you needed to revise this technique, and what did the revision involve?
  • If you are suggesting a corner or gull-wing lift, why that one rather than a lift under the nose?

For what recovery looks like, day by day, see our lip lift recovery timeline.

Sources

All pages were opened and checked on 10 October 2026.