Lip Lift Surgery in Manchester
Subnasal lip lift with a consultant plastic surgeon at Deansgate Hospital, our CQC registered private hospital in the city centre. Local anaesthetic, walk in and walk out, from £1,500.
★★★★★ 5.0 from 275+ patient reviews
- Lip lift from £1,500 · corner lip lift from £1,500
- Free consultation — £25 booking deposit, redeemable against your treatment
- Consultant plastic surgeons Mr Bilal Rafique and Mr Pouya Mafi
- Local anaesthetic — about an hour, and you walk out
- Your philtrum measured at consultation — we will say if filler suits you better
Prefer to talk? Call 0161 470 9280
Book Your Consultation
Tell us a little about you and our patient team will call you back to arrange a time that suits.
🔒 Your enquiry is completely confidential. We will never share your details, and our patient team is discreet.
Lip Lift
Subnasal Lip Lift Surgery in Manchester
Filler adds volume to a lip. It cannot shorten the distance between your nose and your mouth, and for a lot of people that distance — not thin lips — is the actual problem. Past a certain point, more filler just makes a long top lip heavier.
A lip lift removes a small strip of skin beneath the nose so the upper lip rolls outward and upward, showing more pink and a little more tooth. At Deansgate Hospital it is performed by consultant plastic surgeons Mr Bilal Rafique and Mr Pouya Mafi, under local anaesthetic, from £1,500.
Lip Lift Surgery
What is a lip lift?
Treatment Overview
A lip lift shortens the philtrum — the space between the base of the nose and the top of the upper lip. A bullhorn‑shaped strip of skin is removed right in the crease under the nostrils and the lip is lifted to meet it. It takes 45 minutes to an hour under local anaesthetic, and you walk out afterwards.
The change is small in millimetres and large in effect. Most lifts remove between 5 mm and 8 mm. Because the lip rolls outward as it rises, you get more visible pink without adding a single millilitre of volume, and a little upper tooth show when the mouth is relaxed — which is one of the things that reads as youthful.
The honest version: this is a permanent scar on your face in exchange for a permanent result. The scar sits in the crease at the base of the nostrils, and in most people it settles to something genuinely hard to spot. In some it stays visible. That is the trade, and it is the reason a lip lift should be a considered decision rather than an add‑on at the end of a filler appointment.
Millimetres, Not Millilitres
Lip Lift Manchester at Deansgate Hospital
Deansgate Hospital is a CQC‑registered private surgical hospital on Little Peter Street, M15, minutes from Deansgate‑Castlefield Metrolink and St Peter’s Square.
Lip lift is a small operation that is easy to do adequately and hard to do beautifully. The measurement, the shape of the excision and the way the scar is closed under the nostril sills are the whole procedure. It is done here by consultant plastic surgeons in a hospital rather than a treatment room — and because it is a facial scar, we would rather talk you out of it at consultation than have you unhappy at six months.
Patients come to us from across Greater Manchester — Salford, Trafford, Stockport, Bolton and Wigan — and from Cheshire, Warrington, Liverpool and Leeds.
Which Lip Procedure Do You Actually Need?
Lip Lift, Corner Lift or Filler
There is a measurement that settles most of this. Your surgeon measures your philtrum from the base of the nose to the top of the upper lip. Under about 15 mm in a woman or 18 mm in a man is normal; noticeably longer than that, and no amount of filler will fix what is bothering you. They will also check how much upper tooth shows when your mouth is at rest, because that is what the lift is really changing.
1. Subnasal (Bullhorn) Lip Lift — from £1,500
The standard operation and the one most people mean. A bullhorn‑shaped strip of skin is removed in the crease at the base of the nostrils and the upper lip lifted to meet it, shortening the philtrum by five to eight millimetres. Local anaesthetic, about an hour, permanent.
2. Corner Lip Lift — from £1,500
For mouth corners that turn down at rest, giving a permanently unhappy look regardless of mood. Tiny excisions at each corner lift them a few millimetres. It does nothing for philtrum length, and the two are sometimes done together.
3. Lip Filler — not surgery
If your philtrum is a normal length and you simply want more volume, filler is the right answer and a lip lift is not. It is reversible, needs repeating, and adds fullness rather than changing proportion. We will tell you if that is what you need.
4. Lip Lift with Filler — assessed together
Common in practice: the lift corrects the proportion, a small amount of filler adds the volume. Doing the lift first and assessing afterwards is the right order, because a lift alone often turns out to be enough.
To have your philtrum measured and find out which applies, book a consultation in Manchester on 0161 470 9280 or enquire online.
Am I suitable for a lip lift?
Ideal Candidate for Lip Lift Surgery
Lip lift suits a fairly specific person, and the consultation exists as much to rule it out as to book it in. Your surgeon will look at:
- A genuinely long philtrum on measurement — generally over 15 mm in women, 18 mm in men.
- Little or no upper tooth show with the mouth relaxed. If you already show three or four millimetres of tooth at rest, a lift risks too much.
- Realistic expectations about scale. This changes millimetres. It will not give you a dramatically different mouth.
- Acceptance of a facial scar under the nostrils, however well hidden.
- Not smoking or vaping for at least four weeks before and after — this is a small flap of skin with a modest blood supply.
- No recent filler in the upper lip. We usually want three to six months since your last treatment so the tissue can be assessed properly.
- A stable, settled reason for wanting it. Facial surgery for a temporary dissatisfaction is the thing we most want to avoid.
Stable Weight
Results are best and most durable at a stable weight you can maintain. Your consultant will advise on timing if you are still losing weight.
Realistic Expectations
Brachioplasty trades a scar along the inner arm for a firm contour. Scars fade over 12–18 months and are positioned as discreetly as possible.
What Can a Lip Lift Address?
Proportion rather than volume
A lip lift shortens a long philtrum, increases the amount of pink lip visible without adding volume, restores upper tooth show at rest, improves the balance between upper and lower lip, and can lift downturned mouth corners when a corner lift is added. It is the only treatment that changes the proportions of the mouth rather than its size.
Lip Lift Cost Manchester
From £1,500
Prices for lip surgery in Manchester start from:
- Subnasal (bullhorn) lip lift — from £1,500
- Corner lip lift — from £1,500
- Lip lift with corner lift — quoted at consultation
The price includes your surgeon’s fee, the procedure under local anaesthetic, and all follow‑up appointments including suture removal. Where a lip lift is combined with another procedure in the same sitting, the second is charged at half price. You will leave your consultation with a fixed written quote. Finance options are available.
Your Lip Lift Journey
Lip Lift Step by Step
Start by booking a consultation with Mr Bilal Rafique or Mr Pouya Mafi at Deansgate Hospital in central Manchester.
The Measurement Your philtrum is measured from the base of the nose to the top of the upper lip, and your upper tooth show at rest is assessed. Those two numbers decide whether a lift will help you and how many millimetres to take.
The Plan The bullhorn excision is drawn on you so you can see exactly where the scar will sit, tucked into the crease under the nostril sills.
An Honest Answer If your philtrum measures normal and what you actually want is volume, we will say so and recommend filler instead.
Preparation Stop smoking and vaping at least four weeks beforehand. Avoid blood thinners and fish oils in the week before, and expect to wait three to six months after any upper lip filler so the tissue can be assessed accurately.
Planning Around Life Book it with a clear fortnight ahead of anything photographed. Swelling and bruising around the nose and lip are obvious for the first week to ten days.
Local Anaesthetic The area is numbed thoroughly — you are awake and comfortable throughout, and the procedure takes about 45 minutes to an hour.
The Lift The marked strip of skin is removed in the crease under the nostrils, deep tissue is repaired so the skin is not carrying the tension, and the wound is closed with fine sutures placed precisely at the nostril sills where the scar hides best.
Straight Afterwards You walk out. Expect tightness across the top lip and a numb, stiff feeling that makes talking and eating awkward for a few days.
First Week Sleep propped up, cold compresses, soft food, and avoid stretching the top lip — no big smiles or wide yawns if you can help it. Sutures come out at five to seven days.
Going Home The same day, with aftercare instructions, scar care guidance and a direct number for our nursing team.
Follow-Up Suture removal at five to seven days, then review at six weeks and again at six months. Silicone gel starts once the wound is fully closed.
First Two Weeks Swelling and bruising settle over seven to ten days. The lip looks over‑lifted at first — this is expected and it drops.
Six Weeks Most of the swelling is gone and the shape you will keep is becoming clear. The scar is at its pinkest around now.
Six to Twelve Months The scar fades and flattens into the nostril crease. Final result is judged at a year, not at six weeks.
Lip Lift
Frequently Asked Questions
Lip lift or lip filler — which do I need?
Have your philtrum measured. If the distance from the base of your nose to your upper lip is over about 15 mm (18 mm in men) and little pink shows when your mouth is relaxed, the problem is proportion and filler will not fix it — it will make a long lip look heavier. If your philtrum measures normal and you simply want more fullness, filler is the right answer and we will tell you so.
Will the scar be visible?
It sits in the natural crease where the nostrils meet the lip, which is one of the best‑hiding places on the face. In most people it settles over six to twelve months into something you have to look for. In some it stays visible, and nobody can promise you which you will be. This is a permanent scar on the front of your face, and it should be a considered decision.
How much lift will I actually get?
Typically five to eight millimetres of philtrum shortening. That sounds tiny and it is — but it is enough to noticeably change the proportions of your mouth and restore upper tooth show at rest. Anyone offering a dramatic transformation from a lip lift is overselling it.
Is it done awake?
Yes. Local anaesthetic, about 45 minutes to an hour, and you walk out afterwards. No general anaesthetic and no overnight stay.
How long before I look normal?
Swelling and bruising around the nose and upper lip are obvious for seven to ten days, and sutures come out at five to seven days. Most people take a week off from anything social. The lip looks over‑lifted at first and settles over about six weeks.
Can it be reversed?
No. Skin has been removed and that is permanent. This is the main practical difference from filler and the main reason to be certain before booking.
Will it change the shape of my nose?
The incision sits at the base of the nostrils, so a small change in the appearance of the nostril sills is possible, and in some people the nostril base widens very slightly. Your surgeon will assess this and plan the excision to minimise it. If your nose is a concern in its own right, say so at consultation.
I already have filler in my lips. Can I still have a lift?
Usually yes, but we generally want three to six months since your last treatment. Filler distorts the tissue and makes accurate measurement and planning harder, and operating through it is not ideal.
What are the risks?
Visible or widened scarring, asymmetry between the two sides, prolonged numbness or stiffness of the upper lip, slight widening of the nostril base, over‑lifting with too much tooth show, infection, and wound separation. Smoking raises several of these substantially. Your surgeon will discuss the ones relevant to you.
Does it help with smoker's lines?
Only indirectly. Lifting the lip stretches the skin above it a little, which can soften fine vertical lines, but a lip lift is not a treatment for perioral lines and should not be sold as one. Those are better addressed separately.
How much does a lip lift cost in Manchester?
From £1,500 here, including the surgeon, the procedure under local anaesthetic, suture removal and all follow‑up. A corner lip lift is also from £1,500, and the two combined are quoted at consultation. Finance options are available.
Who will be doing my surgery?
Your lip lift is performed by Mr Bilal Rafique or Mr Pouya Mafi, consultant plastic surgeons on the GMC Specialist Register. The surgeon who measures and marks you is the one who operates and reviews you afterwards.
Thinking about a lip lift?
Lip Lift Manchester
A lip lift is one of the smallest operations in facial plastic surgery and one of the most commonly mis‑sold. Done on the right face — a genuinely long philtrum, little tooth show, someone who has thought about the scar — it changes the balance of the mouth in a way no injectable can. Done on the wrong face, it is a permanent scar for a change nobody notices.
Before committing, ask to have your philtrum measured and to be told the number. Ask to see lip lift scars at six and twelve months, not just before‑and‑afters of lips. To discuss lip lift surgery in Manchester, call 0161 470 9280 or book a consultation at Deansgate Hospital.