Marionette line removal surgery – Best treatment for laugh lines

Have you been told that you look unhappy or sad, even when you’re in a perfectly fine mood? Did you notice that your mouth corners are having a downturned look as if you are frowning even when you are not? Fret not, you are not alone and we have the best solution to your problem – marionette line removal surgery!

Typically in such situations, the culprit is likely to be marionette lines which are making your mouth corners appear downturned. But not to worry, it doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with your body. It’s just a part and parcel of life, or rather, aging! So when these lines are giving you stress and affecting how you feel about your appearance, we highly recommend that you fix it.

What are marionette lines?

Marionette lines, also known as laugh lines, are the lines that run from the corners of the mouth vertically downwards towards the chin. These dreadful lines are caused by aging and factors such as gravity, loss of volume, loss of skin elasticity and repeated mouth movements. They not only give you an angry or sad appearance but also create sagging in the lower half of your face.

In most cases, however, they won’t become really noticeable until you are in your late 30s or early 40s. That said, some lucky people don’t develop them until very late in life and some people never develop them.

How to get rid of marionette lines?

To be honest, the most effective and permanent treatment for marionette lines removal is the marionette line removal surgery, especially for those with deep lines. This treatment improves and eliminates the appearance of laugh lines by removing excess bulging fats at the mouth corners.

If you are also experiencing midface sagging (sagging cheeks and saggy jowls) as well, you might want to consider a thread face lift (for mild sagging) or SMAS face lift (for severe sagging) as a more suitable and effective option to bring back the youth of your face overall.

Marionette line removal surgery procedure

Your surgeon will first make an incision starting from your mouth corners extending about 7mm. Then excess bulging fats that are caused by the marionette lines are removed, loose muscles are tightened and repositioned to lift your mouth corners and improve the appearance of your laugh lines.

How long does marionette line removal surgery take?

Marionette line removal surgery in Korea lasts 30 mins, and is performed under sedation anesthesia so you will not feel any pain.

When can I see results?

Results from marionette line removal surgery are immediate and permanent, but there will be minor swelling and bruising at your mouth areas for about 2~3 weeks. Final results can be seen after 3 months. During recovery, it is also recommended not to open your mouth too wide for at least 2 months.

Actual recovery time vary among individuals, and is subjected to one’s health condition & healing response.

How long should I stay in Korea?

Marionette line removal surgery in Korea is a minor surgery so hospitalization is not required. But do stay until your stitches are removed, and go shopping in the meantime!

Stitch removal

Stitches are usually removed 7 days after surgery.

Cautions on stitch removal

If you remove the stitches earlier then advised, your wound might reopen. Hence, causing an infection. But if you remove it too late, you risk further scarring and pigmentation. So, keep to all dates diligently.

Sometimes, some patients might want to have their stitches removed at the local hospitals in their home country due to time constraints. Although that is possible (but not recommended), it very much depends on how well you have been healing, and is also subjected to doctor’s approval.

Alternatives to marionette line removal surgery

Other alternatives for marionette line removal include fillers or fat dissolving injections. Fillers are injected at mouth corners to smoothen marionette lines but results are only temporary. On the other hand, fat dissolving injections treat laugh lines by removing the bulging fats caused by marionette lines, which in turn improves the appearances of laugh lines.

What other surgery complements marionette line removal surgery?

1. Smile lift surgery

Getting a smile lift surgery can lift droopy mouth corners that make you look like you are frowning. In fact, its very common for those who undergo smile lift surgery to also get marionette line removal surgery at the same time.

2. Cupid bow surgery

Cupid’s bow surgery is all about contouring that V-shaped area in the middle of your upper lip for sexy lip curves.

3. Lip enhancements

If you have really thin lips, you might want to consider lip enhancement surgery together for better results.

4. Philtrum reduction

A long philtrum makes your face looks long and vice versa but philtrum reduction surgery can help enhance your facial proportions.

Conclusion

Nobody likes having marionette lines for sure! For one, those lines actually make you look sad or angry and old. And in fact, they give you a RBF (resting-b***h-face). So if you have them, its highly recommended that you treat them asap!

And above all, just make sure to get a board certified surgeon who is highly skilled and specialized in lip surgeries for the best results!