What is Korean smile lift surgery and should I get it?

Google ‘korean smile lift surgery’ and you get articles on ‘joker lips’, latest breakthrough in Korean plastic surgery’ and ‘trending in Korea’. You read these articles and start to wonder, what is smile lift surgery or corner lip lift surgery? Why do some articles make it sound so disturbing? Is it really that creepy?

No, it is not creepy at all. Well, not unless you really want joker-style lips. Sorry, joker lips lovers.

Truth is, some of us are lucky to be born with beautifully shaped lips, while the rest of us, *cough* resting bitch face *cough*, not so lucky.

So before you decide if the Korean smile lift surgery is for you, learn more about this procedure with us.

What is smile lift surgery (corner lip lift)?

Even the genetically blessed will find that as we age, our lips get thinner, more wrinkled, and lip corners start to sag. Making us look constantly grumpy and sad. Sigh, we’re feeling sorry for those who are born with it.

But here comes your saver. Smile lift surgery, aka corner lip lift surgery, reshapes your lip corners and lifts sagging mouth corners to an ideal position. We see some of you smiling right now. In addition, your corner lip lifts can actually be adjusted according to your preferences. So if you really like joker-like lips, you can actually achieve it. No judgement!

What is the ideal ratio for lips?

The key to beautiful lips is finding the ideal balance between your lips and other features of your face. Here is a guide to your ideal lip ratio:

1. Corner of lips should be vertically inline with midpoint of pupil.
2. Fullness of lips start from the center and gets thinner towards the end.
3. Lips should be symmetrical.
4. Ideal thickness for lips is 1:1.615. Meaning the size of your top lip is 1/3 the size of your bottom lip.

Do I need smile lift surgery?

Sometimes, not only the old suffer from downturned lips, the young too! Other times, some just want to change their image to look more approachable and cheerful. And in fact, corner lip lift will help a lot with facial proportions especially for those with:

But if you are really worried about the results for corner lip lift surgery, there’s no harm trying out the other alternatives to smile lift surgery as well!

How is Korean smile lift surgery done?

Smile lift surgery has actually been pretty popular among the Koreans, and it has been trending since 2013. However, not many plastic surgery clinics in Korea offer lip surgery as it requires a really skillful lip surgeon.

Not to blow our own horns, but Hyundai Aesthetics is one of the most popular clinic which does lip surgery well.

Firstly, incisions are made at the upper outer corner and bottom outer corners of your lips. Then the muscles that lift your mouth edges are relocated while your DAO muscles (muscles responsible for lowering the corners of your mouth) are weaken.

How long does smile lift surgery take?

Smile lift surgery in Korea usually lasts 1 hr and is performed under local anesthesia so you will not feel any pain.

When can I see results?

Major swelling and bruising for corner lip lift surgery lasts up to 3 weeks and pretty accurate results are visible after 1 month. Final results can be seen after 6 to 12 months. It might be tough for you to eat on the first 2 days after surgery, but you will be fine after that. Just don’t open your mouth too big until it fully heals.

Do take note that the success of your smile lift surgery not only lies in the hands of your surgeon but also how well you recover after surgery. Learn how to properly care for your lips during the recovery period by reading our article on lip surgery aftercare and post-op instructions.

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

How long should I stay in Korea?

Corner lip lift surgery in Korea is not considered a major 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, there is a high chance of reverting back. And if you remove it too late, you risk further scarring and pigmentation.

Sometimes due to time constraints, you might consider having your stitches removed at the local hospitals in your home country.

Although that is possible (but not recommended), it depends on how well you have been healing and is also subjected to doctor’s approval.

Alternatives to smile lift surgery

Yes, there is a non-surgical alternative to corner lip lift surgery – upper lip filler + DAO muscle botox. Your upper lip corners are plumped up with fillers while botox will weaken the pulling down strength of DAO muscles, enabling a slight lift at the corners.

Unfortunately, these results are not permanent, and typically last only 6-8 months. But hey, there’s no harm trying them out first to see if you would really like the results or not before going for your smile lift surgery.

What other lip surgery complements smile lift surgery?

If you are getting smile lift surgery, you might want to consider other lip surgeries as well. And the good news? You can fix the problems you have all at the same time, in one surgery!

1. Cupid’s bow surgery

A pouty cupid’s bow is a symbol of coquettishness and sexiness. Discover how you can get a pout with cupid bow’s surgery.

2. Lip enhancement surgery

Full, pouty lips has always been #lipgoals. But if you are born with thin lips, lip enhancement surgery is definitely worth a consideration.

3. Lip valley surgery

Do you know that having a slight groove in the middle of your lower lips makes your lips more puckered and sexy? If you don’t have double-lobed lips, lip valley surgery can help you achieve that.

4. Philtrum reduction

Having a long philtrum results in “monkey face” and is unattractive. But philtrum reduction surgery can fix that and enhance your features for the optimal facial proportions.

5. Lip reduction surgery

Sometimes having too much of a good thing, especially when it comes to lips, can make you extremely self-conscious and less attractive. In such cases, lip reduction surgery might be the best solution for you.

Conclusion

The Korean smile lift surgery ain’t as disturbing as they make it to be. Sure, it gives you sort of a permanent smile (depending on your preferences and how much you lift the corners), but definitely not those creepy kind. In fact, it actually work wonders for those who give off a grumpy or sad appearance due to their lip shape. But there’s gonna be a little scarring, don’t say we didn’t warn you.

That said, those scars do fade though, over time. So weigh your pros and cons. There’s nothing wrong in trying to make yourself more pleasant looking. Just don’t overdo it and you’ll be fine.

Most importantly, make sure you get a skilled lip surgeon who is experienced in lip surgeries for the best results, and you’re good to go!