A lip flop procedure, or surgical lip eversion technique, is a specialized cosmetic or reconstructive method aimed at enhancing the visibility and projection of the lips. Unlike temporary treatments like dermal fillers, this technique involves the surgical manipulation and repositioning of the lip’s own soft tissue. The term “lip flop” often refers to procedures like V-Y mucosal advancement or direct vermilion advancement, which turn the inner lip lining outward. This approach provides a lasting structural change, offering a permanent solution for individuals seeking greater lip fullness or a more defined lip border.
Understanding the Anatomical Goal
The primary objective of a lip eversion procedure is to increase the visible surface area of the vermilion, the pink part of the lip. This is achieved by advancing the oral mucosa, the moist inner lining, forward and outward. This manipulation redefines and projects the vermilion border, the junction between the pink lip tissue and the surrounding skin.
Candidates often have naturally thin lips (microcheilia) or have experienced thinning due to the natural aging process. As tissues lose elasticity, the lip can invert or roll inward, minimizing the vermilion show. The procedure offers a lasting enhancement compared to injectable fillers.
The goal is the permanent “rolling out” of existing lip tissue, creating the appearance of fuller, more voluminous lips without adding foreign material. Repositioning the tissue inside the mouth restores a more proportionate ratio between the lip’s pink body and the surrounding skin. This alteration addresses lip inversion and lack of definition. The procedure can be reconstructive, correcting deformities, or purely aesthetic.
The Surgical Technique
The surgical execution depends on the specific technique chosen, with V-Y mucosal advancement being a common method that embodies the “flop” concept. This technique involves making V-shaped incisions on the wet, internal surface of the lip, ensuring that any resulting scars are hidden inside the mouth. The surgeon then carefully loosens the mucosal flap from the underlying tissues.
This mobilization allows the mucosal tissue to be advanced forward and outward toward the vermilion border, essentially “flopping” the internal lining to become part of the visible lip. The V-shaped incisions are then meticulously closed in a Y-shape with sutures, which shortens the length of the incision line and creates a gathering effect on the tissue. This strategic closure creates a permanent crowding of the tissue, resulting in a plumper and more everted lip contour.
Direct Vermilion Advancement
Another method, the direct vermilion advancement, involves an incision made precisely along the vermilion border. A narrow strip of skin immediately above the pink lip is removed, and the pink lip tissue is pulled outward and secured in its new, advanced position. This technique offers precise control over the shape of the lip border and the Cupid’s bow, but it does result in a scar that lies directly at the vermilion junction. Both surgical approaches achieve the goal of permanent volume increase and eversion.
Recovery and Long-Term Results
The post-operative recovery period is generally manageable, although patients should expect initial swelling and bruising. Swelling typically peaks within the first 48 hours and then gradually subsides over the first week. Discomfort is usually mild to moderate and can be managed with prescribed or over-the-counter medication.
Sutures are often removed about one week after the procedure, or they may be absorbable depending on the technique used. Patients are advised to maintain a soft diet for the first few days to minimize tension on the healing incisions. Temporary side effects like numbness or tightness gradually resolve as the nerves heal.
While initial aesthetic improvement is noticeable immediately, the final result develops over several months as residual swelling resolves and tissues settle. The results of a surgical lip eversion are considered permanent because the procedure involves a structural change to the lip’s anatomy. The new lip shape and increased vermilion show are long-lasting.