Lip Lift (Bullhorn)

With age, the philtrum — the skin between the nose and the upper lip — gradually lengthens, causing the upper lip to thin, roll inward, and hide the teeth when smiling. Fillers add volume but cannot shorten this distance; the lip lift is the definitive correction. In the bullhorn technique, a wavy strip of skin shaped like a bull's horns is removed directly beneath the nasal base, lifting the central lip and flaring the cupid's bow upward and outward.

The scar is concealed in the natural shadow line at the junction of nose and lip, where it typically matures into an imperceptible line. Results are structural and permanent: more visible pink lip, a shorter and more youthful philtrum, and subtle tooth show at rest — features associated with a youthful mouth — without the recurring cost and maintenance of hyaluronic acid fillers.

Arte Clinic performs the lip lift under local anaesthesia in about 45 minutes as an outpatient procedure. Good candidates have a philtrum longer than roughly 1.5 cm (women) or 1.7 cm (men), measured at consultation. Recovery is mild: swelling settles over about a week and sutures are removed on days 5–7. Smoking impairs healing in this area and should be paused around surgery.