--- title: "Lip Lift Scars: Location, Healing Timeline and What Is Not Normal" url: https://drturner.com.au/blogs/lip-lift-scar-healing/ date: 2026-07-02 modified: 2026-07-26 author: "Dr Scott J Turner" description: "Dr Scott J Turner | Specialist Plastic Surgeon (FRACS) Key Takeaways A lip lift scar sits in the crease at the base of the nose, one of the better places..." categories: - "Plastic Surgery" image: https://drturner.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/blogplaceholder-img.svg word_count: 2240 --- # Lip Lift Scars: Location, Healing Timeline and What Is Not Normal *[Dr Scott J Turner](https://drturner.com.au/dr-scott-turner-sydney-plastic-surgeon/) | Specialist Plastic Surgeon (FRACS)* > **Key Takeaways** A lip lift scar sits in the crease at the base of the nose, one of the better places on the face for a scar to settle discreetly. Expect it to look pink and firm for the first several weeks, then soften and fade over the following months, with most of the change happening across the first year. Early redness, tightness and numbness are all normal. A scar that keeps widening, thickens into a raised ridge or stays red well past the early months is worth having reviewed. Healing varies considerably between individuals. The scar is the part of a lip lift patients ask me about most, and reasonably so. It sits on the face rather than hidden under clothing, and it's permanent. The reassuring part is that the incision is placed where a scar has a good chance of settling well. The honest part is that healing takes months rather than days, and the care it gets in that time matters. This guide covers where the scar sits, what it looks like as it heals, what falls inside the normal range, and when a scar is worth having looked at. If you're still deciding whether the surgery is right for you, the [lip lift surgery](https://drturner.com.au/procedures/face/lip-lift-surgery/) page covers candidacy and technique, with the [Brisbane lip lift](https://drturner.com.au/locations/brisbane/lip-lift/) page covering Queensland consultations. For the wider decision, the [upper lip lift regret](https://drturner.com.au/blogs/upper-lip-lift-surgery-regrets/) guide covers why some patients are satisfied afterwards and others aren't. ## Where a Lip Lift Scar Sits, and Why That Helps Most upper lip lifts use a bullhorn or subnasal incision. The cut follows the junction where the base of the nose meets the skin of the upper lip, curving along the natural line beneath the nostrils and across the base of the nose. That position does a lot of the work. It sits in a natural shadow and crease, so once the scar matures it tends to blend into an area the eye already reads as a fold rather than a flat plane of skin. Not every lip lift scar sits in the same place. A corner lip lift leaves small scars at the corners of the mouth, and a direct lip lift places the scar just above the lip border, which is one reason it's used less often. Where the scar sits is decided at the planning stage and has a real bearing on how visible the final line is likely to be, so it's worth asking which technique is planned for you and where the incision will run. ## The Healing Timeline Healing follows fairly predictable stages, though the pace varies considerably between individuals. The timings below are typical patterns rather than a schedule your scar will follow exactly. ### The first week In the first week the scar looks its most obvious, and this is the stage that alarms people most. The line is red or pink, often slightly raised, and there may be light crusting along it. The area feels tight and can be swollen. Sutures are usually removed around day five to seven. What you see at one week isn't what the scar will look like later. A one-week lip lift scar is meant to look like a fresh wound, because that's what it is. ### Weeks two to six Once the sutures are out and the incision has sealed, many patients notice the scar looks pinker or redder for a while before it starts to fade. This is normal. It reflects the increased blood supply that arrives while the tissue underneath remodels. The line may feel firm, slightly lumpy or numb to the touch. This is the "looks worse before it looks better" phase, and it passes. ### Months two to six Through this stage the redness generally begins to settle and the firmness softens. The scar gradually flattens, and numbness usually eases. This is the window where scar care earns its keep, because an immature scar responds far better to silicone and sun protection than a mature one does. ### Six to twelve months and beyond Over this period the scar typically continues to pale, flatten and soften. In many patients it settles into a fine line sitting quietly in the crease beneath the nose, though how complete that fading is varies with skin type, genetics and how the wound healed. Scars keep changing across this whole period, which is why surgeons ask patients not to judge the result early. In some patients maturation continues past twelve months. ## The Rest of Recovery Scarring is the part patients focus on, but the first few weeks involve more than the incision line. **Swelling and bruising.** The upper lip and base of the nose swell noticeably in the first days, and the lip can look considerably fuller and more lifted than the eventual result. Most visible swelling settles over two to three weeks, with subtle residual swelling resolving over the following months. Judging the shape of your lip in the first fortnight isn't useful. **Numbness and tightness.** Altered sensation across the upper lip and philtrum is expected and usually temporary, easing over weeks to months as the small sensory nerves recover. Tightness when smiling or speaking is common early and settles as swelling resolves. **Eating and speaking.** Soft foods for the first several days are usually recommended, avoiding wide mouth opening and anything requiring a big bite. Speech can feel awkward for the first week or so while the lip is swollen and tight. Both settle quickly. **Activity and work.** Many patients take around a week off, driven more by visible swelling and bruising than by physical limitation. Strenuous exercise is usually deferred for a couple of weeks, since raised blood pressure in early healing works against the wound. Your surgeon's specific guidance takes precedence over any general timeline. ## What's Normal, and What Isn't Plenty of things that look concerning early are simply part of healing. Redness, firmness, a slightly raised line, numbness, occasional itching and mild unevenness are all common in the first weeks and months. **Signs worth having reviewed:** - A scar that keeps getting wider over the months after surgery - A scar that thickens into a raised ridge. Where thickening stays within the original incision line this is described as hypertrophic scarring; where it spreads beyond the original line into surrounding skin it's called keloid scarring. Both are more likely in patients with a personal or family history of thick scarring, and both respond better to early treatment than late - A scar that stays intensely red well past the early months - A scar that pulls on the base of the nose or the lip and changes their shape **Signs of possible infection, which need prompt review rather than monitoring:** spreading redness beyond the incision, warmth, increasing pain after the first few days, discharge from the wound, wound separation, or fever. None of these necessarily mean something has gone wrong. They're reasons to contact your surgeon rather than wait it out. ## What Separates a Fine Scar From a Poor One Two things shape how a lip lift scar heals: how the surgery is done, and how your own skin behaves. On the surgical side, the biggest factor within anyone's control is tension. When the lifted lip is anchored to firm structure deep to the skin, the surface closure carries almost no load, and a tension-free line has the best chance of healing into a fine scar. When the weight of the lift rests on skin sutures alone, that constant pull can widen the scar over time. The same principle applies across facial surgery, including [deep plane facelift](https://drturner.com.au/procedures/face/deep-plane-facelift/) technique, where deeper layers carry the lift so the skin isn't under strain. On your side, several factors influence healing. A personal or family history of keloid or hypertrophic scarring is important to raise before surgery, not after. Smoking impairs wound healing and is worth stopping well before and after any procedure. Sun exposure can darken an immature scar. And consistent aftercare across the months when the scar is still remodelling makes a measurable difference. ## Corner Lip Lift Scars A corner lip lift is a different operation with a different scar. Rather than sitting beneath the nose, the scars are placed at the corners of the mouth to address a downturned mouth. Because the corner of the mouth moves constantly with speech and expression, these scars can behave differently from a subnasal line, and their placement calls for careful planning. If you're researching a corner lip lift specifically, it's worth discussing scar position and healing for that technique in its own right rather than assuming it heals like a standard upper lip lift. ## Caring for Your Scar Good scar care is simple, but it works best when it's consistent. The measures below help most patients, and they sit alongside rather than replace your surgeon's specific instructions. Keep the incision clean and protected in the early days, following the suture care advice you're given. Once the wound has fully sealed, silicone gel or silicone sheeting is one of the better-supported ways to help a scar flatten and fade, and it needs to continue for months rather than weeks to be worth doing. Protect the scar from the sun with a high-SPF sunscreen for at least a year. Ultraviolet exposure can leave an immature scar permanently darker, and in Australia the UV index reaches damaging levels year-round rather than only in summer, including on overcast days. Gentle massage of the healed scar can help soften it where your surgeon advises it. Avoid stretching or putting tension on the area while it's healing. And if you smoke, stopping gives the skin its best chance to heal cleanly. ## When to Have a Scar Reviewed If something about your scar is worrying you, it's always reasonable to see your surgeon rather than wait. Early treatment of a scar that's beginning to thicken is considerably easier than correcting a mature one, and simple measures such as silicone, taping or corticosteroid injection often settle things. At the same time, patience matters. Because scars keep improving across the first year, it's usually wise not to rush toward revision surgery. There's also an important limit worth understanding. Revising a lip lift scar means removing more skin, which shortens the upper lip further, and for some patients that trade isn't worth making. The [upper lip lift regret](https://drturner.com.au/blogs/upper-lip-lift-surgery-regrets/) guide covers why revision options are narrower than most people expect, including the timing involved. If you're assessing a result rather than a scar specifically, the [lip lift before and after](https://drturner.com.au/blogs/lip-lift-before-and-after/) guide covers how to read outcome photographs. ## Frequently Asked Questions **How long does a lip lift scar take to heal?** The wound seals within the first week or two, but the scar itself keeps changing for much longer. It typically looks red and firm for the first several weeks, softens and fades over the following months, and continues maturing across the first year. Most surgeons ask patients not to judge a scar before around the twelve-month mark, because it usually improves considerably over that period. Individual healing varies, and in some patients maturation continues longer. **What does a lip lift scar look like after one week?** At one week the scar looks like a fresh wound, which is exactly what it is. Expect a red or pink line that may be slightly raised, with tightness, swelling and occasionally light crusting. Sutures are often removed around day five to seven. This early appearance isn't a guide to the final result, so it's normal for it to look far more obvious now than it will later. **How do I know if my lip lift scar is healing badly?** Redness, firmness and a slightly raised line are normal early on. The signs worth reviewing are a scar that keeps widening, thickens into a raised ridge (hypertrophic if within the original line, keloid if spreading beyond it), stays intensely red well past the early months, or pulls the nose or lip out of shape. Spreading redness, warmth, discharge, increasing pain or fever can indicate infection and need prompt review. When in doubt, contact your surgeon. **Can a lip lift scar be hidden or removed?** A lip lift scar can't be removed, only improved. Most settle into a fine line that's straightforward to camouflage with makeup once mature. A poorly healed scar can sometimes be revised, but revision removes more skin and shortens the lip further, so it isn't always the right choice. Consistent scar care and a tension-free repair at the outset are the best ways to keep a scar discreet. **Does the type of lip lift affect the scar?** Yes. A bullhorn or subnasal lift places the scar in the crease at the base of the nose, where it tends to conceal well. A direct lift sits just above the lip border and is more visible, which is one reason it's used less often. A corner lip lift leaves scars at the corners of the mouth, an area that moves constantly, so it behaves differently again. Scar position is part of the surgical plan and worth discussing beforehand. --- If you're considering a lip lift, or you have questions about how a scar is settling, an in-person review is more useful than comparing your healing against a timeline. Dr Scott Turner consults in Sydney and Brisbane. For clinic information and the consultation pathway, visit the [Sydney clinic](https://drturner.com.au/locations/sydney-clinic/) or [Brisbane clinic](https://drturner.com.au/locations/brisbane/), or [contact the practice](https://drturner.com.au/contact-us/) to arrange a consultation.