Lip Reduction Surgery Cost and Procedure Guide

While full lips may be sometimes treated as a societal ideal, there are a variety of reasons why people with full or larger-than-usual lips may wish to change the way they look. Whether for medical or cosmetic reasons, lip reduction surgery (aka cheiloplasty) can help people achieve a more pleasing or symmetrical appearance of their lips.¹

Continue reading to learn more about how lip reduction surgery works and what you might expect to pay for the procedure.

What Is Lip Reduction Surgery?

Lip reduction surgery is a cosmetic procedure that removes tissue from one or both of the lips.² There are a number of reasons why someone might seek to have lip reduction surgery, including:¹

• Cosmetic reasons. Some people are just born with larger-than-average lips and may wish for a change. Many people seek lip reduction surgery to change the way they look or to achieve a certain appearance of the face and mouth for cosmetic reasons. They may also seek out the surgery due to complications they have experienced from lip enhancement procedures such as overfilling with injectable treatments or postoperative complications of other facial surgery.
• Improve functionality. People may also seek lip reduction surgery due to congenital issues related to the natural size of their lips, such as problems with drooling, speech pattern issues or simply not liking the size of their lips.
• Macrocheilia. When lips are significantly prominent (known as macrocheilia), they can interfere with normal oral function, leading to drooling, speech pattern interference or an impact on self-esteem. Other instances of excessive lip size may result from medical conditions, including dentofacial deformities, hemangiomas, inflamed tissue, cleft lip and glandular hypertrophy.

How Much Does Lip Reduction Surgery Cost?

The average cost for lip reduction surgery can range significantly from $1,000 to $8,000.³ This wide range is due to variables such as location, your surgeon's training and credentials and the length or complexity of the surgery.³

Is Lip Reduction Surgery Covered by Health Insurance?

Lip reduction surgery is usually considered a cosmetic surgery and therefore not generally covered by health insurance.³ However, in the case of fixing a cleft palate, it may be considered reconstructive surgery and possibly covered by some health insurance providers.⁴

How Does Lip Reduction Surgery Work?

Lip reduction is a type of surgery, so your surgeon will administer a form of anesthesia, either local or general, to numb the pain.⁵

Following the application of local or general anesthesia, the surgeon will typically make an incision inside your upper or lower lip, along what is known as the “wet line," where the “dry" part of your lip hits the wet part. The type of incision will depend upon the goal of your surgery. Excess tissue will be removed from the wet side of your lip, where scars are less likely to be seen.⁵

Finally, your surgeon will close your incision, pulling the remaining lip tissue inward, which will give it a thinner appearance. The entire surgery may take as little as an hour.⁵

Possible Side Effects and Risks of Lip Reduction Surgery

Lip reduction surgery is a permanent procedure. To “undo" the effects would require an additional, if not several, surgeries.⁵

Additionally, possible risk and/or side effects related to lip reduction surgery include:³

• Bleeding
• Loss of sensation
• Scarring
• Possible interference with muscular function

Recovering From Lip Reduction Surgery

Recovering from a lip reduction procedure can take between one to three weeks for full healing and for any dissolvable sutures to degrade.⁵ Depending on how much swelling and pain you have and the nature of your job, you can likely return to work within a day or two of the procedure.⁶

Your doctor will likely prescribe anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and pain medication to keep pain at a minimum.⁶ You may experience numbness, irritation and/or temporary loss of function in the lip⁶ for a few days after the procedure.⁵ Ice packs can be used to bring down swelling.⁵ It's possible to have a little bleeding.⁵

It's a good idea to stay hydrated and use a lip moisturizer while healing. Avoid any activities that include contact with the face and mouth.⁶

Eating may be a little tricky for a while, so lean on soft foods or smoothies, but avoid things with high acid content, which can irritate your incision. You may also be given an antiseptic mouthwash to prevent infection.⁵

Who Is a Good Candidate for Lip Reduction Surgery?

Good lip reduction surgery candidates will either be seeking to balance their facial features, particularly their lips,³ correct a facial deformity³ or improve the function of their lips and mouths for any of the medical reasons previously mentioned.

Who Is Not a Good Candidate for Lip Reduction Surgery?

People looking to enhance or augment the size of their lips are not good candidates — they would need to seek lip enhancement surgery. People who have infections of the lips or mouth are also not good candidates, as this can impair healing. People who smoke and won't quit smoking for several weeks before and after the procedure are also not good candidates.³

Additionally, people whose interlabial space is more than three millimeters or who have poor muscle tone may not be good candidates.³ Other medical conditions may also be prohibitive, including Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome or cheilitis granulomatosa.¹

Financing Lip Reduction Surgery With the CareCredit Credit Card

Ready to revitalize your appearance and boost your confidence? The CareCredit credit card makes it easy to pay for lip reduction surgery and related expenses not covered by health insurance.* Apply today and use our Acceptance Locator to find a doctor or cosmetic surgeon near you that accepts CareCredit so you can stop dreaming and start living your best life. Continue your wellness journey by downloading the CareCredit Mobile App to manage your CareCredit account, find a provider on the go and easily access the Well U hub for more great articles, podcasts and videos.

Author Bio

Jordan Rosenfeld has been freelance writing for 21 years about finances, health, education and more. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, The Billfold, Good Magazine, GoBanking Rates, Daily Worth, Quartz, Medical Economics, The New York Times, PayPal, The Washington Post and more.