Photographic and Statistical Evaluation of 100 Upper Lip Lift Surgeries

Abstract

Background:

Surgical techniques for upper lip lift are widely discussed in the literature. However, many questions remain about the influence of sex, age, and ethnicity on the indication for surgery and patient selection.

Aim:

To verify whether the variation in the number of pixels in digital photographs in the subnasal region, before/after upper lip lift, correlates with the variables sex/age/ethnicity.

Methods:

Standardized frontal photographs were analyzed from patients who underwent upper lip lift surgery through the Bull Horn Technique. Four linear distances were measured in pixels before and after surgery to quantify dimensional changes. Recovery patterns were assessed across 4 postoperative intervals (0, 7, 10-50, and 60-100 days). Nonparametric tests (Mann–Whitney U, Kruskal–Wallis H, Spearman’s correlation, and Pearson’s correlation) were used for subgroup analyses to evaluate associations among age, sex, ethnicity, and recovery time.

Results:

Digital pixel-based measurements revealed that 3 upper lip distances decreased after surgery, while upper lip height increased. The mean percentage increase in upper lip height was greater in men (72.62%) than in women (46.67%). No significant differences were found between sexes (P > .05), nor correlations between recovery time and age (P = .6984), sex (P = .3157), or ethnicity (P = .0910). Descriptive data indicated that postoperative dimensional variation decreased with aging, suggesting reduced soft-tissue responsiveness over time.

Conclusion:

Pixel-based measurements suggested reduced tissue adaptability with aging, highlighting the clinical relevance of age and lifestyle factors in postoperative recovery.