Surgery · Lip reduction results

Lip Reduction Before and After

What a comparison can show, and when to judge it

Gangnam, Seoul | Board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Jonghwan Choi
KHIDI-registered for international patients · Apgujeong Rewind

Lip Reduction Results Reduction Cheiloplasty Cases Lip Reduction Results Reduction Cheiloplasty Cases 
Change

Lip reduction results

What changes between the two photographs of a lip reduction?

The short answer

A lip reduction makes a full lip project less and show less red when the mouth is closed. How much thinner it looks has no standard answer: the amount of tissue taken is decided for each lip by the surgeon, and Rewind publishes no figure for it. The outer outline of the lip is normally left alone, since the published technique works from the inner surface, so what a comparison shows is volume and projection, while the edge itself stays where it was. Swelling hides the change at first, and the clinic's lip-surgery instructions describe bruising and swelling easing over one to two weeks. A lip lift, which shortens the skin below the nose, produces a very different comparison and is a separate operation.

The swelling and stitch figures on this page come from Rewind's Korean lip-surgery page and its post-operative instructions, both written for the clinic's corner operation. Their application to a reduction is confirmed by the surgeon. The clinic has released no lip reduction case photographs for publication yet, and the case frames below stay empty until it does.

Anyone searching for comparison photographs is really asking what their own mouth will look like. A pair of pictures answers a narrower question: what happened to one lip, in one person, after one plan. Read with that in mind, a comparison is useful for seeing the kind of change a reduction makes, and misleading if it is taken as a forecast.

Dr. Jonghwan Choi assessing proportions on a patient's face at the consultation desk at Rewind Plastic Surgery
Fig. 01 · The first reference point for any result is the lip as it was examined
Cases

Case photographs

Rewind's lip reduction cases, and why these frames are still empty

The clinic has not yet released a set of its own lip reduction photographs for publication. The frames stay open until it does. Filling them with a stock mouth, or with a pair taken from a different operation, would show you somebody else's surgery under this operation's name, and that is worse than showing nothing.

Lip reduction · case pairs reserved

BEFORE PHOTO
AFTER PHOTO
BEFOREAFTER
case · lower lip
Lip reduction, lower lip, relaxed profile
Individual results may vary.
BEFORE PHOTO
AFTER PHOTO
BEFOREAFTER
case · upper lip
Lip reduction, upper lip, seen from the front
Individual results may vary.
BEFORE PHOTO
AFTER PHOTO
BEFOREAFTER
case · both lips
Lip reduction of both lips, planned with a second operation
Individual results may vary.

When Rewind publishes lip reduction cases, each caption will list every operation performed in that session, because a lip photographed after a reduction and a corner lift together says little about a reduction alone. Until then, ask at the consultation what the clinic can show you for a lip like yours. A photograph is one person's outcome. Bleeding, infection, prolonged swelling, altered sensation, a line that can be felt inside the lip, unevenness between the sides and a lip reduced more or less than intended are all possible, and no particular result can be promised.

Read

How to read a comparison

Four things a lip reduction comparison should be read for

A comparison photograph of a mouth invites a quick verdict: thinner or not. The useful information is more specific, and sits in four places.

view 01
Projection in profile
The change a reduction is designed for. Seen from the side with the mouth closed, a reduced lip sits further back in relation to the nose and chin. A front view alone can hide most of this.
view 02
How much red lip shows
From the front, a reduced lip usually shows a narrower band of red when relaxed. This is the part most patients notice first in a mirror, and the part most affected by swelling in the early weeks.
view 03
Balance between the two lips
Rewind's published reference proportion between upper and lower lip is 1:1.615. A comparison that shows only the reduced lip tells you little; the question is how the two lips sit together afterwards.
view 04
The mouth in speech
A lip that looks right closed can look different when talking or smiling. Still photographs rarely capture that, and it is the reason the surgeon watches the mouth move during the examination.
Stages

When a result can be judged

When a lip reduction result can be judged, from the table to the months after

Each stage of healing produces a different-looking lip. Judging the result at the wrong one is the commonest source of disappointment, and also of false reassurance.

01Record

The lip reduction starts from a documented lip

A comparison is only as useful as its first frame. Before any marking, ask for your lip to be recorded closed and relaxed, in profile and from the front, so there is something fixed to compare against once swelling has come and gone.

02First days

A swollen lip that looks larger than it did before surgery

Tissue is removed from the inner surface, and the lip swells around the closure. In the first days many patients see a lip fuller than the one they came in with. That picture says nothing about the result.

03Weeks 1-2

Bruising and swelling begin to ease

Rewind's post-operative instructions for its lip surgery describe bruising and swelling easing within one to two weeks. The shape starts to become readable here, although the lip still feels stiff and the two sides may not yet match.

04Months

The settled lip, compared with the first frame

The clinic publishes no date at which a lip reduction is called final, and settling differs between individuals. The comparison that counts is made at a review with the operating surgeon, against the record taken before surgery.

05Decision

Whether anything further is worth doing

Removed mucosa cannot be replaced, so a lip that looks under-reduced is easier to revisit than one that looks over-reduced. Any further step is discussed only once the lip has settled, and never on the evidence of an early photograph.

Dr. Jonghwan Choi operating under loupe magnification at Rewind Plastic Surgery
Fig. 02 · What is removed on the day is the only fixed point in the whole comparison
Rewind

Why results are judged here the way they are

Why a lip reduction result is judged in profile and in speech

A reduced lip is seen by other people mostly while it moves. A result that works only in a still front view is only half a result, so the plan at Rewind is made with both the profile and the moving mouth in view.

01Profile first

Projection is the measure a lip reduction is planned against

How far the lip carries forward is judged from the side, with the face relaxed and the mouth closed. That view sets how much tissue is marked, and it is the view that shows the change most plainly once the lip has settled.

02Conservative

Less is taken first, because nothing can be added back

The published discussion of this operation returns again and again to conservative marking. A smaller second step is possible where the first falls short. A lip that has lost too much has no equivalent route back, so the plan leans toward restraint.

03Same surgeon

The surgeon who marked the lip reviews it afterwards

Rewind is a single-surgeon clinic. Dr. Choi compares the settled lip with what he planned, not with a stranger's photograph. Patients from abroad correspond in their own language under the clinic's KHIDI registration, M-2025-01-08-09288.

Dr. Jonghwan Choi pointing out the area around the mouth to a patient during a consultation at Rewind Plastic Surgery
Fig. 03 · What the mouth does in conversation is part of the examination
Clinic

Where the case is followed

Where a lip reduction case is examined, operated on and reviewed

Surgeon preparing a draped patient in the procedure room at Rewind Plastic Surgery

Fig. 04 · Preparation in the clinic's own procedure room

Consultation desk at Rewind Plastic Surgery, Apgujeong

Fig. 05 · The desk where the settled lip is compared with the plan

Every stage of a lip reduction case at Rewind happens on the clinic's two floors of the Richro Building in Apgujeong, with one surgeon from examination to the last review. Appointments run Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:00 to 19:00 and Saturday from 10:00 to 16:00; the clinic does not open on Thursday or Sunday. These are the fixed points behind any comparison the clinic shows you.

Lip examined closed, relaxed and in speech
Upper and lower lip weighed against 1:1.615
One lip or both decided at examination
Earlier filler declared before marking
Tissue taken from the inner surface of the lip
Amount marked conservatively
Settled lip reviewed by the operating surgeon
Photographs from home at agreed intervals
Dr. Jonghwan Choi, board-certified plastic surgeon at Rewind

Board-certified plastic surgeon

Each lip reduction result at the clinic is the work of Dr. Jonghwan Choi, a board-certified plastic surgeon with published research in craniofacial surgery. Treatment of patients from abroad takes place under KHIDI registration M-2025-01-08-09288.

Rates

Listed prices

What the operation behind a lip reduction comparison is listed at

A comparison photograph shows one plan. The figures below are the clinic's listed prices for the lines that plan can contain, for a first operation.

Lip reduction (cupid lip)The reduction itself, whether one lip or both are treated after examination
₩1,700,000
Corner lip lift, where the corners are also raisedA second operation with a result of its own, written as a separate line
₩1,700,000
Sedation, if the surgeon calls for itListed separately on the clinic's sheet
₩200,000

Figures are shown with VAT excluded, and the clinic's sheet counts the anaesthesia fee inside each surgical listing. A comparison produced by two operations cost two lines, and that is worth remembering when a photograph looks like more than a reduction alone could do. Work on a lip reduced before is priced only after examination.

Fit

Who sees a clear change

Lips that tend to show a clear change after reduction, and lips where surgery is declined

A visible change is more likely

  • A lip whose forward projection is obvious in a relaxed profile with the mouth closed
  • Fullness that is native tissue, with no injected material still present
  • One lip clearly heavier than the other, measured against the clinic's reference proportion
  • A complaint that stays the same whether the face is at rest or talking
  • Patience to judge the result after the swelling has gone and not before

Where the surgeon may say no, or not yet

  • Lips still holding filler, where the comparison would be of product and not of lip
  • A mouth that looks heavy because the corners turn down, which is corner lip lift territory
  • A target photograph of someone else's lips, when your proportions differ from theirs
  • A lip already in proportion, where a reduction would only make it thin
  • Active infection, cold sores or ulceration of the lip, a bleeding disorder, daily blood thinners, pregnancy or breastfeeding
Between

Between the two photographs

What happens to a reduced lip between the first and the second photograph

The interval between a before and an after frame is the recovery. Rewind publishes its lip-surgery instructions on its Korean page, written for the corner operation; the surgeon confirms which of them apply to a reduction, and they are marked here as borrowed.

About days six to seven
Stitch check
The clinic's lip page gives six to seven days for removing stitches, after which swelling goes down gradually. A photograph taken at this visit still shows a swollen lip and is not a result.
Weeks one to two
Bruising and swelling ease
The published instructions describe bruising and swelling easing within one to two weeks, with a soft-food diet over the same period. Strong pressure on the lip is avoided while the inner closure heals.
One to two months
No wide mouth opening
Wide opening is avoided for one to two months after stitch removal. The lip is still settling in this window, and so is its appearance in a smile.
Months after
The comparison that counts
Once the surgeon judges the lip settled, the new record is set beside the first one. Patients back home send their photographs at the intervals agreed before they left.

How far a lip changes differs between individuals and no specific appearance can be promised. Swelling that lasts longer than expected, unevenness between the sides, numbness or altered feeling, a palpable line inside the lip, wound separation, infection and bleeding are recognised risks, and a lip judged over-reduced or under-reduced may call for a further procedure. Tell the surgeon about all earlier lip treatment, including injections, before a date is fixed.

Doctor

Professional

Comparison photographs are only as trustworthy as the plan behind them. At Rewind one board-certified plastic surgeon examines the lip, decides the amount, operates and judges the settled result, so the before and the after belong to the same pair of eyes.

Dr. Jonghwan Choi, board-certified plastic surgeonRewind,
Journal article from Dr. Jonghwan Choi's peer-reviewed publication record
Fig. 06 · An article from his peer-reviewed publication record

Rewind's Doctor

Dr. Jonghwan Choi Medical Director

A lip is judged settled,
never swollen.

Medical director at Rewind and a board-certified plastic surgeon, with ten peer-reviewed papers indexed under his name across craniofacial and reconstructive surgery.

Board-certified plastic surgeon (Plastic Surgery)
10 peer-reviewed publications
Medical Director, Rewind Plastic Surgery
Korean Society of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeons
Former chief director, Apgujeong Y&T Plastic Surgery
Korean Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
J Craniofac Surg · JKMS · Arch Craniofac Surg
Korean Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association
Voices

Google Reviews

What our patients say.

G 5.0 ★★★★★ 40 Google reviews · Rewind Plastic Surgery, Apgujeong — live-synced from Google Business Profile

"There are just way too many cosmetic clinics in Korea and I'm so happy I found Rewind Clinic in Gangnam. Dr. Choi was so kind and patient while explaining the different face-lifting options, from threads to mini-lifts to deep-plane lifts. I've had procedures in Taiwan and the US and now m…"

JJ. S.3 MONTHS AGO · POSTED ON GOOGLE

"Really nice environment. Doctor is easy to communicate and understands my visions. Waited two weeks to make a review and I confirm the results exceeded my expectations and I am super happy with it. Can't wait to come back!! :))"

KKristie Chu3 MONTHS AGO · POSTED ON GOOGLE

"I found Rewind clinic through a Korean chat forum and many local clients highly recommended it. The clinic is brand new, featuring large, clean rooms and many private waiting areas so it doesn't give off that "factory" clinic vibe. All the staff, including the receptionists, nurses, a…"

JJ. Siou3 MONTHS AGO · POSTED ON GOOGLE

"You know how you get self-conscious about your facial contours before going on vacation? I was wondering what I could do to see quick results, and a friend recommended Apgujeong Rewind Plastic Surgery. All the staff were friendly, and the facilities were incredibly pleasant—it felt like a hotel! Val…"

똑똑띠언니A MONTH AGO · POSTED ON GOOGLE · Translated by Google

"I went for a consultation for lip fillers and am leaving this review because I am so satisfied with the results. I told them about the lip line I had always wanted, and they carefully examined my face shape and features to naturally recreate a shape that suited me well. The director definitely has …"

WWang, Ziyuan(경영대학 경영학과) ­2 MONTHS AGO · POSTED ON GOOGLE · Translated by Google
Ask

Questions

Lip reduction results: questions to ask before trusting a photograph

How much thinner will my lips look after a reduction?
It varies with every plan. Expect less forward projection in profile and a narrower band of red at rest, by an amount agreed with the surgeon after he has examined you. Rewind quotes no typical figure, and the plan leans small on purpose, since a second modest step is easier than an undo.
How long should I wait before judging my lip reduction result?
Longer than the first fortnight. Early photographs mostly record puffiness, and the two sides often settle at different speeds. Rewind names no date at which a reduced lip is final, so the verdict belongs to a later review, where the surgeon sets your new photographs beside the record made before the operation.
Does the outline of the lip change, or only its fullness?
In the published technique the incision is on the inner surface of the lip, so the outer border is not cut. What changes is how far the lip projects and how much red shows. The design of the excision decides whether the centre or the width of the lip changes more.
Where can I see Rewind's own lip reduction cases?
At the clinic itself, for now. Case pairs for this operation are still awaiting release for the website, and a web page filled with unrelated faces would tell you nothing about this surgeon's reductions. During your consultation, request whatever comparable lips the surgeon is able to show.
Will my upper and lower lip look balanced afterwards?
Balance is what the plan aims at. The clinic's reference proportion between upper and lower lip is 1:1.615, and the surgeon weighs both lips before deciding which to reduce. Balance still cannot be promised, since healing differs between the two sides and between individuals.
Can a reduced lip end up looking too thin?
Yes, over-reduction is a recognised risk of this operation, and it is the harder direction to correct because tissue cannot be put back. That is the reason the amount is marked conservatively. A lip that looks under-reduced once settled can be revisited with a smaller second step.
Will my lips look uneven while they heal?
Often, for a while. Swelling rarely settles at the same pace on both sides, so an uneven lip in the first weeks is common and not in itself a sign of a problem. Unevenness that remains after the lip has settled is assessed with the surgeon at review.
What should I photograph at home to follow my own result?
Your lips closed and relaxed, from the front and in profile, at the intervals agreed with the surgeon before you leave. Keep the pose and the camera distance consistent between shots. Send them to the clinic, since the surgeon compares them with the record made before surgery.
Booking

Reservation

REWIND,booking

Send a relaxed profile and a front photograph of your lips, and tell us what you would like to see less of. We reply within one business day, in your language.

By sending this inquiry you agree that Rewind Plastic Surgery may use the details above to contact you about your consultation. We keep them only for that purpose.

Scientific evidence

Published work on what lip surgery changes and how the change is measured

The first two papers describe reduction cheiloplasty and a variation in its design, with the outcomes their authors report. The third is a systematic review of a different lip operation, the subnasal lip lift, included for the way it treats measurement and patient-reported outcome around the lips. None of these studies is of Rewind's patients, and the changes they report belong to their own series. They explain what a reduction aims at; they do not forecast any one lip.