Lip Reduction in NYC

Lip size is a deeply personal feature — while many patients seek the opposite procedure of lip augmentation to add volume to thinner lips, others wish their naturally pronounced lips were smaller and more proportionate to the rest of their face. For some patients, particularly large lips can overshadow other facial features, alter facial harmony, or even cause minor difficulties with speech and lip closure. Lip reduction surgery offers a meaningful solution: through a small, precisely planned excision, larger lips can be resized to a contour that fits the patient’s individual facial proportions. The procedure can address the upper lip, the lower lip, or both — and produces results that no amount of filler dissolution can replicate.

Lip reduction is one of the most under-discussed cosmetic lip procedures — but for patients with naturally pronounced lips, asymmetric lip proportions, or chronic filler buildup that has changed the lip’s natural shape, it offers a surgical solution unavailable through any other technique. Dr. Maurice Khosh’s three decades of perioral surgery cover both ends of the spectrum: adding volume when patients want enhancement, and reducing it when proportion is the concern. Dual board-certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery and a Clinical Assistant Professor at Columbia University, he is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS). Dr. Khosh has been recognized as a perennial Castle Connolly Top Doctor and a Best Doctors in America honoree.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Lip Reduction Surgery

Lip reduction is most effective for patients with one or more of the following concerns:

• Naturally Large or Disproportionate Lips: Lips that have always been larger than the patient would prefer, often inherited from family anatomy
• Asymmetric Lip Proportions: An imbalance between the upper and lower lip — most commonly an overly heavy upper lip that visually dominates the face
• Chronic Filler Buildup: Patients who have had multiple lip filler treatments over the years and have developed permanent lip enlargement beyond what filler dissolution can fully reverse
• Macrocheilia (Pathological Lip Enlargement): Lip enlargement resulting from medical conditions, infections, or congenital syndromes
• Speech or Functional Concerns: Lips so large that they interfere with normal lip closure, articulation of certain sounds, or comfortable eating
• Post-Trauma Lip Enlargement: Lips that have become permanently swollen or distorted following injury or previous surgery

How Lip Reduction Surgery Is Performed

Lip reduction is performed surgically — unlike most lip enhancement procedures, which use injectable fillers. The procedure is typically performed under local anesthesia in Dr. Khosh’s Park Avenue office, with the procedure usually taking 30 to 60 minutes depending on whether one or both lips are being addressed. A thin strip of tissue is carefully removed through an incision placed inside the lip — along the wet-dry junction where the colored vermillion meets the inner moist tissue — so that the resulting scar is hidden within the lip itself and not visible from the outside. The remaining tissue is then meticulously closed with fine sutures designed to heal cleanly and preserve the natural lip border. Patients return home the same day with detailed care instructions.

“Lip reduction is one of the most rewarding procedures for the right patient. The result is permanent, the incision is hidden inside the lip itself, and the change in facial proportion can be transformative. The most important conversation is about how much to remove — going too far is much harder to correct than going slightly conservative and refining later if needed.” — Dr. Maurice Khosh

Lip Reduction Combined with Other Procedures

Because lip reduction is a relatively quick procedure performed under local anesthesia, it can easily be combined with other facial cosmetic surgeries when appropriate. Common combinations include:

• Rhinoplasty: Refining the nose and lip together can produce a more harmonized facial proportion than either procedure alone
• Chin Augmentation or Reduction: Coordinating chin and lip changes for a balanced lower-face profile
• Lip Lift: For patients who want both reduction in lip thickness and shortening of the upper lip length
• Other Lip Refinement: Subtle reshaping of the lip border or cupid’s bow performed at the same time as size reduction

Lip Reduction Recovery: What to Expect

Recovery from lip reduction is relatively straightforward. Most patients experience moderate swelling and some discomfort in the first three to five days, with the most significant swelling resolving within the first one to two weeks. Mild discomfort during eating, speaking, and brushing teeth is common in the first several days and can be managed with prescribed pain medication. Sutures inside the lip dissolve naturally or are removed at a follow-up visit within seven to ten days, depending on the type used. Most patients return to work and social activities within five to seven days, and the final result becomes fully visible as residual swelling resolves over the following several weeks.

Why Choose Dr. Khosh for Lip Reduction Surgery

• Three Decades of Perioral Surgical Experience: Comprehensive expertise across both lip enhancement and lip reduction procedures
• Clinical Assistant Professor at Columbia University: Academic role at one of the country’s leading medical institutions
• Honest Candidacy Evaluation: Realistic conversation about how much reduction will produce the desired result without overcorrection
• Hidden Incision Technique: Incisions placed inside the lip to preserve the natural appearance
• Dual Board Certification: Combined facial plastic and head and neck surgery expertise
• Park Avenue Convenience: Private Upper East Side practice serving patients from across Manhattan and the tri-state area

Schedule Your Lip Reduction Consultation in NYC

If you are hoping to reduce the size of your lips — whether due to naturally large lip anatomy, lip filler buildup over time, or proportional concerns — the first step is an honest evaluation of your lip anatomy and a discussion of what reduction will realistically deliver. Contact our office today for a private consultation with Dr. Khosh at his Park Avenue office in New York City, or call (212) 339-9988.