What Type Of Lip Reshaping Can Reduce The Height Of My Cupid’s Bow?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I recently posted a question on Real Self regarding my cupid’s bow and if/how it could be changed in shape. (upper lip reshaping) I got a response from you and was wondering if you could possibly explain it further. You said you can change the distance between the height of the cupid’s bow slightly through small skin excisions on each side of the existing cupid’s bow. Forgive my ignorance here but does this mean that the height between the cupid’s bow can be lowered? I was also wondering if a dermal filler on the outer portion of the upper lip would even out my lips and make the cupid’s bow less prominent. Thanks in advance for your response.

A: My remembrance of your question was that the height or peaks of the cupid’s bow was too vertically high. By removing the peak of the cupid’s bow through small vermilion excisions, their height could be reduced by a few millimeters. That would smooth out the cupid’s bow to some degree. The trade-off is that there would be a very tiny scar between the vermilion and the skin. You could also go in the opposite direction and lift up the sides of the vermilion outside of the cupid’s bow to reduce their appearance. (lateral vermilion advancements) Injectable fillers may help in that regard but do not have the same vermilion lifting capabilities and would have to be repeated. But it is certainly a non-surgical lip reshaping test of that approach and there is no harm in doing so.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana