To think that when Dr. Randal Haworth started his practice over 30 years ago, he was one of only a handful of leading plastic surgeons who specialized in lip reshaping surgery. Now, as one of the world’s most renowned lip lift experts, he has witnessed how upper lip lifts have exploded in popularity thanks to the influence of social media on the young and old alike. However, as with any trend, unintended consequences may arise such as the “neonatal deformity,” which originates from the congenital Apostrophe Lip. I first described this latter labial morphology in a chapter I authored for “Aesthetic Surgery of the Facial Skeleton”, a textbook edited by Dr. Steven Baker in 2019.
What Is an Apostrophe Lip?
You might not recognize the name, but you’ve likely seen the effect: the pink vermilion (the visible part of the lip) is full and prominent only in the center, while the outer thirds taper off or even disappear. This narrowing gives the mouth a stylized, doll-like appearance reminiscent of Kabuki makeup, where the lips are intentionally painted small and central.
While deliberate in performance art, this effect is aesthetically unflattering when unintentional—and unfortunately, upper lip lifts performed without addressing corner anatomy often exaggerate this deformity.
How an Upper Lip Lift Can Create A Neonatal Lip
Regardless of type, if an upper lip lift is performed without taking into account the oral commissures and lateral upper vermilion, a preexisting apostrophe lip can be exacerbated. The slope from the Cupid’s bow to the oral commissure (mouth corners) becomes unnaturally steep. The outer pink vermilion rolls inward or disappears entirely, leading to a pinched, slit-like appearance akin to that of a newborn. In essence, a neonatal deformity. Patients from around the world have come to me distressed by this outcome, often feeling disfigured and despondent.
The Medialized Corner Lip Lift: A Powerful Solution
Enter the medialized corner lip lift—a precise, elegant surgical solution I’ve refined over the years to correct these issues. It not only repositions the corners of the mouth upward but also:
- Restores lost vermilion by rolling it outward, eliminating that paradoxically tightlipped “rosebud” look.
- Corrects asymmetry, which is present in the majority of mouths.
- Improves the marionette folds (those stubborn lines running from the corners of the mouth downward) that facelifts often miss.
- Softens the harsh slope from Cupid’s bow to oral commissure, restoring a balanced, natural curvature.
This is a high-precision procedure involving design and execution tolerances as fine as a quarter millimeter. But when done correctly, the results are not only restorative—they are transformative.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve undergone an upper lip lift and are unhappy with the corner distortion or feel like your lip looks smaller or more “pursed” than before—know that you’re not alone. These issues are more common than many realize, but they are entirely correctable.
Performed under local anesthesia, the medialized corner lip lift offers a sophisticated solution to restore harmony and confidence to your face.
Dr Randal Haworth
Beverly Hills 2025
‘It is clear as day that Mr. Thorpe had a rhinoplasty,’ Dr Haworth exclusively to Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday. Dr Haworth went on to explain what he thinks are tell-tale signs Ian has had a rhinoplasty. ‘The dorsal hump of his bridge has been significantly lowered so that his tip now over projects from his face,’ he claimed. He also perceived that Ian’s nose displays ‘an obvious inverted V deformity’ on its bridge and a ‘step off from the nasal bones onto the cartilage portions below.’
‘Usually, this is associated with some breathing obstruction in his nose and is more often than not caused by a rhinoplasty performed through a ‘closed’ technique,’ he said, adding: ‘This is where a plastic surgeon performs the nose job solely through incisions confined to the inside the nose.’
Dr Haworth went on to reveal that an ‘open’ technique allows the surgeon better visualization and direction over both the shape of the nose and its use of breathing.
Dr Randal Haworth told Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday that the 26-year-old socialite appears to have had a ‘silicone gel implant placed under the muscle’. He explained: ‘I opine that she underwent a breast augmentation, most likely utilizing a cohesive silicone gel implant placed under the muscle. ‘I like the way it has provided proportional balance to her body.’
Dr Haworth added: ‘This type of result typically gives a woman added confidence both in and out of clothes.’
Aisha regularly shares bikini-clad photos of herself with her 342,000 Instagram followers but does to appear to have addressed her changing physique.
‘Iggy is what I would describe as an excellent “canvas” on which a plastic surgeon can reveal his work,’ he claimed. ‘When done right, results can be sublime and indiscernible to a layman’s eye. In the absence of rare complications, less surgical work is needed to create the beautiful, yet subtle, results as exemplified by Ms Azalea – while a less-than-average surgeon could draw unwanted attention to an anatomical “flaw” which only makes things worse.’ said Dr Haworth.
In addition to Iggy’s rhinoplasty, which ‘straightened and narrowed her nose’, Dr. Haworth believes she may have undergone ‘a chin augmentation as well as mandibular angle enhancement to give her a more refined, “modelesque” jawline’.
‘This can be done either with solid silicone implants or off-the-shelf injectable fillers, but either way, her results are spectacularly non-obvious,’ he claimed. ‘As I say, “Good plastic surgery is invisible.”‘
‘It is amazing what a different hairstyle, well-contoured makeup and perhaps some “photoshopping” can do to make anyone look like a superstar,’ Dr Randal Haworth told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday. Despite the fact she’s nearing her forties, Dr Haworth recognized how Kyly has undergone a ‘startling transformation’ in recent years.
‘Most people I know would seize the opportunity to look better if given half a chance – and nowadays they can without even stepping foot in a plastic surgeon’s office,’ said Dr Haworth. ‘Her straight brunette hair contributes a good deal to her change (she was formerly blonde) and perhaps deftly applied makeup.’
Dr Haworth noted that while makeup can certainly help change the appearance of facial features, he assumed Kyly’s ‘higher hairline gives a subtle clue’ that she is taking advantage of a simple ‘DIY’ beauty hack.
‘Sometimes Kyly seems to employ the old trick of pulling your hair tightly back into a ponytail for a quick tightening fix of the eyebrows and upper face,’ he said. ‘Even though she looks different, as a hyperaesthetic plastic surgeon, I feel that Kyly looks great.’
