Condition

Thin lips and receding chin

Lips that have become thinner with age, an upper lip that has grown longer, a receding chin that shortens the profile.

Why do lips get thinner?

Lips lose volume with age — the skin becomes thinner, and the distance between the nose and the upper lip grows longer, so the lip rolls inwards. In some people the lips are thin from birth. The chin, on the other hand, is a matter of bone: a receding chin makes the nose look bigger and the neck shorter, even though neither the nose nor the neck has changed.

What is done for what?

Lip volume — hyaluronic acid filler (temporary) or your own fatty tissue (fat transfer).

A long upper lip — a lip lift, surgical shortening of the distance between the nose and the lip; the lip is lifted and shows more of the red part.

Too much red lip (vermilion) — surgical reduction.

A receding chin — lengthening with fatty tissue or an implant; a chin that is too big — reduction by liposuction or bone reduction.

Lip filler is given by a specialist in plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery. Which procedure makes sense for you depends on whether it is about volume, the length of the lip or the chin — this is seen at the examination.

What do we look at during the examination?

The lips and chin are looked at together with the nose and teeth, because what makes sense to do depends on how they relate to each other. We look at the distance between the nose and the upper lip, how much of the teeth shows when the lips are relaxed, whether the lips are thin because of age or have been that way from birth, and whether the chin is in line with the lips or receding. A receding chin makes the lips and nose look larger than they are; sometimes the answer is in the chin, not in the lips.

Depending on this, we suggest filler, surgical lifting of the upper lip, fat transfer or a chin implant, or a combination. If what you want does not suit your face, we say so at the examination.

What can be done?

Specialist and team

Specialty: plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery.

When the procedure is done under sedation or general anaesthesia, the anaesthesia is led by a specialist in anaesthesiology, resuscitation and intensive care who works full time at the clinic.

In the operating theatre, the surgeon is assisted by head nurse Martina Šereg, with the help of nurses Kristina Jurešić and Mateja Tomorad, and in recovery the care assistant Mirjana Kovačić is with you. Martina also looks after preparation, scheduling and contact after the procedure.

Who will operate is decided at the examination, based on the findings and the type of procedure. You know the name of the surgeon before the procedure and meet them at the examination.

→ Doctors and team at Poliklinika Barbel

Frequently asked questions

Filler or fat transfer for the lips? Filler is quick, is done in the consulting room without cuts and can be dissolved if you do not like it; it lasts on average six to twelve months. Fat transfer uses your own fatty tissue, which stays for good in the part that survives the first months, but it needs a small surgical procedure and sometimes repeating. For the first time we advise filler, because you can see how a larger volume suits you.

I have lines around my lips — is that the same? No. Fine lines above the upper lip are the result of muscle movement and thinned skin; they are dealt with by a small dose of Botox, a thin filler or skin renewal, not by making the lips bigger. This is separated out at the examination.

Medical review: doctors of Poliklinika Barbel · October 2026.