What is Asian lip surgery?

The lips are a natural focal point on our faces. As a result, they’ve been a focus of plastic surgery – and non-surgical procedures – for some time now.

Traditionally, people have turned to plastic surgery to gain larger, accentuated lips. Now, however, many people want smaller, thinner lips. This trend is particularly popular in Asia, which is why the procedure is termed Asian lip surgery. Traditionally, Asians have fuller lips than Western people, with thinner, European-style lips now coming into fashion.

Even in the Western world though, the surgery is rising in popularity. Of course, there will always be some Caucasian people who want smaller lips. But people’s desire for thinner lips also comes from them not wanting others to think that they’ve overdone their lips with a different procedure.

The Asian lip procedure is performed by surgically cutting at the top lip’s wet-dry line and pulling it underneath inside the mouth.

Results to make you smile

It can take as little as two hours to achieve the lips you want. And you’ll be in the capable hands of Mr Mark Ho-Asjoe, our Consultant Plastic Surgeon and a renowned Asian plastic surgery and aesthetics specialist. He’s one of London’s most in-demand plastic surgeons, with 25 years’ plastic surgery experience.

As a prospective patient, you’ll have in-depth consultations with specialists, so we can get to know you and how we can help. It’s also a chance for you to fully understand the procedure we recommend, including the surgery, recovery and the results you can expect.

The facilities at our London clinic are first-class. The clinic is located within the private St John & St Elizabeth Hospital, known for its high standards of care and calming atmosphere. It’s the ideal place to have your surgery and recover.

And once your short recovery period is over, you’ll have the more delicate lips you always wanted.

Quick Reference

Surgery time

2 hours

Anaesthesia used

Local

Hospital stay

Not necessary

Pre-admission tests

Blood tests, MRSA, +/- ECG

Up and about

Immediately

Washing

Immediately

Driving

2 days

Exercise

2 days

Time off work

2 days

Leading surgeons

Asian Plastic Surgeon at Karidis Clinic

Mr Mark Ho-Asjoe is our Consultant Plastic Surgeon and a renowned Asian Plastic Surgery specialist. With 25 years’ of plastic surgery experience, he is one of London’s most in-demand plastic surgeons. His reputation is such that he is an examiner for the Diploma of Aesthetics Plastic Surgery. And he frequently delivers lectures in the UK, Europe and Asia, notably as an Honorary Lecturer in plastic surgery at Hong Kong’s Queen Mary University Hospital.

Having graduated from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, he undertook his surgical training in the UK. For his specialist training in plastic surgery, he studied in the UK and at Taiwan’s Chang Gung Memorial Hospital – a globally respected microsurgical reconstructive centre.

In recognition of his expertise, Mr Ho-Asjoe has been elected to the BAAPS Council (British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons) as an Elected Trustee for 2021 to 2023. He’s also a member of various other plastic surgery bodies.

FAQS for Asian lip reduction surgery



First of all, you’ll be placed under local anaesthetic, making sure you’re comfortable throughout the procedure. Then our skilled surgeon will make cuts at your top lip’s wet-dry line, before stitching it up to create a new lip line. Then the remaining top lip below that line is pulled underneath inside your mouth, resulting in a thinner top lip.

Following the surgery, you’ll experience some mild bruising, redness and/or swelling. After a week, the stitches can be removed.



Your Asian lip reduction procedure will only take a couple of hours. Our Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Mr Mark Ho-Asjoe, is highly skilled and has performed many of these surgeries.

After the surgery, you’ll be taken into a comfortable recovery room, where we’ll carefully monitor you to make sure your recovery is going well. Once our specialists are happy with your condition, you’ll go home and continue your recovery there.



No, the carefully administered local anaesthetic ensures you won’t feel any pain at all during the surgery. The most you might feel is a little discomfort.

After the procedure, you’ll have some bruising, redness and/or swelling, as with any surgery. But with lip surgeries, this will only last a matter of days, in most cases.



Asian lip surgery is permanent, so you can enjoy your new look without worrying about coming back to us for repeated treatments or surgeries.

For people who want to go the other way and add volume to their lips, lip fat transfer and lip implants are both permanent. Some non-surgical procedures, such as the ever-popular lip fillers, are not permanent and require repeated treatments to maintain the desired look.