DAO release: Before and After (courtesy Dr. Le Louarn, Aesthetic Surgery Journal Vol 26, No 5)
“DAO” (Depressor anguli oris) release to lift the corner of the mouth.
I have always been a fan of thelip lift procedure. There are many reasons why it’s preferable to fillers, but the most important one is that it looks so good and natural. The effect is best in the central part of the lip. The lip lift raises the upper lift so that your teeth are slightly exposed, creating a youthful and fresh appearance.
So what about the corner of the mouth? As you age the corner of your mouth can turn down. In the corner of the mouth, the only surgical option until recently was an incision on the lip margin. I never liked this option. For one, unlike the lip lift procedure, where the scar is hidden under the nose, the scar is right on the lip margin. This never looks natural because the border between the red part of the lip and the skin is impossible to duplicate.
Several years ago, some physicians started injecting BOTOX into the muscle that turns down the corner of the mouth. The effect is striking. The corner of the mouth comes up to a normal level, and loses that scowling downward turn of the mouth. The patient looks happier. Since it’s Botox, it has to be repeated every few months.
A couple of weeks ago, a patient asked if I did the “DAO” release. Frankly, I didn’t know much about it. Luckily, the Plastic Surgery National meeting (ASPS) was coming up and I went on a mission to find out more about it. When I attended the ASPS meeting earlier this week I spoke to many doctors, saw presentations by surgeons who did the procedure, and read up a lot on the anatomy and physiology.
The verdict? The DAO release procedure is a winner. The reasons are as follows:
The results look great, and not just pictures, but videos showing the lips in motion. Technically, it is within the scope of any competent Board Certified Plastic Surgeon with proper knowledge of the facial anatomy. Finally, it is not a time consuming or technically complicated procedure.
I can’t wait to start offering this procedure to my patients. The procedure is as effective in men as it is in women. It is a perfect compliment to the Lip Lift. To make a lip look truly younger and attractive, there is nothing like a Lip Lift combined with a DAO release.
Ricardo L Rodriguez, MD
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6 Comments
February 19, 2010 at 2:15 pm
I have a few subjects on the burner, but thanks for the suggestion, we will get on it as soon as we can!
Thanks for your interest
February 10, 2010 at 12:51 pm
hi, i was wondering if you could do a video or further blog post on the procedure, as you did the lip lift, or give us some information regarding, cost, the actual procedure, the aftercare and optimal age, thanks
July 15, 2009 at 6:44 pm
There is a procedure for the DAO release, which can be done under local anesthesia, but I don’t recommend local anesthesia. It is very hard to keep the mouth open and steady unless you use a bite block, and that can get uncomfortable.
You might want to try Botox to the DAO muscle to see if it gives you the effect you want. If you like the effect, then you can get the permanent procedure (DAO release)
July 13, 2009 at 5:08 pm
Dear Dr. Rodriguez,
About a year ago I had a bullhorn lip lift done. Thusfar I’m very happy with the results, however, since I now have a bit of a ‘downwards slope’ in my upper lip, the corners of the mouth seem to be positioned a bit low. It gives me a bit of a ‘disappointed look’. I was wondering if a DAO-release (the release of the depressor anguli oris) could offer a solution and, if so, if this procedure could be done under local anesthesia; if there would be any ‘restraints’ post-operative (for example, the chewing of hard foods); and if it would be possible to receive a ‘ballpoint figure’ for this procedure.
Thank you very much in advance for your time!
Kind regards
May 2, 2009 at 1:50 pm
The DAO procedure is available, you may want to try Botox to the area before you do the procedure to see if you like the result.
The procedure is great by itself, it can also be a great complement to facelift or in combination with a lip lift.
April 30, 2009 at 12:34 am
i am interested in the DAO procedure … do you know when it will be available.. thank you very much