r/cleftlip

I'm 42f, with self esteem on the 100th floor of Hell. This was last night, no filter (flipped the right way so not a mirror) and I really struggle to see what I can do to make myself look any nicer. I can't seem to get anyone to take the mole off my face but I'm awaiting a fat graft on my lip and a 3rd septorhinoplasty. Fingers crossed the septo works this time. I am like the Lady Lazarus of clefts, if there are any Plath fans here.

I came out of a relationship last year that ended through his cheating, so that didn't help me with much.

I'm suppose I'm looking for ways to make myself look any better than I do.

In March of 2025 I had my Lefort three to reconstruct my entire jaw and I recently had my roughly “1 year” follow up after it had to be rescheduled due to a minor issue related to my insurance through work never updating that I moved states (is fixed now and it’s the exact same coverage so it was just bureaucracy being bureaucracy)

I have to say more and more I think it was worth the literal headache to get the Lefort 3, as even though it still feels bizarre to have my top and bottom teeth touching I’m able to eat so much quicker and with less pain and struggle. I’ve also been told I talk more clearly now as well.

The next step for me is braces now that they have determined my top jaw has infact healed without issues (as determined from my January X-rays, don’t have my May X-rays but was told they look phenomenal!) and I can’t wait to see my final results!

Hi I’ve been told at my 17 week scan that my baby will possibly be born with a cleft lip. Would anyone know what sort of cleft my baby boy will have from these scan photos? I understand people aren’t professionals but just any advice or any similarity’s to theirs. Please and thank you :)

Hi we went for a 17 week scan today and have been told our baby has a cleft lip. Can anyone tell me from this picture how severe it may be ? TIA

Walked this precious girl this weekend. She’s a 1 year old and 33lbs American bulldog/pittie mix. I love her!!

About 1 in 3 patients with cleft lip and palate benefit from jaw surgery.

Aligning the upper and lower teeth helps people to fully chew food, to speak clearly, and to reduce wear and tear on the TMJ's.

We also consider facial balance and harmony when planning the surgery and final outcome.

Jaw surgery can often be done in a single surgery, sometimes involving just the upper jaw, and sometimes with the lower jaw as well.

Here, the amount of advancement was well over 10mm, which is the point at which we usually move towards distraction rather than a single surgery.

Distraction involves cutting the bone and freeing up scar tissue, but then gradually moving from the starting position by 1mm per day to reach the end goal.

New bone is deposited in the space made as the upper jaw moves forward. The surrounding blood vessels, lining, and old scar tissue all expand and accommodate the new bony position.

We usually keep the hardware in place (much more comfortably after finishing advancement!) for 3 months while the new bone hardens.

At that point, minor adjustments can be made as needed with additional movement or augmentation, or just removal of the hardware.

We also performed some fat grafting to the upper lip to help with balance and symmetry.

He is seen here at 1 year after surgery, with braces off!

For context, I'm also missing my incisor. I recently had jaw surgery and my orthodontist said possibly another year but that feels next to impossible. Been in braces 7 years and feels like I have another 7 ahead

And for anyone who is curious, the thick wire is meant to reshape the arch of my teeth as it collapsed during surgery

Hello,

I've been a long time observer of this group, and I want to say that I'm so thankful that I've found this community. Everyone is supportive, kind, and helpful when it comes to appearance, struggles, and advice. So here I am, nerves down and confidence up, ready to ask for advice or stories relating to your own personal experiences🙏 I'm long winded, so I apologize in advanced for that.

I accepted my facial asymmetry a long time ago. I like my face. I dont mind that I have thin lips, my unique scar, or that my nose is a little wonky. As an artist, I've embraced those differences and create my own fantasy characters with similar attributes.

However, love for my own teeth have been a struggle. I recently went to an orthodontist and I was terrified of what she said would come. She explained that I would have to expand my upper jaw (which, I figured.) But she said she would put in the expander that would last at least 8 months, but around month 3 or so, it would crack the cleft area in my jaw, and I would get a bone graft to gain bone density to be able to shift my teeth around properly. She said that during that time, a hole/gap would form from my palet to my nasal cavity, and that's just something I would have to deal with until they closed it back. Is this something that anyone has experienced before? She said she wouldn't be removing any teeth because mine are healthy, but, wouldn't that make the process a little easier? I also understand that an ortho's purpose is to make my bite and smile match and be even, but what if I'm not looking for perfection?

Truly though, my biggest issue isn't my crowded teeth. It's that where the cleft is, two teeth are much smaller, so when I smile or am in a candid shot, it looks like I am missing teeth on that side. Are there options to just extend those teeth by enamel crowns to at least have that opening closed between the top and bottom? Am i crazy for thinking that could work for me? It just seems like at 36, the gap being forced open for an undetermined amount of time and the surgery recovery time just seems like a nightmare.

But what are your thoughts? Have you ever had enamel crowns placed over smaller teeth instead of intense ortho work, and/or is that even an option? Were you an older adult when you started orthodontic work? If so, how was that experience for you?

Thank you for anyone who took the time to read this, I know it was a lot. I appreciate any and all insight​ that comes my way.

Much love💜

I was born with a cleft lip and palate. I sought out this community because I am curious as to how other people view me. I’ve gone through countless surgeries for functionality, but I’m 19 now and am looking to get cosmetic surgeries. I’ve always wondered what people notice about my face. my family and doctors say that I have a ‘normal’ face, but I know I don’t. I want to feel more comfortable and confident in my own skin. In effort of this, I’ve gone through pictures of myself and have realized my facial features appear differently with the front or back phone camera, so if someone could let me know which one is more accurate that would be great. Additionally, I’d like to know what you notice about my face and how I could cosmetically improve it to make it more symmetrical and appealing. The first picture is front, the second one is back.

Complete unilateral cleft lip and palate. Lefort 1. The underbite was so bad that they had to move my lower jaw too. My palate is still pretty messed up, so if anyone has any good recommendations for surgeons in Arizona, I'd appreciate it. Overall I'm happy with my results.

Has anyone had success with an obturator instead? I already tried getting my palate closed again and it failed, so I'm weary of getting it done again.

hi! i’m 18f and i’ve really struggled with my image my whole life bc of my cleft. now that i’m 18 i can get cosmetic surgery done but i am scared that i will regret it when i’m older. i still hate how i look and i assume i always will, but what if i regret trying to look “normal”. my plan for awhile has been to get my nose done as soon as possible and leave my lips alone until i’m older and really know what i want. i know my cleft is very noticeable because of my asymmetry, but i personally think that my lips are kinda cool and i would be fine with leaving them if i was symmetrical everywhere else. i struggle the most with my side profile i absolutely hate how droopy my nose looks. what surgeries would you recommend? just like a rhinoplasty or should i do something more or less? i just want a nose that looks normal and even, so i really just need the tip of my nose to be up a little more and a bit smaller, and my nostrils to be smaller and even. would that be possible with a rhinoplasty? and also would a scar revision make my asymmetry even worse? i’ve never taken pictures of my side profile let alone post them publicly and almost all of my face pics i just scribble out half of my nose and if my lips look weird. so this is very out of my comfort zone. i also know i’m not a looker and i know it’s obvious so no comments on that haha please