LipLase and SmoothEye
Fotona laser lip plumping and eyelid tightening
Searches for 'laser lip plumping' and 'laser eyelid lift' have grown as people look for filler-free lips and an alternative to eyelid surgery, and Fotona's branded protocols are the ones clinics name.
Both do something real to skin texture; neither moves tissue, and the names promise more than the pulses deliver.
Reviewed against the Aesthetics International standard. Category: Lasers.
Does LipLase and SmoothEye work?
Promising. Both do something real to skin texture; neither moves tissue, and the names promise more than the pulses deliver. Modest.
- Verdict
- Promising Plausible mechanism and early evidence. Reasonable to try with realistic expectations.
- Evidence base
- 3 PubMed-indexed studies cited below, including randomised trials.
- Suits
- Thin, dry or lined lips in someone who does not want filler; crepey eyelid skin and fine crow's feet in someone not ready for surgery.
- Not for
- Anyone wanting lip volume or shape, hooded lids with excess skin, under-eye bags or hollows. None of those is a skin-texture problem.
- In Singapore
- Fotona platforms are HSA-registered and these protocols are performed by doctors in Singapore.
- Category
- Lasers
- Reviewed
- 1 October 2026 by Aesthetics International. Revised as evidence and regulation change.
What it is
Two protocols on the same erbium laser, both using long, gentle non-ablative pulses that heat tissue without removing the surface. LipLase treats the lips from inside the mouth and on the vermilion to stimulate collagen and give a modest fullness and better definition. SmoothEye treats the upper and lower eyelid skin and crow's feet with the eye shielded, for tightening of crepey lids and fine lines.
How it works
Repetitive sub-ablative erbium pulses raise the temperature of the superficial dermis and mucosa to a point that triggers a heat-shock and collagen response without a wound; modelling work shows the safe parameter window is narrow and the protocols have been tuned by clinical experience. Treatment is a short course, typically three sessions a month apart. Lips gain hydration and a little volume, never the shape change of filler; eyelids gain texture and a small lift of the lid crease, never the skin excision of surgery.
What the evidence says
Modest. A prospective series of 30 patients treated with the non-ablative long-pulse erbium protocol around the eyes reported improvement in wrinkle class that persisted at one year, with blinded reviewers correctly identifying before and after photographs, mild swelling for a day or two and brief peeling; one author was affiliated with the manufacturer. For LipLase there is almost no indexed literature, and a 2025 comparative study of perioral rejuvenation with combined erbium and neodymium lasers is the nearest evidence. No sham-controlled trial exists for either protocol.
What people are saying
Paraphrased from public discussion on TikTok, Instagram, Reddit and in the press. Not testimonials, and not about any one clinic. Reported in: fotona.com, creoclinic.com.
What the studies show
- case series
Thirty patients treated with three sessions of non-ablative long-pulse erbium laser around the eyes showed improvement in wrinkle class persisting at one year, with one to two days of swelling and brief peeling.
Periocular rejuvenation using a unique non-ablative long-pulse 2940 nm Er:YAG laser. — Lasers Med Sci, 2022. PMID 34146192.
- review
Modelling of repetitive non-ablative erbium pulses showed a narrow safe window for sub-resurfacing settings and identified long pulse sequences as the better-tolerated route to deeper coagulation.
Characteristics of Non-Ablative Resurfacing of Soft Tissues by Repetitive Er:YAG Laser Pulse Irradiation. — Lasers Surg Med, 2021. PMID 33792949.
- RCT
A prospective comparative study found both a fractional 1550 nm laser and combined erbium and neodymium lasers improved perioral lines, with differences in downtime rather than outcome.
Comparative analysis of erbium: glass 1550 nm and combined erbium: YAG & Nd: YAG lasers for perioral rejuvenation: a prospective study. — Lasers Med Sci, 2025. PMID 40537663.
Studies are selected for relevance and quality, not for agreement with the verdict; PubMed records are linked so the reader can check them.
Who it suits
Suits
Thin, dry or lined lips in someone who does not want filler; crepey eyelid skin and fine crow's feet in someone not ready for surgery.
Not for
Anyone wanting lip volume or shape, hooded lids with excess skin, under-eye bags or hollows. None of those is a skin-texture problem.
Alternatives
The two reviewed treatments most often weighed against LipLase and SmoothEye, on the same standard.
| LipLase and SmoothEye | Pico laser | Fractional CO₂ resurfacing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Promising | Vetted | Established |
| What it is | Two protocols on the same erbium laser, both using long, gentle non-ablative pulses that heat tissue without removing the surface. | A picosecond laser delivers energy in pulses a thousand times shorter than the nanosecond lasers that came before it. | A 10,600 nm carbon dioxide laser vapourises columns of skin in a grid, leaving intact skin between them to speed healing. |
| Evidence base | 3 PubMed-indexed studies cited below, including randomised trials. | 4 PubMed-indexed studies cited below, including systematic reviews. | 4 PubMed-indexed studies cited below, including systematic reviews. |
| Suits | Thin, dry or lined lips in someone who does not want filler; crepey eyelid skin and fine crow's feet in someone not ready for surgery. | Sun spots, freckles, post-acne marks, tattoo ink, uneven tone in Asian skin when energy is set conservatively. | Atrophic acne scars, etched lines around the mouth and eyes, sun-damaged texture and surgical scars in people who can take a week of visible recovery. |
| In one line | Both do something real to skin texture; neither moves tissue, and the names promise more than the pulses deliver. | The variable that matters is depth, not brightness, and pigment already deposited is only half the problem; the inflammation producing it is the other half. | The laser is a controlled injury; the skill is choosing how deep and how dense for this skin, not how much the machine can do. |
Risks
Swelling and redness for a day or two, brief peeling around the eyes, rare blistering at excessive settings. Intraoral and periocular shields are standard.
In Singapore
Fotona platforms are HSA-registered and these protocols are performed by doctors in Singapore. Dr Sin Yong is a key opinion leader for Fotona, disclosed here as an interest; this is an editorial review, not an offer.
“Both do something real to skin texture; neither moves tissue, and the names promise more than the pulses deliver.”
Vetted protocols on the same problem
Questions
Does LipLase replace lip filler?
Can SmoothEye lift hooded eyelids?
How many sessions?
Cite this review
Aesthetics International (2026). LipLase and SmoothEye: does it work? Evidence, risks and verdict. https://aesthetics-international.org/treatments/liplase-smootheye/ (reviewed 1 October 2026).
Editorial, unpaid and independent of any manufacturer. Verdict: Promising. See what works and what doesn't across all 153 reviews. Spotted an error or a newer study? Suggest a correction — changes are logged on the corrections page. Terms are defined in the glossary.
Where this review is used
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