Specialist Mohs surgery on the lip by Consultant Plastic Surgeon Miss Rakhee Nayar. The repair is planned around how your mouth looks and works, as part of the same procedure.
Women in the UK dual-trained in Mohs and plastic surgery
of 36 patients would recommend Miss Nayar (PHIN, September 2026)
Specialist care for the lip
Specialised Mohs Surgery on the Lip
The lip is central to how you eat, speak and smile. Its edge, the vermilion border, is a fine line that the eye notices if it is out of place by even a millimetre.
Miss Rakhee Nayar is one of fewer than 10 women in the UK dual-trained in both plastic surgery and Mohs micrographic surgery. She removes the cancer, checks every margin under the microscope and repairs the lip herself, with function and appearance in mind from the start.
A demanding site
Why is Mohs Surgery Used on the Lip?
The lower lip takes the brunt of a lifetime of sun, which is why most lip skin cancers appear there. Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common type on the lip, and basal cell carcinoma occurs on the skin just above it.
Squamous cell carcinoma on the lip is treated with more urgency than at most other sites, because it carries a higher risk of spreading if it is left.
Standard excision removes the cancer with a fixed margin of healthy tissue. On the lip, that extra margin can change the shape of the mouth.
Mohs micrographic surgery removes only the tissue that is actually involved, which is why it suits this site.
It removes the cancer while keeping as much healthy skin as possible.
Miss Rakhee Nayar removes the cancer layer by layer, checking each one under the microscope while you wait.
Further tissue is taken only where the microscope shows cancer remains, so the lip muscle and border are preserved wherever possible.
A smaller wound is simpler to repair, which makes it easier to keep the natural shape and movement of the mouth.
Every margin checked
What Makes Mohs Surgery Suited to the Lip?
Mohs surgery combines removal and microscope checking in one procedure. Each layer is mapped and examined before any more tissue is taken.
With standard excision, the tissue is sent away and the result comes back days later. With Mohs, the margins are confirmed clear before your wound is repaired.
Complete Margin Examination
The whole edge of each layer is examined under the microscope while you wait, so the result is known before the repair begins.
Tissue Sparing
Only the tissue that contains cancer is removed, preserving the lip muscle and the vermilion border wherever possible.
Repair on the Same Day
Once the margins are clear, the lip is usually repaired in the same visit, so you leave with the reconstruction complete.
Border Realigned
The repair is planned so the vermilion border lines up precisely, which is what makes a lip repair look natural.
Clinical background
Why Choose Miss Rakhee Nayar for Lip Skin Cancer?
Who treats a skin cancer on your lip matters for how your mouth looks and works afterwards. With over 20 years of surgical experience, Miss Rakhee Nayar brings training in both skin cancer surgery and plastic surgery to the same operation.
Reconstructive Training
Miss Nayar is one of fewer than 10 women in the UK dual-trained in both plastic surgery and Mohs micrographic surgery.
On the lip, that matters. Repairs range from a direct closure or wedge repair to local flaps that borrow tissue from the other lip or the cheek. Planning the repair is part of the same consultation as planning the cancer removal.
The Dual-Specialist Advantage
This combination means the person who removes your cancer is the same person who plans and carries out the repair. Miss Nayar is accredited as both a Consultant Plastic Surgeon and a Mohs surgeon.
- Cancer removal with every margin checked
- Repair planned around eating, speaking and smiling
- One consultant from consultation to follow-up
- Plastic surgery training (FRCS Plast)
Training and Appointments
Miss Nayar is a Consultant Plastic Surgeon at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, and sees private patients at Fairfield Independent Hospital and Circle Cheshire Clinic.
- She chairs the Mohs Surgery Training Interface Group (JCST), the national committee for Mohs fellowship training in the UK.
- She holds an MBChB with Honours and an MD from the School of Cancer Studies at the University of Liverpool.
- She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (FRCS Plast) and holds the European Board of Hand Surgery Diploma (EBHS).
- She is an active member of the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS) and the British Medical Association.
Specialised care
Lip Conditions and Locations Treated
Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC)
Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC)
The Lower Lip
The Upper Lip
The Vermilion Border
Request an e-Consultation
Miss Nayar offers a convenient e-Consultation service for patients seeking a specialist opinion from across the UK and overseas. This secure digital pathway enables remote assessment of skin lesions and concerns, providing a prompt clinical recommendation.
It is an ideal first step for those considering Mohs surgery or reconstruction before travelling for an in-person appointment.
State-of-the-art technique
Mohs Surgery on the Lip Procedure
Many patients ask whether the procedure will be uncomfortable. Miss Rakhee Nayar uses a gentle, step-by-step approach so you stay comfortable and know what is happening throughout.
Years of surgical experience
Will I feel any pain? The lip is numbed completely with local anaesthetic, so you stay awake but should not feel pain during removal or repair.
The anaesthetic is given slowly to keep it as comfortable as possible, and it can be topped up at any stage if you feel anything.
Once the skin is numb, the visible cancer is removed with a thin layer of surrounding tissue, which is mapped and sent to the laboratory on site.
While you wait, the tissue is processed and examined under the microscope to check whether any cancer remains at the edges.
Each stage is explained as it happens, and the repair begins only once the margins are confirmed clear.
Protecting function and appearance
Reconstructive Procedure after Mohs Surgery on the Lip
Removing the cancer is the first goal. The second is a repair that lets you eat, speak and smile as you did before. Miss Rakhee Nayar chooses the repair to suit the size of the wound and how much of the lip is involved.
Direct Closure
Small wounds can often be closed directly, with the scar placed in the natural lines of the lip.
Wedge Repair
A small, full-thickness wedge can be removed and closed so the lip keeps its shape and the border lines up.
Local Flaps
Larger wounds can be repaired with tissue borrowed from the other lip or the cheek, keeping its own blood supply.
Planned Around the Border
Every repair is planned around the vermilion border, so the edge of the lip sits where it should once healed.
Getting back to normal
Recovery and Long-Term Results
Once the cancer has been removed and the area repaired, the focus moves to healing. Miss Rakhee Nayar gives you a clear aftercare plan and sees you again to check the repair.
- Swelling usually peaks around the second or third day, then settles.
- Soft food and smaller mouthfuls make the first few days easier. Take care with hot drinks while the lip is numb or swollen.
- Speech can feel odd at first and settles as the swelling goes down.
- Stitches on the lip are usually removed, or dissolve, within about a week.
- After larger repairs there can be a feeling of tightness that eases over weeks as the tissue relaxes.
- The scar goes on softening for months. Protect your lips from the sun with a high-factor lip balm.
In Patients' Words
Patients Feedback
What Our Patients Say
Concerned About Skin Cancer?
Book a Specialist Assessment
Early assessment usually means a smaller operation and a simpler repair. Contact Miss Rakhee Nayar’s clinic for an assessment by a consultant dual-trained in Mohs and plastic surgery.
or Call Us Now
07740 306144
Circle cheshire Clinic
The Courtyard, Hall Ln, Wincham, Northwich CW9 6DG, United Kingdom
07740 306144
contact@mohssurgeon.co.uk
Schedule Your Visit
Where to See Miss Nayar
Miss Rakhee Nayar provides specialist Mohs and reconstructive surgery at Circle Health Cheshire Clinic. This modern, private facility offers expert care in a discreet environment for patients across Cheshire and the North West.
Frequently Asked Questions
We're Always Here to Help You
Will eating and speaking be affected?
A little, for the first few days. Soft food and smaller mouthfuls help, and speech settles as the swelling goes down. The goal of the repair is a mouth that opens, closes and smiles as it did before.
Why is lip cancer treated promptly?
Squamous cell carcinoma on the lip carries a higher risk of spreading than at most other sites. Treated early, the cancer is smaller, the repair is simpler and the result usually looks better.
Will my smile look different?
The aim of reconstruction is to keep the shape and movement of the mouth. Small repairs often settle into the natural lines of the lip. Miss Nayar will explain what is realistic for your lip before you decide.
Will I be awake for the surgery?
Yes. The procedure is carried out under local anaesthetic, so you stay awake and can talk to the team throughout. It also avoids the need for a general anaesthetic.
How long will the surgery take?
It depends on how many layers are needed, which cannot be known in advance. Plan to be at the clinic for at least half a day. Larger or more complex cancers can take longer.
Will Mohs reconstruction leave a scar?
All surgery leaves a scar. Miss Nayar’s plastic surgery training shapes the repair: she places scars in the natural lines of the lip where possible, so they settle well over time.