What is harelip?

What Does harelip Mean

The cleft lip , also known as cleft lip, is a defect of congenital characteristics that develops in the first three months of pregnancy, when one side of the upper lip grows decompensated way.

In this way, a fissure or division occurs in the upper lip, which acquires an appearance similar to the lip of a hare (hence its name, since cleft comes from the Latin word leporinus ).
Cleft lip is among the most common congenital defects, representing almost 15% of this type of malformation. Experts believe that various external factors (from the environment) prompt a reaction of the genes, something that alters the normal development of the lip and palate. The lack of vitamins and certain drugs may also affect the appearance of cleft lip.

The surgery to treat this problem is considered one of the greatest challenges of Plastic Surgery . The surgeon must choose the technique that he considers most appropriate, according to his experience. In general, those operations that involve incorporating tissues to the midline are avoided due to the scar left and the unwanted characteristics that the lips acquire with the passage of time.
It should be noted that many times a patient may need several surgeries throughout his life. For this reason, in the case of children, it is important for the doctor to explain in detail what the characteristics of the pathology are , how many operations would be necessary to complete their treatment, and to advise the family about the most appropriate type of diet.
Differences with the lip microform
Cleft lip is often confused with what is called a labial microform , since its appearance is similar to that of people who have undergone surgery to treat the aforementioned malformation. However, this type of cleft lip is so rare that only 1% of all patients with a case of cleft lip present it . Its main characteristics are an alteration in the limit of the Cupid's bow (the edge of the upper lip that presents undulations similar to those of a bow), furrows and malformation of the lower part of the nose.
This congenital scar can be unilateral or bilateral, the first case being the most common. In addition, it may or may not be symmetric , although asymmetry is more common. Being that it is a mild cleft and that it does not involve the palate, unlike the cleft lip, in most cases patients wait many years before making a medical consultation about it and some never do.

Malformations in the famous
The case of cleft lip is, along with facial scars, one of the defects that first come to the fore in internationally famous artists. Although photographs are usually retouched, in order to hide any imperfections and to give the stars a little of that youth that will never return, the increasing resolution of the cameras is the worst enemy of those small details that they want to hide . But it is perhaps the best ally of those who look at those portraits from their spectator seat, because it reminds them that perfection does not exist and that, if it exists, it would not be related to success .
Many stars who are considered models of beauty , both female and male, have malformations and do not seem to care that they will be detected by their fans. This is the case of Viggo Mortensen , for example, who has a scar on his upper lip, the product of an intervention to correct a cleft fissure. Also Halle Berry , who was declared the sexiest woman in the world in 2008, is very calm in sandals, despite having a sixth toe on one of her feet (a phenomenon known as Polydactylism ).