Cleft lip is one of the most common congenital anomalies that present to plastic surgeons. Care involves a multidisciplinary approach to address both aesthetic and functional needs. This review covers embryology, epidemiology, classification, and anatomy. It also provides a more in-depth description of treatment for unilateral, bilateral, and minor form clefts. Given the spectrum of presentation and the multiple tissue types involved, the general principles of reconstructive surgery are used as the framework for this review. This review contains 16 figures, 3 tables, and 119 references. Keywords: cheiloplasty, cleft lip, Fisher repair, microform cleft lip, Millard repair, orbicularis muscle, primary rhinoplasty, septoplasty, Tennison-Randall repair