During a lip flip procedure, your healthcare provider injects Botox into parts of your upper lip. After about a week, the injections make your lip look fuller or “poutier” without adding any volume to your lip. Lip flips generally look more natural than lip fillers.
The lip flip amplifies the natural shape of your lips, without exaggerating, for an all-natural effect. It's a less-invasive option for lip enhancement. In fact, it's considered to be one of the safest and most widely used injectables on a global level. It's not as expensive as a lip filler.
If you already have a decent amount of volume in your lips but would like to alter the shape, a lip flip might be the better choice. If you want added volume and longer-lasting results, then lip fillers may be what you're looking for.
About two to three days after a lip flip, patients will notice that their upper lip appears larger as the muscle relaxes. The maximum results are evident a week to 10 days after treatment. These are not drastic results, but they are noticeable to patients, especially when comparing pre- and post-treatment photographs.
As with any surgical procedure, not everyone's smile is suitable for a lip flip – even those who may be good candidates for lip fillers. "The ideal patient is someone who has a hyperactive muscle around their mouth that causes their upper lip to turn in or pull up dramatically when they smile," Dr. Amalfi says.
The upper lip's skin and the nose's base are very closely linked. As such, if a plastic surgeon doesn't have the appropriate skills or experience, a lip lift can distort the appearance of the nose, particularly the base and the nostrils. However, this only occurs when a lip lift is done poorly.
With lip flips, your lips only appear plumper. The actual volume of your lips doesn't increase. Instead, it gets rearranged to make your lips look full and natural. During a dermal filler, your lips are injected with a substance made from hyaluronic acid, which creates a structured and hydrated appearance in your lips.
Done incorrectly or performed on unsuitable patients, a Botox lip flip can easily impact the integrity of the lip structure and affect how you talk, smile, etc.
Just as with traditional facial Botox, lip flip results take time. While some patients see the results in as early as three to four days, you'll get the full lip flip look 10 to 12 days after your injections.
Hyaluronic acid, or HA, naturally occurs in the body and not only attracts moisture (and volume) to the lips but also stimulates the lips' own ability to produce more collagen. This means you get immediate, natural-looking results and you also see a gradual improvement in your lip area as collagen increases. Dr.
While dermal fillers increase lip size, a lip flip only creates the illusion of a larger lip without adding volume. Lip flips are less invasive and expensive than dermal fillers. However, they have a shorter effect than dermal fillers, which last between 6 and 18 months.
For removing lip lines, you'll need about 6 average units. If you're interested in having lip flips, you'll need around 4-6 units. If you aim for plumper lips, Botox is best paired with dermal fillers. With just a few simple injections, our providers can erase your wrinkles and fine lines in no time with Botox.
When the upper lip is equal to or begins to exceed the volume of the lower, the augmentation starts to look fake. Once that ratio is breached, the result degrades rapidly, even with minor volume additions.
Light, soft, hyaluronic acid fillers, like Restylane®, give the lips the most natural and attractive look.
Possible Side Effects for Botox Lip Flip
It may affect your: whistling, speech, and or drinking. These only last a few days as your body adjusts for them, and also depends on how much your lip lifts as well.
Cons of the BOTOX lip flip
Before undergoing treatment, consider the following cons: Doesn't increase volume. The BOTOX lip flip doesn't actually increase volume in the lips, although it can make the upper lip look a bit fuller when it's performed by a skilled injector. Doesn't address the lower lip.
Normal lip flip side effects
Your skin should return to normal within a few hours. Bruising is also possible, but uncommon, with proper technique. It is normal to feel a sensation of heaviness as the Botox lip flip takes effect.
It's important to note that lip flips are not permanent. Results last around 2 to 3 months, since only very small amounts of Botox are injected into your lips. Once you start to notice that the effects are wearing off, you can choose to maintain your results by having additional Botox injections.
In order to get the most attractive results, there are a few things you should avoid after lip injections. First, stay out of extreme temperatures for at least 48 hours following your appointment. Avoid going into a hot tub or sauna and abstain from smoking.
You likely will be happy with the Botox lip flip if:
You feel your upper lip looks invisible when you smile. You want fuller-looking lips but do not want additional volume. You want a more temporary treatment (3-4 months)
Shah says, "An ideal candidate for a lip flip would be someone who has a thinner upper lip and is interested in making the upper lip look slightly bigger. Also it's ideal for someone who is not ready to have fillers injected and wants only a natural and subtle look."
While a full syringe of lip filler costs between $500 and $1000, the Botox lip flip typically requires only 4-6 units of Botox, which cost between $10 and $15 each. While Botox to treat an area of facial wrinkles may require as many as 50 units of Botox, a Botox lip flip will likely cost less than $100.
Like most Botox procedures, there is no real recovery period with a lip flip. Once the appointment is over, you'll be able to return to your routine immediately. Note that there may be some minor swelling immediately after the injection, but this usually resolves within a few hours or a day at the most.
For fuller lips, patients typically require 0.5-2 syringes of lip filler, however, we only inject . 5-1 syringe at a time.