What is a lip flip? A lip flip is a nonsurgical procedure that makes your lips appear fuller. Your healthcare provider injects botulinum toxin into the corners of your mouth (oral commissures) and the edges of your lips (vermillion border).
Many of our patients like to combine the BOTOX lip flip with lip filler to increase volume in the lower lip and subtly lift the upper lip.
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.
A lip flip is a nonsurgical procedure that makes your lips appear fuller. Your healthcare provider injects botulinum toxin into the corners of your mouth (oral commissures) and the edges of your lips (vermillion border).
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.
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.
When Will I See Results of a Lip Flip? 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.
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 Botox lip flip is a simple and quick procedure that requires the injection of Botox into the areas just surrounding the mouth, which paralyzes and relaxes the orbicularis oris muscle. It is currently an off-label treatment since Botox is not yet FDA-approved for injection into this particular area.
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.
A lower lip lift, in general, is done by excising skin with the idea that we're going to change the contours of the lip. While not as common as an upper lip lift, a lower lip lift can help patients with thin lower lips that may not be a good candidate for lip fillers.
How Much Does a Lip Flip Cost? Because only a few units of Botox are injected, the treatment costs less than lip filler. Lip flips are about $60-120.
Overall, Botox Flip Lip should not be a painful treatment, patients may feel a sharp scratch at the injection points but overall this is just described as minimal discomfort rather than pain. Patients may continue to feel mild discomfort after treatment, but this will fade over 24 hours.
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.
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.
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.
Botox lip flip is not a permanent cosmetic procedure. To maintain the results, you'll need to repeat the procedure roughly every 3 to 4 months, or as long as it takes for the effects of the Botox injections to wear off.
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)
Answer: Gummy smile versus lip flip
The location to fix a gummy smile is typically near the nose to lower the lip, while a lip flip is injected directly about the pink lip to evert the lip.
It is normal to feel a sensation of heaviness as the Botox lip flip takes effect. After a few days, patients will notice a slight feeling of heaviness in the lip, indicating that the Botox has taken effect.
Lip ptosis (a.k.a. lip drooping) most often impacts the lower lip and is caused by aging, trauma, previous cosmetic procedures, or certain medical conditions. Fortunately, there are a myriad of invasive and non-invasive cosmetic procedures to correct lip ptosis and restore your desired aesthetic and function.
Based on what these online people said, we now know that the most attractive faces are those with a lower lip that's about twice as big as the upper lip; and an overall lip size of about 9.6 percent of the total area of the lower third of the face.
Am I a Good Candidate for a Lip Lift? Most people are good candidates for lip lift surgery. However, if you do not have much space between the top of the upper lip and the base of the nose (usually at least 1.5 centimeters), you may be a better candidate for lip fillers or Botox rather than lip lift surgery.
The Russian technique accentuates the cupid's bow to resemble a heart-shape by injecting additional volume and lift into the center of the lips, while the sides still remain relatively in line with the face. The result is doll-like while still appearing naturally full and plump.