What is a Botox® ‘lip flip’ and is it better than lip fillers?

Jump to:

• How does Botox® result in a ‘lip flip’?
• Botox® also reduces a ‘gummy smile’!
• Botox® and lip filler are used differently when performing lip enhancements
• Is a Botox® ‘lip flip’ safe? What about downtime or side effects?
• What is the cost of a Botox® ‘lip flip’?

You may have heard of Botox® as a wrinkle treatment. And, you may have heard of dermal fillers being used to shape and add volume to the lips. But did you know that Botox® can be used to create the illusion of fuller lips too? It’s actually a popular procedure, among those who know about it.

In this article, we’ll explain what a Botox® ‘lip flip’ is, and how it differs from other non-surgical lip enhancements.

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How does Botox® result in a ‘lip flip’?

Botox® is a medical neurotoxin that relaxes muscles by inhibiting neurotransmitters. Xeomin™ and Dysport™ are similar alternatives. They are essentially different versions of botulinum toxin type A, which has been used both medically and cosmetically for several years.

When applied to the edges of the top lips, Botox® causes the orbicularis oris muscle (i.e. the muscle around the lips) to relax. The result is that the lips ‘flip’ outward, sort of like making a slight kissy face or a pout (but it’s not too dramatic, don’t worry!). When this happens, the lips look raised, fuller and larger.

This is useful since some people do have voluminous lips, but they are naturally ‘curled’ inward and downward. Botox® can perk them up.

The whole procedure takes less than 15 minutes, when performed by a professional, trained doctor or nurse. 

It takes about a week or so for the results to fully appear (just like any Botox® treatment). Results then slowly dissipate over the next 2 – 3 months, depending on how your body reacts to the treatment. Touch up treatments are always necessary to maintain any Botox® result. However, Botox® on the lips wears out faster, since there is a lot of movement in that area.

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Botox® also reduces a ‘gummy smile’!

Here is the other cool thing about using Botox® on the lips: it’s the same procedure that lowers a ‘gummy smile.’ So, you get two changes in one treatment. Your lips ‘flip’ outward and, when you smile, less of your gums show above your teeth.

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Botox® and lip filler are used differently when performing lip enhancements

But what about lip filler? Is a Botox® ‘lip flip’ the same as getting hyaluronic acid gel injected into your lips?

The answer is: no. The procedures are totally different. While they both involve needles around the lips, Botox® should never be used to fill the lips (it can’t do that, anyway).

Botox® should only be used in small amounts around the very top of the upper lip line (in the corners and cupid’s bow).

Fillers, like Juvéderm®, are inserted into the lips to literally fill them with a volumizing, stable gel. Over the next 6 – 12 months, this gel eventually dissolves. However, it can give a temporary, but long-term shaping effect to the lips, without surgery.

If you want to define your cupid’s bow, or vermillion borders, or if you want big, dramatic lips, then lip filler injections are the way to go.

Better yet, you can combine a Botox® ‘lip flip’ with lip filler injections, for a more complete, non-surgical lip enhancement.

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Is a Botox® ‘lip flip’ safe? What about downtime or side effects?

If you opt for a Botox® ‘lip flip,’ it will be extremely important to seek a highly qualified injector. The lips are an area that you need. So, you don’t want anyone injecting too much Botox® into these muscles. This can affect your ability to speak properly, spit, kiss, or to use a straw. It can also result in drooling and drooping (in rare cases). Improper Botox® injections can also lead to asymmetrical results, which you also don’t want.

The good news is that Botox® is not permanent. So, even if you do get adverse reactions from it, they usually heal in time.

More serious side effects of Botox® are rare, and could have to do with allergies or underlying conditions. The most common cause of side effects has to do with the way the substance is injected. Nonetheless, any practitioner should be explaining side effects to you, and answering your questions, before treatment.

We should note that it is common to feel bruised, or to have a bump on your lips for a short while after a Botox® ‘lip flip.’ This should go away on its own. You will be advised not to take blood thinners, nor to drink alcohol before or after the treatment. It’s not a bad idea to avoid strenuous exercise after treatment, too.

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What is the cost of a Botox® ‘lip flip’?

Every provider of Botox® will have their own pricing method for this service. It can depend on:

• How much Botox® they need to use
• The time it takes to achieve the result you want
• The geographic area they work
• Their reputation and years of experience injecting Botox®

To be very, very general, you can expect a Botox® ‘lip flip’ to cost in the vicinity of $200 – $500.

You should be weary of extremely low price points for Botox®. These may involve diluting the liquid, so you don’t get the full effect that you’re looking for. Or, it could indicate a lack of experience.

Not only that, but Botox® isn’t always about how much you need. A good injector can use less Botox® to achieve a better result than an inexperienced injector using more Botox®. It’s all about the skill, the knowledge of anatomy on the face and the experience to know what works effectively and what doesn’t.

Finally, it goes without saying that you should only seek cosmetic injections from licensed, medical professionals.

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A Vancouver Botox® ‘lip flip’ is only an appointment away!

As we’ve seen above, a Botox® ‘lip flip’ is a quick, easy and relatively cost-effective way to give the illusion of fuller lips. The key to getting value out of your treatment is to seek a qualified, experienced injector.

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