Lip flips are becoming a hot topic for lip augmentation because the procedure is fast, subtle and effective. If you’re considering dermal fillers, you may find that a lip flip is the better option. The flip uses Botox and is more affordable than fillers, with minimal risk of side effects.
What are Botox Lip Fillers?
A lip flip is different than fillers because the procedure doesn’t add any filler at all. Instead, the muscles surrounding your mouth are injected with Botox to cause the lips to flip outward.
Your lips will look fuller, but there’s no actual fillers added.
When you have the procedure performed, it’s a fast 10-to-20-minute process that is done on your upper lip and corners of your mouth. Immediately after the injection, the lip may look swollen. But within a few hours, the lip will look fuller thanks to the portion of the lip protruding outward.
Lip augmentation rose 60% between 2000 and 2017, with an entire generation of women, many under 16, following in the footsteps of celebrities like Kylie Jenner who have openly come out as having their lips enhanced.
Lip Flip vs Dermal Filler
Dermal fillers involve injecting a substance, primarily hyaluronic acid, into the lips. Hyaluronic acid makes the skin look hydrated and provides a smooth, young-looking appearance to the lips.
Botox is used in lip flips and simply relaxes the upper lip muscle so that the lip flips slightly outward.
A few key points to note are that lip flips don’t:
- Alter the shape of your lips
- Add volume to your lips
Instead, the lips look fuller because the muscles that hold your upper lip in are relaxed, causing the lip to turn outward.
What to Expect from Your Procedure
A lip flip is one of the easiest ways to make your lips look fuller. When you have the procedure done, you’ll need to do the following:
- Before you have the lip flip done, you’ll need to abstain from drinking alcohol or taking any form of a blood thinner for three to four days prior to the procedure.
- During your lip flip, the doctor will inject Botox in the corners and center of the upper lip.
- After the procedure, the lips may look swollen or be numb, but this will only last for a short period of time. You’ll want to avoid smoking for a few days and do not rub the injected area. Rubbing or massaging the area can cause the Botox to spread, which is not something that you want to do.
Your doctor will discuss which option is best for the results that you wish to achieve. When you have a flip performed, you’ll have a subtle pout, which is what many people are trying to achieve versus a filler that makes your lips look much bigger.
Some dermatologic surgeons even say that the two complement each other for some patients.
Botox lasts for around three months, so if you find that the procedure didn’t provide you with the results that you wanted, you only have to wait a short while before going with fillers.