What Is a Botox® Lip Flip? Updated Guide to Fuller-Looking Lips
- Darlene Walchuk
- Feb 16
- 6 min read
What Is a Botox® Lip Flip?
It’s very common for the edges of our lips to start curling further and further into our mouths as we age. It’s totally normal. It’s just not usually desirable. When this starts to happen, some people want to correct it.
There are many aesthetic options to address volume loss or unwanted lines and wrinkles around the mouth, and yes, there is a solution for subtle lip augmentation as well. We recommend upper lip flip with Botox®!
If you’re not ready for fillers, and you’re definitely not down for surgery, a lip flip is a non-surgical lip enhancement aesthetic procedure that makes your lips appear fuller, and convinces your curling lips to “flip” back out. Get it?
How the Lip Flip Works: Subtle Curl, No Added Volume
When you decide to use Botox® for fuller lips, you’re choosing to go with a more subtle enhancement than you would with a filler. During a flip, the provider will inject around the cupid’s bow area of the lip. This procedure allows the lip to relax, and curl outward again—or, “flip”.
When the lips flip back outwards and are relaxed, they appear larger and more defined, giving your lips the illusion of being plumper.
Lip Flip vs. Lip Filler, What’s the Difference?
When people think about non-surgical lip enhancement, they often jump straight to fillers. Fillers address volume loss or a desire for volume, and a need for volume might not be the issue. For people seeking a more natural lip enhancement, an upper lip flip with Botox® is often what we recommend.
When it’s down to Lip Flip vs. Lip Filler, the best way to decide is to address the differences between the two.
When to Choose a Lip Flip
A lot of people don’t have a problem with it, nor do they desire more volume. They want their lips back on their beautiful smile. They want to soften the area a bit, and receive a bonus upper lip lines treatment while they’re at it. They want a subtle enhancement.
A Botox® lip flip in Oakville at Secret Faces provides what it's supposed to: a subtle lip augmentation with natural-looking results. Lip flips offer subtlety and natural-looking results. If that’s what you want, choose the lip flip.
When Filler Might Be Better
There are some things that a Botox® upper lip flip can’t address, and one of them is loss of volume. Another consequence of aging is the loss of volume in undesirable places (don’t you wish we could choose where to lose volume?). When the lips lose volume, you want to turn to fillers.
A Secret Faces Oakville lip flip treatment is going to look natural, subtle even. For those who don’t want their results to be subtle, fillers are the way to go—remember, a little goes a long way, and we can always add more later.
If you need volume or want to add a bit more pout, choose fillers.
Benefits of a Lip Flip
When you smile, your muscles pull your upper lip tight. Due to the work that Botox® does to freeze and relax certain parts of the lip area, a lip flip allows more of your lip to show when you smile than it would without. If the lip is already curled under itself, it will not be better revealed while smiling.
The lip flip can also act as an upper lip line treatment, reducing wrinkles in the upper lip area and smoothing vertical lip lines.
What to Expect During the Treatment
When you decide to visit us in Oakville for a lip flip treatment at Secret Faces, you can expect a few things. Before any treatment, you’ll have a consultation with Darlene, who will go over all the important information with you, hear your concerns, and help guide you down the right path to address those concerns.
When you’ve landed on a lip flip as being the right treatment for you, this is what you can expect:
● The appointment will be quick
● There will only be a few pokes
● Pain will be minimal
● There will be about 4-6 units used
● Injections will happen around the cupid’s bow area of your upper lip
As with most of our aesthetic treatments, we recommend starting slowly and gradually increasing your dosage rather than introducing too much too soon. This may mean you go with fewer units at your first appointment to see how you feel after everything has settled in.
When You’ll See Results (And How Long They Last)
Timeline: Day 1 to Week 2
Day 1: As with most injectable treatments, there may be some local swelling and redness, which should resolve within a few hours. Lip flip recovery can be helped with an ice pack and often resolves quickly.
Lip flip recovery is fast, but you won’t notice results instantly.
The Next Few Days: If you’re looking forward to your “lip flip before and after” photo shoot, you won’t have to wait too long. Despite the fact that Botox® often takes upwards of a week to become effective, cupid’s bow Botox® starts becoming effective in just a few days.
You’ll start noticing that your lips are looking fuller, are no longer disappearing, and there’s no more lip curling around your teeth. You’ll also notice fewer lines around your upper lip.
Two Weeks Later: After you’ve sat with your results for two weeks, we recommend that you come in for a chat, tell us how you’re feeling, and to see if any touch-ups need to be done.
How Long Does a Lip Flip Last?
Among the Botox® cosmetic treatments we offer in Oakville, the lip flip is among the least enduring. It lasts for approximately 3-4 months. This is great for people who are new to Botox®, a bit uncertain, or want to experiment with Botox® around the mouth but are afraid of committing to anything.
Is the Lip Flip Right for You?
Are you new to medical aesthetics? Are you unsure about non-surgical lip enhancement procedures? Are you looking for something that doesn’t feel so permanent and has little downtime (try none)? You’re on the road to choosing a lip flip.
Ideal candidates
If you’re still wondering whether cupid’s bow Botox® is right for you, here are a few traits that the “ideal” candidate might have:
● You would like a subtly more prominent “pout”
● You feel your upper lip looks invisible when you smile
● You want fuller-looking lips but volume isn’t a problem
● You are okay with a treatment that lasts 3-4 months
Who should avoid it
We usually recommend that pregnant individuals be careful about the aesthetic procedures they choose. Botox® treatments are not safe for pregnant people. Individuals with certain neuromuscular diseases should also be cautious.
Folks experiencing cold sores or similar open wounds on the mouth at the time of treatment should reschedule for a time when they are healed.
Lip Flip Safety, Side Effects, and Dose Adjustments
Before every appointment in which a procedure is performed, there is a consultation with Nurse Darlene, who has over 16 years of experience in medical aesthetics. She will review all pertinent medical information during your consultation, and you may be asked about your medications to ensure there are no safety issues.
We always recommend that you go with an experienced injector, because not doing so could result in very unpleasant consequences as a result of improper placement of the Botox® and/or over-filling. Remember, you can always add more, so it’s best to start off with light amounts.
Secret Faces’ injector, Darlene, is extremely knowledgeable and experienced, but if you can’t make it out to Secret Faces Oakville for a lip flip, do your research!
Book Your Lip Flip at Secret Faces Oakville
Secret Faces is owned and operated by Darlene Walchuk, RN, BScN, and provides the best in Botox and medical aesthetics. Remember, when getting delicate procedures done, such as upper lip flip Botox®, it’s critically important to have an experienced medical professional doing the actual procedure.
Secret Faces Oakville is your neighbourhood aesthetics boutique that specializes in Botox®, Dysport®, Dermal Fillers, non-invasive injectables, hair loss treatment, and medical-grade products and services, all backed by a Registered Nurse.
The best part?
Our results are so natural…you can keep them a secret.