Perfect your pout with a lip flip
You may have heard of top rivalries such as Coke vs Pepsi or Red Sox vs Yankees, but when it comes to the power of the pucker, the duos vying for your attention are already at the top of the injectable game. It's the battle of filler vs Botox!
At one time, social media platforms were flipping out over filler and how it could create the perfect pout. However, other products and techniques can help add volume and make lips look fuller and oh-so-kissable. The lip flip uses everyone's favorite wrinkle reducer, Botox, to help enhance the appearance and shape of the lips, giving patients luscious lips.
How does a lip flip compare to adding filler? If you are already licking your lips in anticipation, read on to determine which procedure is right for you.
What is a lip flip?
For Sara Dickie, MD, the topic of the lip flip is an exciting one because more and more patients are asking for a lip flip and less and less filler. But why?
"A lip flip is a cute name for placing neurotoxin (Botox) in the upper lip," said Dr. Dickie. "When done well, the pink lip, or the vermilion, will look slightly taller and more exposed. When a person puckers their lips, the lips will also look fuller. The lines that form in the upper lip when one pucker will be less visible or even smooth."
It may sound hard to believe, but relaxing the muscles around the upper lip area can create the appearance of a fuller or more defined lip without adding filler.
"The muscle we use to purse our lips tightens and flattens the upper lip, so when it is relaxed, the lip expands, and the margin projects more," said Heather Furnas, MD, FACS. "The result is a lip that appears to have more volume with a better definition of Cupid's bow. That purse-string muscle, called the orbicularis oris, also creates vertical lip lines, which a lip flip can soften."
The procedure is gaining popularity, with middle-aged and older patients beginning to notice volume loss and early lip lines. However, Dr. Furnas noted that patients of all ages who desire a more prominent or pouting upper lip with fullness and definition are suitable candidates for the procedure. Individuals with a "gummy smile," where a more significant portion of the upper gums are visible when they smile, may also benefit from a lip flip.
Lip flip vs filler
How do you know which procedure will help you achieve your aesthetic goals? Do you need to add a filler for voluminous lips, or can you sculpt the perfect pout with Botox?
"Filler looks best in people with naturally full lips to start," said Dr. Dickie. "It's a nice enhancement and looks natural. Thin lip people tend to look odd with filler, and their lips feel hard."
She also explained that there are people who land right in the middle and would benefit from either filler or a lip flip, and sometimes even both! She said it depends on a person's goals. The best way to know what treatment is right for you is to consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon who is an ASPS member.
"Are you older, and are you getting smoker's lines? Lip flip is for you," said Dr. Dickie. "If someone has moderately full lips and feels like aging has caused their lips to have less definition and be a little thinner, then filler is usually a good choice for them. Upper lip lines? Add a lip flip."
Dr. Furnas also noted that a lip flip can offer results that look more subtle.
"Filler can round out the lip's margin, giving an unnatural look when not judiciously done," said Dr. Furnas. "Relying on filler alone to soften vertical lip lines can yield an overdone, unnatural, even rubbery look. Overdone filler can also elongate the upper lip, accentuating the characteristics of an aging lip, which tends to elongate with age. A combination of a lip flip and filler can deliver an excellent result. It is not an either/or choice."
Perhaps it isn't a matter of pitting these minimally invasive powerhouses against each other but more of personalizing and using one, the other or both to create the look that works for you.
If you are considering a lip flip, Dr. Furnas also had a few other suggestions patients should consider.
"The injection of neurotoxin without numbing stings, so a topical numbing ointment can help," said Dr. Furnas. "Pressing a cold pack to the area immediately before is particularly effective, and a vibrating tool helps near the area to be injected, just before and during the injection, can also lessen the pain."
Keep in mind that neurotoxins are intended to temporarily weaken muscles, so you may experience a slight loss of some control with your lips for a short while.
"Sometimes the upper lip will feel a little weak," said Dr. Dickie. "This will become evident when trying to eat soup out of a soup spoon, and you won't have as much power to slurp up the liquid. Spitting toothpaste into the sink might dribble down your chin for a few days, and you may think you're having a stroke. This goes away quickly, and the results stay for 10 to 12 weeks. These issues do not happen to everyone and don't happen every time, but I warn all my patients about them."
Dr. Furnas noted that recovery is quick, but it can include bruising in some patients.
"Bruising is more likely in patients who have recently taken a blood-thinning agent, including aspirin or ibuprofen," said Dr. Furnas. The results may take two or three days or longer to kick in. The muscle relaxation is greatest in the first two to three weeks, when patients might notice a softening when uttering fricatives, like 'p' or 'b.'"
The lip flip is a nonsurgical procedure that can enhance a person's smile and lip definition, achieving kissable results in little to no time. That may be why it is turning into an in-demand procedure.
"They will be able to speak normally, kiss normally and drink from an open cup normally," said Dr. Dickie. "My patients tend to love it."
To find a qualified plastic surgeon for any cosmetic or reconstructive procedure, consult a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. All ASPS members are board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, have completed an accredited plastic surgery training program, practice in accredited facilities and follow strict standards of safety and ethics. Find an ASPS member in your area.
