Lip Flip: Procedure, Results, and Risks

Written by Gina Ryder
Medically Reviewed by Debra Jaliman, MD on March 11, 2025
7 min read

A lip flip is a nonsurgical cosmetic procedure in which botulinum toxin is injected into the muscles around your upper lip to make it look fuller. The drug relaxes the muscles around your lip, causing it to roll slightly outward. 

Botulinum toxin (Botox, Dysport, Jeauveau, Xeomin) works by blocking nerve signals to muscles in the area. For a lip flip, your provider might inject it above the center of your upper lip, around the corners of your mouth, and/or in the muscles between your nose and mouth.

A lip flip has a more subtle result than lip fillers and isn’t as long-lasting. 

How long does a lip flip last?

A lip flip usually lasts from two to five months. This can vary depending on things like:

  • Your metabolism
  • Your age
  • Your lifestyle and overall health
  • How much botulinum toxin your provider used 

It’s easy to confuse lip flips with lip fillers, but there are key differences. Lip flips enhance the natural shape of your lips, while fillers actually make them larger.

A lip flip “is not going to really add plumpness to your lips; it’s not going to increase the volume, not really going to make your lips look bigger,” says Jacinta Anyaoku, MD, a family medicine doctor who runs Hibiscus med spa in Katy, Texas. “Instead, what it's doing is weakening the muscles that you use to kind of close and tighten your lips, so that it gives the appearance of a wider upper lip.”

With lip fillers, your provider injects hyaluronic acid directly into your lips, and you see results right away. With a lip flip, the botulinum toxin is injected around your lip area, and it takes a week or two to see full results. 

Here are some key differences between lip flip and filler: 

  • Procedure time: A lip flip procedure generally takes just a few minutes, while filler can take 30 minutes or longer.
  • Results: A lip flip is a subtle enhancement. Filler creates a more dramatic transformation 
  • Duration: A lip flip lasts anywhere from two to five months, while filler might last eight months to a year. 

People get lip flips for a variety of reasons. Some may seek to correct a “gummy smile,” in which their gums show when they’re smiling. Others might want to keep their lips from curling inward as much when they laugh, or to reduce signs of aging. While a lip flip’s main goal is to enhance the shape of your lips, it can also help smooth wrinkles above the upper lip (sometimes called lip lines or smokers’ lines). 

Some people may be wary of fillers and want to experiment with a quicker, less invasive, and less expensive option. 

Good candidates for lip flips are healthy people who:

  • Don’t have an allergy to botulinum toxin
  • Haven’t had recent lip surgery 
  • Aren’t pregnant or breastfeeding 
  • Don’t have any mouth infections 

If you have a temporary condition like a cold sore or acne around your lip, you’ll need to wait until it heals before having a lip flip. 

If you have a photoshoot or wedding coming up right away, it’s best to hold off on the procedure.

“You don't want to do it when you have something major going on within two weeks of the injection, just in case the outcome is not quite exactly what you're looking for, or it needs to be tweaked and adjusted,” Anyaoku says.

When you’re considering a lip flip, look for a practitioner with lots of experience doing the procedure, preferably a medical professional. 

Your provider should assess your health and your expectations. Make sure they know about all drugs (prescription or over-the-counter) and supplements you use, and any allergies you may have.

Here’s what to expect before and after a lip flip, as well as what the procedure involves:

Before the procedure

One week before your lip flip appointment:

  • Avoid medications that thin your blood, like aspirin and ibuprofen 
  • Stay hydrated 
  • Avoid excessive sun exposure 
  • If you use retinoids, talk to your doctor about coming off them 

Come to your appointment with clean skin. When you arrive, your lips will be cleaned with rubbing alcohol or other antiseptic. If you’re worried about pain, your provider may use a temporary numbing cream. 

During the procedure

You can expect to feel a few short, small pinches where the injections hit in several spots right above your upper lip. You might have a little bleeding from the injections. The practitioner may use cotton swabs to stop it. 

The procedure should take about 10-20 minutes.

Lip flip recovery 

Your practitioner will keep an eye on you for about 20 minutes to make sure you don’t have an allergic reaction. You should be able to drive yourself home. 

Anyaoku recommends that you ice the area after the procedure to reduce swelling and ease bruising. She also recommends that you: 

  • Avoid alcohol for 24 hours 
  • Avoid nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen
  • Use acetaminophen for any pain 
  • Avoid facials and facial massages for up to two weeks afterward 

You should be able to resume most of your daily activities immediately after the procedure. The results of a lip flip begin to show up in a few days. Full results should appear in a week or two. 

Botulinum toxin has a low chance of side effects, though any injection carries some risks. You may notice a little bleeding, soreness, swelling, or bruising soon after the procedure. Some people might get a headache or fever, possibly with chills. Infection is possible, but unlikely. 

Because they change how your muscles work, lip flips may make it harder to: 

  • Pronounce certain words
  • Eat with a spoon
  • Drink through a straw
  • Spit, like after you brush your teeth
  • Rub your lips together
  • Whistle

“Your eating, your drinking, and even your talking can be affected a little bit typically for the first week after you do the procedure,” Anyaoku says.

You might be unhappy with the results, either because they’re too subtle to notice or because you just don’t like how it looks. Keep in mind that Botox is irreversible but not permanent. If you don’t like your results, you’ll have to wait until the botulinum toxin wears off. 

When to see a doctor

It’s very rare, but botulinum toxin could spread to other areas in your body. Call your doctor right away if you notice any of these symptoms after a lip flip:

  • Trouble breathing, swallowing, or talking
  • Muscle weakness
  • Vision problems

A lip flip involves botulinum toxin injections in your upper lip area, which relax the muscles there and make your lips look fuller. You might get one if you’re concerned about a gummy smile, inward-turning lips, or wrinkles around your lips. The procedure takes a few minutes, requires almost no recovery time, and lasts two to five months. Results are more subtle than those of lip fillers. 

 

What are the downsides of lip flips?

Because lip flips are temporary, maintenance can get expensive. Botulinum toxins may wear off in the lip area more quickly than in other parts of the face, due to eating and talking. Lip flips aren’t reversible, so if you don’t like the results, you’ll have to wait for the botulinum toxin to wear off.

How much does a lip flip usually cost?

Prices for lip flips vary, but they often cost between $80 and $200. Prices are influenced by your location, the practitioner’s level of expertise, and the amount of botulinum toxin they use. 

Who should not get a lip flip?

Avoid getting a lip flip if you:

  • Are pregnant or nursing
  • Are allergic to botulinum toxin 
  • Have a neuromuscular disorder like myasthenia gravis

If you have an existing medical condition, talk to your doctor before you have botulinum toxin injections.

Does a lip flip change kissing?

You can still do it, but it might feel a bit strange at first, Anyaoku says. “As your muscles are getting adjusted to the procedure, you might notice that doing things like kissing could feel a little weird or different,” she says.