Lip Flip is the term used to describe a Botox technique that causes a small but definite improvement of the visible pink portion of the lip. This use of Botox, in the hands of a skilled injector, can be used to enhance the upper and/or lower lips, although upper lip use is most common.
There are multiple muscles around the mouth that perform very specific tasks of function and emotional expression. When using Botox around the mouth, the person injecting has to be well versed in facial anatomy and very precise in technique.
To perform the Lip Flip, the injector needs to identify the orbicularis oris muscle, which is basically the muscle that performs the sphincter motion surrounding the mouth. The natural pull of this muscle when it is in motion is to pull this tissues around the mouth towards the center.
By strategically injecting Botox into the more central portion of this muscle, the pull of the muscle is weakened enough that other competing muscles become more dominant. When used on the upper lip, the lip elevator muscles will increase their pull, resulting in a more visible pink upper lip and therefore a lift of the lip, also known as a Lip Flip.
Although less common, the same technique can also be used on the bottom lip. In this case, the lower lip depressor muscle preferentially pulls down on the lower lip, resulting in more of a pout and more exposure of the pink portion of the lower lip.
The Lip Flip technique results in a subtle improvement of the lip with an increase of 1-2 millimeters in pink lip visibility for each area of the lip (i.e. upper and/or lower) that is treated. The increased pink lip exposure makes the lip treated look bigger, but there is no actual increase in lip volume. The Lip Flip works best for those want only a subtle increase in lip appearance and/or do not want to use filler in the lips.
The Lip Flip certainly will not produce the same results as fillers such as Juvederm Volbella or Juvederm Ultra. However, this technique is a good starting point to improve the appearance of lips, and can be used in addition to fillers. For those with very thin lips, the combination of Volbella and Botox for the Lip Flip can give a very pleasing result.
If you are interested in using Botox to improve the lip appearance with the Lip Flip, call either (207) 303-0125 in Scarborough or (207) 873-2158 in Augusta to schedule an appointment for consultation with our expert injectors who have decades of experience in aesthetic medicine. Our motto remains "Beautifying Maine one face (and body) at a time."