Everyone wants fuller and more defined lips and that’s not limited to celebrities only. With various lip augmentation procedures readily available to the public, many grow curious and ask, “How much is Botox for lips?”.
Botox lip flips are a lip augmentation treatment that uses botulinum toxins in the upper lips and the muscles surrounding the mouth. The use of Botox relaxes and paralyzes the target area and defines the lips without adding volume. Lip flips are cheaper than other lip augmentation procedures with each treatment costing about $100 to $200.
Botox lip flips are not a complete substitute to fan-favorite lip fillers. While they may offer close-enough results, which between the two a patient should get depends on personal preferences and goals.
Below, we’ll go over everything you need to know about Botox lip flips including information on how much one treatment costs. We’ll also discuss a little bit about how it compares to lip fillers.
Lip Flip: Botox for Lips
As we age, the skin naturally does so as well. With age, comes not only wisdom but skin that looks much loose than when we were younger.
Everyone – celebrities and non-celebrities alike – want to look young for as long as they can. Aside from wrinkle-free skin, pouty and fuller lips are one of the major signs we see as signaling youthful beauty.
To help ourselves achieve this, various lip augmentation treatments and procedures often come to mind. One of the popular routes many seem to prefer is Botox lip flips.
What is Botox lip flip?
Botox is the world’s most famous brand of botulinum toxin. There are other brands of botulinum toxins that exist and are commonly used in treatments but “Botox” has become an all-catch term referring to the injectable.
When injected into the areas of concern, botulinum toxin blocks signals to certain nerves. This means an injection weakens the target muscles and essentially paralyzes them.
This results in relaxed muscles that don’t tense or contract upon movement. This effectively smooths out wrinkles and fine lines, giving the patient a more youthful appearance free from various signs of aging.
Common target areas for Botox injections include the forehead, brow furrows, crow’s feet, drooping eyelids, and expression lines around the mouth.
Most recently, healthcare providers have tapped into the powers of Botox injections to give patients another choice of procedure to make their lips fuller.
The use of Botox on the lips to make them fuller is called Botox lip flip.
Botox lip flip involves the injection of botulinum toxin into the edges of your lips as well as the corners of the mouth.
This causes the muscles around the upper lips to relax, causing an upward “flip” effect. This gives the lips a fuller appearance, making them look more pronounced. This does so without adding volume to the lips, unlike dermal li[p fillers.
This procedure is for those who want lips that look fuller in a more subtle way.
How does the procedure work?
The Botox lip flip procedure is non-surgical but does involve injecting botulinum toxin.
In this procedure, your healthcare provider will make a series of injections into your upper lip, specifically into the orbicularis oris muscle, which surrounds the mouth.
This causes that part of the face to relax and be temporarily paralyzed. This causes the upper lip to roll slightly or “flip” upward. This gives you defined and pronounced pouty lips without adding any volume.
Lip flips look more natural than lip fillers and appear more subtle though there is an obvious difference.
The procedure can also address vertical lines around the lips. Many patients also choose to get it as it serves as a solution to “gummy” smiles.
How long do results last?
Unlike dermal lip fillers that provide immediate effects, lip flips take a few days before showing effects with full results setting in about a week.
Results from Botox lip flips could last anywhere from three to five months.
Who are the ideal candidates?
Anyone who wants to achieve a fuller look on their lips without added volume can get a lip flip. Of course, the ideal candidate should be in good physical health and should have no active oral infection.
For worries about adverse and allergic reactions, you should bring up your concerns to your healthcare provider upon consultation. If you’d like to try a more natural approach, learn how to plump your lips using plain ol’ cinnamon.
To Lip Flip or Not: Botox Lip Flip Pros and Cons
Many see Botox lip flips as a worthy opponent to lip fillers. If you still need more information to decide, here are all the benefits and drawbacks you can expect from lip flips:
Benefits of the Botox Lip Flip
- Lip flips define the upper lips in a subtle way. Though it makes the lips more pronounced and gives them more definition, it does so in a more natural way.
- Lip flips can cover your gums more when you flash that “gummy” smile. Because the upper lips are more relaxed, less of your gums will show.
- Lip flips relax the muscles around the mouth and effectively reduce the appearance of vertical lines.
- Lip flips require zero downtime. You can go back to your normal daily activities immediately after the procedure.
- Lip flips are only temporary and an excellent choice for those who would like to give these lip treatments a short trial period first.
- Lip flips are generally cheaper than other lip augmentation procedures like lip fillers.
Drawbacks of the Botox Lip Flip
- Lip flip results are subtle and may be too subtle for others’ expectations, which may end up disappointing some.
- Lip flips can pose a risk of temporarily impaired lip function. This can cause difficulty in pronouncing certain words, spitting, whistling, drinking through a straw, or rubbing your lips together.
These potential side effects are the reason why you should only get the procedure from an experienced injector. Someone with expertise and experience will know how to go about the procedure to minimize the risks.
- Lip flip results take time. It will take a few days before you notice a difference and a whole week to see full results.
- Lip flips last only for about three to five months compared to lip fillers which could last for about a year or even longer.
How Much is Botox for Lips?
Botox lip flips are a very cost-effective cosmetic procedure.
A full syringe of permanent lip fillers could cost anywhere from $500 to $1,000. Then that could change depending on how much filler you might need.
Lip flips would only require about four to six units of Botox. One unit costs around $10 to $20. Expect to spend around $100 to $200 per treatment.
Does Insurance Cover Lip Fillers and Botox Lip Flips?
Botox lip flips and lip filler injections are cosmetic procedures so no, insurance doesn’t cover them. But because they’re great investments, many don’t seem to have an issue making the payment.
Lip Flips vs Lip Fillers
Lip flips are not a substitute for lip fillers (which use hyaluronic acid filler instead of Botox) and will not entirely replace them in the near future.
While lip fillers used to be more suited for drastic results, brands have adapted and created subtler formulas. Ultimately, it all comes down to choice, and there are plenty of them.
Choose the Botox lip flip procedure if…
- You want more subtly fuller lips.
- You don’t want to necessarily add volume to your lips.
- You want to address your “gummy” smile.
- You already get Botox in other areas of your face.
Choose lip filler procedure if…
- You want a more prominent and obvious result. (subtle results are also possible with certain formulas).
- You want more lip volume.
- You want to change your overall lip shape.
- You want results to last longer.
Combining the Two Treatments: Is it Possible?
In the debate between lip flips and lip filler treatments, it’s important to keep in mind that they’re not mutually exclusive and they, in fact, can co-exist in perfect harmony.
The good news is you can combine these treatments and lip injections together and can even be applied at the same time.
Combining these two treatments together – Botox injections with hyaluronic acid fillers – can extend results and allows you to get touch-ups with more time in between. You might want to learn about recovery time after lip filler and what to expect as well.
Of course, it goes without saying that a consultation with your healthcare provider first is a must before getting any lip flip or lip filler treatment done.
Conclusion
In the age of pouty and kissable lips, various lip augmentation procedures are made readily available to help people achieve their goals. In the face of so many options, many do wonder, “How much are lip Botox injections?”.
Botox for the lips is called lip flip. It’s where your healthcare provider injects botulinum toxin into the upper lip, specifically the orbicularis oris muscle which surrounds the mouth. Lip flips are generally chapter than other lip augmentation procedures like lip fillers. Expect to spend anywhere from only $100 to $200 per treatment.
Have you had either lip treatment? Which one did you prefer?