A lip flip and lip filler are often mentioned in the same breath, but they work in opposite ways. Filler adds a gel to the lip. A lip flip adds nothing: it relaxes a muscle so that the upper lip rolls slightly up and outward, and shows a little more of its pink part.
Lip Filler NYC is a free referral service. We are not a medical provider, clinic or med spa, and we do not perform procedures or employ any providers. Your request goes to a provider in New York City who is independent and licensed. Nothing on this site is medical advice.
What a lip flip is
Cleveland Clinic describes a lip flip as small injections of botulinum toxin at the corners of the mouth and along the edge of the upper lip. The toxin relaxes the ring of muscle around the mouth, so the upper lip turns slightly upward. It adds no volume.
Botulinum toxin is the same family of drugs used for frown lines. One brand, BOTOX® Cosmetic (a registered trademark of Allergan, Inc., an AbbVie company), is FDA-labeled for frown lines between the brows, crow’s feet, forehead lines and neck bands. The lips are not on that label, so a lip flip is an off-label use, decided between you and the provider.
Lip flip or lip filler: the differences side by side
| Lip flip | Lip filler | |
|---|---|---|
| What is injected | A small dose of botulinum toxin | A hyaluronic acid gel |
| What it changes | How the upper lip sits and shows | Volume and shape |
| How long the visit takes | About 10 to 20 minutes, per Cleveland Clinic | 30 minutes to two hours, per Cleveland Clinic |
| When you see it | Over about a week | Right away, with swelling at first |
| How long it lasts | About two to three months (ASPS); two to five months (Cleveland Clinic) | Clinical studies followed people for about a year |
| Can it be reversed? | No; it wears off | Usually yes, with hyaluronidase |
| FDA label for lips | Not a labeled use | Specific products are approved for lip augmentation in adults |
For the filler side of that table in more depth, see how long lip filler lasts and dissolving lip filler.
Who a lip flip tends to suit
People usually ask about a lip flip when their lips have a shape they like but the upper lip seems to disappear when they smile, or when they want a subtle change without adding gel. If what you want is real volume, a lip flip will not give it. Only a licensed provider who examines you can say which, if either, suits you.
- A lip flip changes how the lip sits; filler changes how much lip there is.
- Cleveland Clinic says it is not recommended during pregnancy.
- Because it relaxes a muscle you use to talk, drink and smile, it is worth thinking about your work and daily routine before you try it.
What happens at a lip flip appointment
According to Cleveland Clinic, the appointment itself takes about 10 to 20 minutes. A typical dose is about 2 to 4 units in the upper lip and 2 in the lower, placed with a fine needle. There is no gel to shape and no swelling to wait out in the same way as filler. The change shows gradually over about a week.
Not sure whether a flip or filler fits what you want? Ask a provider.
How long a lip flip lasts
Much less time than filler. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons puts lip flip results at between two and three months; Cleveland Clinic gives about two to five months. If you like it, you go back; if you do not, it fades on its own.
Side effects and risks
ASPS notes that a lip flip can cause some weakness around the mouth, for example when you smile widely or drink through a straw. Cleveland Clinic lists drooling and trouble drinking or speaking clearly when toxin is placed too close to the mouth, and headache. Ask how long effects like these could last for you; unlike hyaluronic acid filler, a lip flip cannot be dissolved, so it has to wear off.
Who injects matters
In New York an injection of a drug for cosmetic reasons is a medical procedure that needs a health-care licence. Estheticians and cosmetologists may not inject.
Having a lip flip and filler together
Some people ask about both: a flip for the way the upper lip sits, filler for volume or shape. Whether to combine them, and in what order, is a decision for you and the provider. Ask how they would plan it, what each part adds, and how you would tell which part caused a side effect if you had one.
What a lip flip costs
No single published figure covers a lip flip. The closest is the American Society of Plastic Surgeons 2023 national average surgeon/physician fee for a neuromodulator injection, USD 435, which covers all toxin treatments, not lips alone. Providers set their own prices, and a lip flip uses a small dose. For filler fees, see lip filler cost in NYC.
Questions to ask before a lip flip
- Who will inject me, and what is their licence?
- Which product will you use, and how many units?
- What will I notice when I talk, drink or smile, and for how long?
- Would a flip, filler or both suit what I described, and why?
- Is there a consultation fee, and what does a follow-up cost?
Looking for someone in Manhattan? Read how to choose an injector on the Upper East Side and across Manhattan, then send a request.
This site gives general information, not medical advice. Whether lip filler is right for you is for a licensed provider who has examined you to say. In an emergency, call 911.
Before you book, look up the injector’s licence on the NYSED Office of the Professions verification search.
Questions people ask
Is a lip flip the same as Botox?
A lip flip uses botulinum toxin, the drug family that includes BOTOX® Cosmetic. The lips are not on that product’s FDA label, so a lip flip is an off-label use.
Does a lip flip make lips bigger?
No. There is no added volume: the relaxed muscle lets the upper lip roll up a touch and show more of itself. Volume is what filler is for.
How long does a lip flip last?
ASPS puts results at two to three months; Cleveland Clinic says about two to five. It wears off on its own and cannot be dissolved like filler.
Can I drink through a straw after a lip flip?
ASPS notes some people have weakness around the mouth, for example using a straw, while the toxin works. Ask your provider what to expect and for how long.
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