I Got A ‘Lip Flip’ To Hide My Gummy Smile, And Here's Exactly What Happened

I’ve been lusting after fuller lips for as long as I can remember, and this year I decided it was high time I did something about it. Lip filler is off the table for now as I have the pain tolerance of a two-year-old (plus, $200 hundred dollars to top it up every three months is way out of my price range).

During my investigations, I stumbled upon a procedure I’d never heard of before – the lip flip. Despite its intense name, it seemed like a good alternative for me so I reached out to Georgie Mills, a cosmetic nurse from Skin Boost Clinics to get more information.

What is a lip flip?

“The lip flip is a really simple and effective procedure using Botox in the top lip,” Georgie explained.

“Botox can be used to subtlety shape up the lips to create a poutier look. The toxin gives lips a subtle pout by literally flipping out the lip line and rolling the lip outwards.”

But it’s important not to confuse the procedure with lip filler.

“It is a different treatment and doesn’t provide the same results,” Georgie said.

“Filler adds volume, which increases the size and definition of the lips, while [botox] relaxes the muscles around the mouth, and rolls the lip outward, creating the illusion of a bigger lip. The lip flip is a more subtle result than filler.”

My lips before:

I don’t love the way my top lip goes into hiding when I smile. While I’m happy with the shape, I’d like them to be just a touch poutier.

I asked Georgie what kind wrong of person would be suited to a lip flip. “It’s sometimes better for a client who is new to injectables and concerned fillers will change the shape of their lips too much,” she said.

“It’s also a good choice for someone not wanting volume, rather a slight poutiness to the top lip.”

That was exactly what I was looking for, so I plucked up some courage and booked in to see Georgie and get the flip.

During the procedure:

To kick things off we Facetimed Skin Boost’s off-site doctor to get the go-ahead, and then we got straight down to the procedure.

As previously mentioned, my pain-tolerance is non-existent. I’m not a fan of needles (is anyone?), but Georgie assured me the pain would be no worse than a lip pimple. This didn’t reassure me because I find lip pimples excruciating (I know, I’m pathetic), but I found the procedure pretty much pain-free. If I had to compare pain levels I’d say it was pretty on par with a brow wax (and a million times less painful than a Brazillian).

Georgie injected Botox in four different sites just above my top lip, as you can see in the photo below. It’s not necessary to inject the bottom lip.

All up, I was in the clinic for no more than 10 minutes, with the procedure taking about two.

Immediately after the procedure:

I was initially paranoid I was getting weird looks from people on my way back to the office, so I took out my phone to take a photo of my lips to make sure nothing looked off. I was happy to see no traces of the procedure.

The final verdict

While undoubtedly subtle, I am so happy with the results. I wanted something so natural that no one would notice I’d had anything done, and no one did (until I pointed it out). When my lips are relaxed, there’s not much of a difference, but my gummy grin is nowhere to be seen when I smile.

I started feeling the botox kick in on about day four when I was struggling to purse my lips to sip from my coffee cup. It wasn’t unpleasant at all, just an odd feeling.

On day six, I could start to see a visible difference. This is how they looked on day seven when compared to before…