Lip Flip vs. Lip Filler: What’s The Difference?
November 9, 2022
If you’re interested in cosmetic injections, you’ve definitely heard of lip fillers, but more recently you may have heard of a “lip flip” - a term that’s become more popular in the past couple of years. If you’re wondering “what’s the difference between the two?” you’ve come to the right place! Our injectors get asked this question so much so that we decided to write a blog about it to help both our current clients and future clients (a.k.a you ;))
Lip enhancements are all the rage these days - and our expert injectors are definitely here for it! We’ve written this blog to help you understand the differences between lip flips and lip fillers, including what products are used in each method, how long the results last, what the cost is and who the best candidates are. Plus, there might be some details on special pricing for lip fillers, so keep an eye out for that!
How They Work
A lip flip works by injecting approximately 4-6 units of neuromodulators (usually Botox® or Dysport®) along the edges of your top lip. Neuromodulators (also known as “neuros” if you wanted to know some cool med spa slang) are muscle relaxers, so they relax your muscles and essentially “flip” your lip upward, which gives the illusion of larger lips without actually adding any volume to your lips. You can have a lip flip performed on your bottom lip too, but the top lip is definitely more common.
Lip fillers create volume in your lips by actually injecting dermal filler into different parts of your lips. Our dermal fillers are made of hyaluronic acid, which can sound scary - but it’s not, we promise! Hyaluronic acid is actually found in our bodies naturally as it attracts water molecules and keeps our tissue and joints hydrated. By using hyaluronic acid-based fillers, the filler attracts water to your lips and this creates a plumping effect.
Our clients typically get a full syringe during their visit, and we always make recommendations that will enhance their unique proportions while getting their desired outcome. So, don’t worry about looking fake - we don’t want that either!
How long do the results last?
As with any Botox® service, a lip flip will generally last up to 6 weeks. You’ll be able to see your full results within 2 weeks, but we have seen Dysport® kick in a bit quicker. With lip filler, your results will typically last between 6 to 9 months.
After your lip filler appointment, you’ll be able to enjoy enhanced lips right away as you’ll experience swelling. Some clients worry that their lips are too big following their injections, but there’s no need to worry because the swelling will definitely settle after about 2 weeks and you’ll be able to see your full results!
How much $$$ are we talking?
Since lip flips last a shorter amount of time, they are definitely more cost-effective than lip filler. At External Affairs, a lip flip is a flat fee of $100. We think this is a super great value for your results, but we might be biased!
With lip fillers being a longer-lasting lip enhancement method, they are more expensive than lip flips. Our lip injections are also priced depending on the injector level, with a full syringe costing between $650 to $750. You might be thinking to yourself “wow, that seems kinda pricey,” but there’s a few reasons why we charge the price that we do. External Affairs has been providing filler transformations for over 15 years! That’s a long time in our opinion, and over the span of those 15 years, our physicians and expert injectors have gone through a lot of training to make sure you get the results you want. We’re also one of Canada’s top injection clinics, as we’ve won Top Medical Spa in Edmonton for 4 years in a row from 2018 to 2021! *Brushes shoulders off*. So, we’re confident that when you see your beautiful, enhanced lips, you’ll be glad you made the investment with our expert injectors!
Who’s a good candidate?
A lip flip is great for anyone looking to plump their lips but doesn't feel ready to commit to lip filler just yet. This is a great option to see if having plumper lips is suitable for you!
Lip filler is a great option for anyone that wants to add volume to their lips. Our clients get lip fillers for a wide range of reasons. For example - as we age, we lose volume in our skin and lips, so lip fillers are a great way to restore volume. If you’ve always had smaller lips and you want to add a little “oomph” to them, lip fillers are great for that! If you’re wanting to change the shape of your lips (maybe to have a more defined cupid’s bow) we can also achieve this with lip filler. The options are endless!
Custom-tailored means something to us.
We always want to stress the importance of custom-tailored here at External Affairs- what we mean when we say that is that our team of physicians and nurses knows the importance of helping you achieve the look you want. We do this through our consultation process, so our injectors can understand your lip goals! A lot of our team members also have lip fillers themselves, so we definitely understand the nerves that can go into getting lip injections. That’s why we place a big emphasis on consultations, to make sure you get what you’re looking for!
We’ve performed thousands of lip filler services in Edmonton, St. Albert, and Kelowna. Whether you’re looking for natural-looking results (think Christina Aguilera) or fuller-looking lips like Angelina Jolie- we’ve got you covered!
What you should expect during your visit.
At External Affairs, your safety and comfort are always our top priority - which is why you’ll complete a patient assessment with one of our physicians before your injections appointment (whether that be for lip filler or a lip flip.) The assessment is really quick and can be done over the phone or in-person, whatever works for you! In this assessment, we go over your medical history just to make sure you’re a candidate for injections. We’d like to point out that if you’re considering an injector that’s not asking about your medical history, you might want to consider a different clinic or injector that places as much importance on your safety as they do your results. That’s why it’s so important to go to a certified injector for your injection needs!
When you’re ready for your appointment, we’ll complete an EA Beauty consultation to understand your beauty goals, so we can help you get your dream lips! Our expert injectors will usually complete the consultation right before your injection appointment, but you can also do the consult a couple days before your appointment to make sure you’re comfortable. We always want to make sure you’re 100% comfortable before going into your injection appointment because we know how nerve-wracking it can be.
After the consultation, your lip filler appointment will usually take 30 minutes. Our injectors start by putting a topical numbing cream on your lips to make sure they’re nice and numb so you don’t feel much discomfort. Then, our injectors will precisely inject your lips based on the shape and size you discussed in your consultation! After the appointment, your lips can swell for about 2 weeks, don’t worry this is totally normal! You’ll be able to enjoy full, fresh, and plumper lips immediately - watch out, Kylie!
If you’re wanting a lip flip, we follow the same steps as filler - the only difference is the use of a numbing agent. We generally don’t numb your lips for a lip flip because most patients only get 4-6 units and the injections take about 8 seconds. But, if it makes you feel more comfortable, we can definitely numb your lips. With lip flips, you may experience minimal swelling but almost no downtime!
How about both?
So, we’ve talked your ear off about the differences between lip flips and lip filler. But, you might be feeling adventurous and ask yourself, “can I get both services done?” and the answer is absolutely, you can! Go off, girl. There are a few reasons why someone would want both a lip flip and lip filler. One of the reasons being if you’re looking for a more dramatic look, you can add a lip flip right after getting lip filler done - in the same appointment!
If you’re not sure if you should get half a syringe or a full syringe of lip filler, it might be a good idea to start with a smaller amount of filler and get a lip flip right after. The reason we give this as an option is that as the swelling from your lip filler goes down (approximately 2 weeks), your lip flip results will begin to show, so you’ll be able to see fuller lips. If you decide that your lips look a bit too big for your liking, remember that a lip flip will usually last around 6 weeks. Now you’ll know for next time that just half a syringe is probably the way to go. If you LOVE your fuller-looking lips, then you’ll know that a full syringe is more suited for you!
That’s it, that’s all. You’re now an expert in all things lip flips and lip fillers! We hope this blog helped you with any questions you had. But, if there was anything else you wanted to know, please feel free to contact us with any questions! ALSO, about that special pricing we were talking about at the beginning of the blog, we offer EA Beauty™ Filler Packages which help you save $$ on injections. Book a complimentary consultation with us - we’d love to help you get your dream lips while keeping your budget in mind!
