‘I tried the viral Lip Flip for my thin lips — and I’ve never been happier with my smile!’

Right now, I am sipping my Blank Street blueberry iced matcha latte – and I’m not dribbling. Not that this is a usual occurrence for me, but it has been a genuine worry since I had my first tweakment,  the Lip Flip. It’s a series of small Botox injections into the skin just above the upper lip to temporarily relax the muscles, causing the lip to ‘flip’ outwards and make it look fuller without the use of filler. Lately, there have been dozens of viral TikToks of people trying to drink through a straw after having the procedure and failing (or dribbling) because they were unable to purse their lips. I was understandably nervous.

I’ve always been self-conscious about my thin upper lip — a family trait inherited from both my mum and dad (below, with my sister – yes, she has thin lips too!) and we always talk about it. I struggle to feel confident about how my smile looks in photos, and I find it hard being in front of the camera. I even avoid lipstick or lip liner because my top lip disappears when I smile, and it just looks like I have chocolate smudged around my mouth.

Thin lips run in the family: Isla with her sister Meg (pre-treatment) and with her parents after her Lip Flip.

I’ve always tried to draw the focus away from my lips, with longer lashes to whiter teeth. Having a needle phobia meant that lip filler – a longer, more invasive treatment – would never be an option (I frequently pass out in routine blood tests). Plus, I’ve watched far too many episodes of tweakment and plastic surgery real-life failures on TV show Botched!

Nevertheless, the Gen Z TikTok obsessive in me was still intrigued to find out more, because I’d also heard that a Lip Flip was over quickly with just a few jabs. At 26, I’ve grown up on social media with tweakments not just being the norm, but the expectation — and there can be pressure that comes with this. The hashtag ‘lip flip’ has gained over 64.4 million views on TikTok since 2021, and there’s even a new lip flip filter that mimics the lifting effect of the tweakment. The lip augmentation market is projected to reach 11.6 million dollars by 2030, according to Ground View Research. More natural looks are in, with the likes of Molly Mae and Kylie Jenner (who, at 26 and 27, are around my age) documenting their filler reversal journeys recently, and more and more people want to know how to get fuller lips without filler.

I went to see Dr Jemma Gewargis UK Medical Lead at Laser Clinics (a global chain), which has seen a boom in Gen Z and millennials like me asking for a Lip Flip. She explained that the treatment was a good option for those like me with a barely-there upper lip and those seeking a non-volumising treatment. It creates a more natural look than filler as it works with what you have, without changing the shape of your lips. However, the downside with wrinkle relaxers such as Botox is that you have to wait for them to wear off if you don’t like the result, typically three months.

Plus, of course, there’s the risk of not being able to purse your lips because it relaxes the muscle above your mouth, making use of straws, pressing your lips together to rub in your lip gloss, and even kissing, a challenge. Some people even report gaining a lisp and I’d seen videos of all of the above.

Isla proving that she can still sip through a straw!

What happens in a Lip Flip treatment?

Dr Jemma — who has almost a decade of experience in aesthetics, having trained in dentistry and boasts a celebrity client list of TV presenters and influencers, who she is too discreet to name — was so kind and quickly put me at ease.

The straw-dribbling stories had become massively over-egged, she said, because the things that go viral are the ones that are most compelling.

But, although complications can arise even with the best injectors, she says, you can minimise the risk by using the right amount of toxin in the right places. “With a good doctor and an appropriate assessment — in the right hands, with the right techniques and knowledge of anatomy, it’s not something to be feared,” she adds, assuring me that it would be less painful than a lip wax.

During the treatment, I had to lie down and pout my lips, while she drew four dots, evenly spaced out, along the area above my upper lip, then showed me in the mirror to check I was happy.

Without applying numbing cream, she injected in each place while pinching and shaking the skin in that area to minimise sensation. It only felt like a little scrape, and the whole thing took under five minutes. She used four units of Botox for me, which is a standard dose, and the idea is that most people start on this, then you can work up from there safely. A bigger dose gives you more of a flip and bigger-looking lips.

Dr Jemma Gewargis at Laser Clinics; and Isla having her treatment.

Pain and downtime

Dr Jemma was right, a lip wax is so much worse! It didn’t hurt at all, but because of my needle phobia, I almost fainted! She got me a glass of water, and the dizziness passed in a few minutes.

I didn’t have any bruising or swelling afterwards, although this can happen, and I was able to get the Tube home straight after and carry on with my day. You could easily pop in for this on your lunch break. You’re not supposed to bend down for a few hours afterwards, to avoid moving the Botox placement, but that’s about it.

Straight after, I couldn’t see any difference, which is normal because it can take around five days for Botox to kick in. Sure enough, every day, it became more noticeable. After two days, my upper lip had doubled in size, and a week in, it had even more volume. By 10 days, it had reached its fullness – about triple the size of my original lips.

Impressively, it still looked natural and for the first time, I could actually see my lip and was able to try a lip liner for the first time — the new Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Contour Duo, £22.

I feel so much more confident. It’s not about being vain, it’s more the feeling of actually having a lip, which is so normal for everyone else. But my smile, which used to be lost on my face, is more prominent. Being in front of the camera is no longer a cause to cringe.  My parents were pleasantly surprised by how natural it looked. At no point have I been unable to drink through a straw.

Isla’s Lip Flip results: from before the treatment to day one, day seven and day ten.

How much does a Lip Flip cost?

At Laser Clinics, a Lip Flip costs £79 and lasts up to three months. By comparison, lip filler costs from £199 and lasts six to nine months.

Is the Lip Flip worth it?

Admittedly, it is annoying that you have to go back so often to top it up, so the costs do add up over time, rather like getting your nails done! But I also like that it’s not permanent, as it feels less scary. And I am a huge fan of the natural look, which is hands down my preference: I still look like myself, which is exactly what I wanted.

It has transformed my confidence, and if you have been similarly self-conscious of your upper lip, then I’d highly recommend it. I would 100 per cent do it again: it feels like an achievable way to have a natural enhancement, purely for your own confidence.

Where to find a Lip Flip practitioner?

As botulinum toxin is a prescription medicine, it must be overseen by a doctor; an aesthetic nurse practitioner can also carry out the procedure, working alongside a doctor. Search our trusted practitioners in our experts’ directory, The Gloss Book, to find an aesthetics practitioner near you.

Book a consultation at Laser Clinics.