Lip Lift Vs. Lip Flip: What's The Difference, And Which Is Right For You?

Over the course of several decades, plump lips have become one of the most desirable features. Full, luscious pouts like those of Angelina Jolie and Rihanna have become a beauty trend. According to the 2017 Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Statistics Report, there has been a 60% increase in lip augmentation procedures since 2000 in the US. In a 2016 study published in the Archives of Plastic Surgery, researchers noted that there has also been a 312% increase in consumer requests for soft lip fillers since 2000. Suffice it to say, many of us are yearning for more robust lips.

Lip filler is one of the most common methods to achieve this. In this non-surgical procedure, filler substances like hyaluronic acid are injected into a patient's lips so that they can attain rounder, wider lips. However, it is not uncommon for this procedure to appear unnatural or swollen. Many people are seeking more natural, full-looking lips. They'll attempt to accomplish this at home by overlining their lips or even spreading toothpaste on them. However, there are also some alternative lip augmentation procedures you can consider — lip flips and lip lifts.

Lip lifts are a form of lip augmentation that is becoming more in demand. "No one knew this procedure existed two years ago, but now I have 20-somethings requesting it by name," Dr. Dara Liotta, a board-certified facial plastic surgeon, remarked to Allure. If you haven't already heard of this procedure, it's very different from lip injections. "[It] removes some skin under the nose in order to shorten the skin of the upper lip and also increase the amount of pink lip seen," facial plastic surgeon Dr. Theda C. Kontis explained to InStyle.

Facial plastic surgeon Dr. Lesley Rabach describes to Allure that the procedure balances the lower third of your face while unfurling the red portion of the top lip. As a result, you end up with a fuller appearance. However, one important factor to note before getting a lip lift is that the results are permanent. This can be a bonus if you don't want to deal with upkeep, but it also means you'll want to make sure you 100% trust your surgeon.

Lip lifts and lip flips (try saying that 10 times fast) sound very similar, but they are two entirely different lip augmenting procedures. "Using Botox to perform a Botox lip flip can help relax a very small area of the orbicularis oris muscle (the muscle that surrounds the lips)," facial plastic surgeon Dr. Dara Liotta told Byrdie. "Relaxing tension in this muscle can allow the lip to flip upwards, creating a poutier look." Unlike a lip lift, there is no cutting, and the skin between the lip and nose stays intact.

Another difference between the lip lift and the lip flip is that the lip flip is impermanent. "You will need to keep going back about every three months to maintain results so any issues would subside over time," Dr. Howard Sobel explained to Byrdie. Aesthetic nurse practitioner Nicole Frontera told Glamour that a lip flip is only really helpful to patients with a top lip that retracts under itself when they smile. Frontera went on to say that if you have thin lips, the lip flip won't make a big difference. She also notes it will not make a big difference if your lip doesn't curl under, as described.