Botox lip flip - Is it too early to tell yet and will I still see these negative effects?

Question

I had a lip flip done 4 days ago with 4 units injected. I was warned by the nurse I may not like the feeling and struggle to drink from a straw prounounce P etc however I haven’t felt any of this just a slight strange sensation. Is it too early to tell yet and will I still see these negative effects or am I one of the lucky ones who has avoided it!?

Alexander Rivkin, MD · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question.  Your injector is right in warning you of some of the side effects of the lip flip, however they should be mild enough to not be noticed by others.  Botox does take about 7-10 days before it is in full effect, so it is likely too soon to tell at this point.  It is always a good idea to go in for a 2 week follow up appointment after any new treatment so that your injector can assess your results.  Best of luck!

David M. Lieberman, MD · Answer

It can take up to 2 weeks to see full results of your Botox injection.  I find that Botox in the upper lip lasts about 8 weeks on average.   Best of luck.

Michael A. Zadeh, MD, FACS · Answer

Botox takes 5-7 days to start working, and can take up to 2 weeks for full effect. It is still too early to tell what your results will be. Best wishes.

Camille Cash, MD · Answer

It can take up to two weeks to see your final results from your Botox injection.  However many patients begin to see some changes after five to seven days.  So if you are not noticing any issues within the next week or so you are probably not going to have any.

Michael Pelster, MD · Answer

I agree with the consensus.  Two weeks post-injection is an optimal time for a follow-up visit with your physician to make any final conclusions about the effects of any treatment with neuromodulator, including the "lip flip."

Anika Ackerman, MD · Answer

It is too early to tell and the final result of your lip flip will be seen up to 2 weeks after the injections. That being said, just 4 units is unlikely to cause the unwanted side effect of not being able to suck through a straw.

Alex Eshaghian, MD, PhD · Answer

Thank you for your question cakey1987. I understand your concern. Botox is a purified protein used to address wrinkles associated with facial expression. When injected into the skin Botox will relax the muscles and smoothen out the overlying wrinkles. The most common areas of treatment are in the upper face. These include the horizontal lines seen on the upper forehead when one raises the brows, the vertical lines seen between the brows when one frowns (frown lines), and the crow's feet seen around the eyes when one smiles.
It is difficult to make an assessment in the absence of consistent photographs before and after in the same lighting and angles for comparison. However, I hope the information provided here is useful.Although Botox is most commonly used in the upper face, it can also be used in various areas in the lower face. Botox can be placed in the orbicularis oris muscle around the lips to provide a pout to the lips and reduce the appearance of vertical lines around the lips sometimes called smoker’s lines (although they are seen in people who do not smoke as well). In this area 2-4 units are used above the upper lip and 2 units are used on the lower lip.The pivotal studies demonstrated that the peak results are seen 14 days after the treatment and most people enjoy their results for 3-4 months. At that point, a maintenance treatment is recommended. While some people start to see results as early as the next day, it can take two weeks for full results so patience is important. We have our patients return two weeks after their treatment to assess their results via photographs. At that time additional units may be added if necessary.If I had a patient with the concern described here, I would recommend follow up with the injector at the two week point to assess the results and being patient until that time.With any injection, there are risks such as pain, bleeding, bruising, redness, swelling, tenderness, and infection. We take special precautions to minimize these risks such as using a painless technique. We also treat bruises with a laser as early as the next day. Bruises usually resolve within two weeks if untreated. After a laser treatment bruises usually resolve in 1-3 days, but may still take two weeks for full resolution. In addition to these risks, with Botox there is also a risk that the product spreads or diffuses to nearby structures. Spread to nearby muscles can lead to side effects such as the temporary appearance of droopy eyelids or a temporary asymmetric smile.
  
After a Botox treatment, I recommend that my patients avoid heat exposure, alcohol consumption, and strenuous exercise for 24 hours and not lie down flat for four hours. This is because all of these activities may possibly lead to the movement of the product and consequent side effects such as droopy eyelids. Although there have been no definitive studies shown that these actually occur and some physicians do not provide such aftercare instructions, in the absence of data I err on the side of caution and recommend that my patients avoid such activities.
  
Please consult with a doctor for specific recommendations. Good luck!

RevivaMed Integrative Medicine · Answer

Thank you for your question.  It takes about 7-14 days for Botox to completely bind to nerve receptor sites.  You may be lucky and not see these negative effects or you may see them in a few days.  I hope that answered your questions.

Botox lip flip - Is it too early to tell yet and will I still see these negative effects?

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