I’ve been told that my Botox lip flip will take 2-3 days to see results. Why is this?

Botox works to "flip the lip" by relaxing a select portion of the upper lip muscle that acts to flatten the lip across the teeth.  Botox takes time to work because it must first be absorbed by the target nerve cell before it can stop the nerve cell from contracting the muscle. That takes anywhere from 2 to 7 days in most individuals. Botox reaches its maximal effect after 7-14 days.

It can take 1-2 weeks for final results with Botox as swelling and/or bruising resolves. Botox results resolve in 3-4 months. Best, Dr. Emer

Thank you for your question pattycatherine. 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.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.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!

Thank you for your question. Botox typically takes between up to two weeks to show results, simply because it takes time for the  muscles and nerves to respond to the treatment, you will see your results. If you are concerned and have further questions, I recommend that you talk with your injector to ensure that you are getting the results you’d like. Good luck!

It can take 7-14 days to see the full effects of treatment with Botox or Dysport. You may start seeing results as soon as 72 hours after treatment but it will take longer to see the full effect. 

Botox afftects the muscles that cause the issue you want resolved so it takes time for the muscles to respond and then get the results you want. generally it takes 3-5 days to start working and reaches a peak in 7-10 days

2 to 3 days is the shortest amount of time where a lip flip can be observed after Botox treatment. It can take as long as 10 days in some people. Good luck from New York City

Hi pattycatherine,Unlike fillers, the effects of Botox are not instant. In fact, though the effects can be felt after 1-2 days, Botox stabilizes in about a week. It takes some time to "paralyze" the muscles since There is no need to worry.All the best, Justin Harper, M.D. 

Thank you for sharing your question. Botox can take up to 14
days to take full effect. Some people notice the effects of Botox sooner; however,
I always tell my patients to wait the full two weeks before assessing final results.
If you have further questions, I recommend you follow up with you injector to discuss.
Best,


Dr. Griffiths.