Botulinum neurotoxin for lip flip.

Area of Science:

• Aesthetic Medicine
• Dermatology
• Plastic Surgery

Background:

• The "lip flip" procedure uses botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) to enhance the upper lip.
• It involves partial relaxation of the pars marginalis of the upper orbicularis oris muscle.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the anatomical rationale, injection technique, and preliminary clinical outcomes of using LetybotulinumtoxinA for lip flips.
• To evaluate the efficacy and safety of this specific BoNT formulation for upper lip eversion.

Main Methods:

• Three consecutive patients received superficial injections of LetybotulinumtoxinA (4 U/0.1 mL, 1 U per site) along the upper vermilion border.
• Injections avoided the oral commissures and deeper muscle layers.
• Clinical observations were made at two weeks post-injection.

Main Results:

• All three patients achieved subtle upper lip eversion and a reduction in vertical rhytides.
• Patient satisfaction ranged from "Satisfied" to "Very Satisfied."
• No adverse events such as speech disturbance, oral incompetence, or asymmetry were reported during the short follow-up period.

Conclusions:

• LetybotulinumtoxinA appears to be a safe and effective option for achieving subtle upper lip eversion and improving perioral rhytides.
• These preliminary findings suggest potential for aesthetic improvement, but larger studies are needed.
• Further research with larger sample sizes, control groups, and blinded assessments is recommended to validate these initial observations.