Botox Lip Flip Can Leave Lip Frozen for Months

Adults weighing this cosmetic treatment should know one account describes recovery taking about four months.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Beauty

Bold vector editorial illustration of a curved upper-lip-shaped form held motionless in a pale field, with a taut coral band beneath it. — A former WWE wrestler said a Botox lip flip left her upper lip unable to move for about four months, with filler unable to reverse the effect. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Former WWE wrestler Carmella said she underwent a Botox lip flip procedure and cannot currently move her upper lip, with recovery expected in about four months. The procedure, described on her Hot Mom Sh*t podcast, involved Botox placed in the upper lip to lift it, and she said the effect cannot be reversed with filler dissolving. The account is a single celebrity's personal description rather than a clinical study, and it may be of interest to readers considering the cosmetic technique.

Why it matters

Lip flips use small Botox doses to relax muscles that pull the upper lip down, lifting the lip for a fuller look, and Carmella's account shows that the effect can last months and be difficult to undo. Her reported experience underscores that cosmetic neuromodulator treatments carry a recovery window reversed only by time, not by a second procedure. Readers weighing cosmetic treatments should understand that outcomes are not always easily adjusted.

This is a single firsthand account from one person, reported on her own podcast, with no controlled study, sample size, or clinical measurements. The claims reflect Carmella's personal experience and have not been independently verified.

The players

Carmella

Former WWE wrestler with a 12-year tenure with the company, who has not wrestled since March 2023 and now hosts the Hot Mom Sh*t podcast.

WWE

World Wrestling Entertainment, a major professional wrestling company that let Carmella's contract expire in February 2025.

The details

A Botox lip flip involves injecting small amounts of botulinum toxin into the upper lip, which relaxes the muscle that pulls the lip down and lets it curl upward. Carmella said she had the procedure because she is almost 39 years old and described being unable to move her upper lip afterward. She also said filler dissolving could not reverse the effect, leaving her to wait roughly four months for movement to return.

March 2023: Carmella stepped away from WWE to have her first child.
February 2025: WWE let Carmella's contract expire.
Four months after the procedure: expected return of upper lip movement.

Health Landscape

Botulinum toxin injections are widely used in cosmetic dermatology, and lip flips are a lower-dose variant aimed at subtle lip lift rather than wrinkle reduction. Public discussion of these procedures has focused largely on natural-looking results, with less emphasis in mainstream coverage on how long unintended effects can persist.

If you are considering a lip flip or similar cosmetic neuromodulator treatment, it is worth discussing with a qualified clinician the possibility of a prolonged effect and how long recovery may take. Ask your provider about the expected duration and what options exist if results are not as intended.

The takeaway

Cosmetic neuromodulator treatments can produce effects that last months and may not be quickly reversed, so it is worth asking a qualified clinician about expected duration before treatment. Carmella's experience is a single personal account and should be weighed with that in mind.