Concern — functional Botox
When your upper lip lifts too high and shows too much gum — a muscle problem, not a lip problem. Anti-wrinkle injections relax that muscle so your smile looks natural, not stretched.
What's happening
Every time you smile, a small muscle called the levator labii superioris pulls your upper lip upward. In some people, that muscle is overactive — it contracts more strongly than needed, lifting the lip higher than the anatomy naturally would. The result is a smile that shows a strip of gum above the upper teeth that you'd rather not see.
It's not a lip problem and it's not a teeth problem — it's a muscle problem. The muscle is doing too much of the lifting, and no amount of lip balm, filler, or dental work changes that.
Why creams and lip products can't fix this
A gummy smile is caused by a muscle pulling the lip upward. Creams, serums, and lip treatments all sit on the surface — they can hydrate the skin or add volume to the lip, but they can't reach or relax the muscle underneath. Even lip filler, which adds volume, doesn't stop the muscle from lifting — it just makes a bigger lip that still rides up when you smile.
To reduce a gummy smile you need to quieten the muscle that's pulling the lip up. That's exactly what anti-wrinkle injections do.
How we treat it
A tiny amount of prescription-only botulinum toxin is injected into the levator labii superioris on each side of the nose. The muscle relaxes over the following days, so when you smile it doesn't pull the lip up as far. Less lift = less gum showing. Your smile still looks like your smile — just softer and more balanced.
Why this treatment, specifically
Nothing else reaches the levator labii superioris. Skincare can't reach it. Filler can't relax it. Dental work changes the teeth, not the muscle. Anti-wrinkle injections are the only non-surgical treatment that directly targets the muscle causing the lift. The toxin blocks the nerve signal telling the muscle to contract, so it pulls less — and the lip sits where it's meant to.
This is the same botulinum toxin used for frown lines and crow's feet. The difference is where it's placed and why — here it's a functional treatment, relaxing a muscle that's overactive rather than one that's creasing the skin.
What to expect
An honest word
Anti-wrinkle injections for gummy smile are highly effective when the cause is muscle hyperactivity — most gummy smiles are. But if your upper lip is naturally very short or your gum tissue sits particularly high on your teeth, you may still show some gum even after treatment. We'll tell you that at consultation, before we treat anything.
The goal is a natural smile, not a frozen one. You'll still be able to smile fully — the lip just won't ride up as far. Most people who notice a gummy smile on themselves are their own harshest critic; even a modest reduction in gum display can make a big difference to how you feel about your smile.
A small amount of anti-wrinkle injection into the lip-elevator muscle stops it from pulling your lip too high when you smile. The result is a more balanced smile that shows less gum.
A gummy smile is caused by an overactive levator labii superioris muscle — the small muscle that lifts your upper lip when you smile. When it contracts too strongly, it pulls the lip up higher than normal, exposing more of your gum line. In some people the muscle is naturally hyperactive; in others, the upper lip is short or the gum tissue sits high. The muscle component is what anti-wrinkle injections address.
Anti-wrinkle injections relax the levator labii superioris muscle so it doesn't pull the lip up as far when you smile. The lip sits slightly lower, covering more of the gum. Your smile stays natural — you just show less gum. It's the same botulinum toxin used for frown lines and crow's feet, just targeting a different muscle for a different purpose.
Results typically last three to four months. Most clients book a top-up around then. Your free 14-day review helps us judge the right interval and dose for you.