Fuller lips: how lip enhancement works

Aaaahhhhh, fuller, younger, fuller lips. Full lips are definitely a sign of “youth,” but what happens to our lips when we start to mature? Lips become thinner, less attractive and very soon one could stop wearing lipstick because the upper lip practically disappears, especially when smiling. When this act of shrinking is evident in the mirror, vertical lines usually begin to invade the lips, making a mature woman look positively old.

Women aren’t the only ones who want softer, fuller lips. Men whose lips are thin and hard can display a steely demeanor in the boardroom; however, men with fuller lips look more attractive, youthful and youthful.

Lips are soft tissue, and as a man or woman begins to mature, the volume dissipates, meaning the tissue shrinks.

There are many modalities to revitalize the soft tissues of the lips; the old standbys – bovine collagen, Zyderm® and Zyplast® have competition. Restylane®, CosmoDerm® and ComoPlast® (human {cadaver} collagen), Radiance®, Artecoll® and others have entered the “fillers” market. These new fillers do not require skin testing for allergic reactions and are all injected. The procedure time varies from 3 to 10 minutes and some patients report that these types of injections can be painful. These services can be relatively expensive because they are not permanent fixes and these injections must be repeated every few months to keep the lips full. The most common side effect, as with any injection, is redness, bruising, and swelling at the injection site that usually last less than three weeks.

A more permanent lip procedure that is widely used is Gortex. Strips of Gortex (threads of foam-like material) are inserted into the lips; The lips become slightly larger after the procedure is completed, but some users complain that their lips feel hard, not soft and supple. Some of these implants cannot be removed if a problem arises because the lip tissue grows in and around the implant. Possible complications include infection, migration, or extrusion of the implants, and lip asymmetry is a concern.

Another somewhat permanent solution is fat injections; the patient’s own fat is usually removed from the belly or buttocks, washed, and then re-injected into the lips. While this is probably a fairly safe modality, the fat tends to be reabsorbed fairly quickly, reducing the swelling of the lips.

Over-the-counter glosses, lipsticks, and other types of topical preparations have recently been introduced that promise plumper lips with more volume and definition. Many cosmetic companies have jumped on this bandwagon promising users that their special ingredients will produce plump, luscious lips after just a few weeks of use. In fact, over 200 new products have been introduced to the market in the last two years, ranging in price from $6.99 to almost $40. Instead of stopping traffic on the lips, some of these topical products have produced burns, mouth sores, and empty pockets.

Some cosmetic companies use natural components in their formulas, but some of them can be misleading. No product can offer the look of a collagen injection in a topical way. The way these products work is by using an irritating ingredient like niacin, cinnamon, caffeine, or mint; these ingredients may cause some temporary swelling through dilation of blood vessels along with mild swelling, giving the illusion of fullness. Some preparations require the user to rub their lips vigorously for several minutes, and this friction results in some degree of temporary swelling.

Many women and men want fuller lips because fuller lips make them feel sexier and more attractive. Consumers are willing to spend a lot of money to get “the look”; but not everyone agrees that the topics deliver what they promise. Dr. Sam Most, Chief of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Washington in Seattle, asked seven women to use a certain topical whose website says its product increases actual lip volume and contour by an average of 40.7 percent; Dr. Most said, “In subjects who used the product as directed for a prolonged period, there were no visible changes to the lips.”

Is there a real difference in using topical applications that promise plump lips, or is lipstick and liner enough? Maybe Yoki Ono, a saleswoman at a Madison Avenue designer boutique, quoted in the NY Times, has the answer: “You’d better buy some extra hot Buffalo wings and eat them.”

Or better yet, save yourself a ton of cash and brush your lips with a baby toothbrush and Vaseline for about a minute, your lips will be fuller and smoother, guaranteed!