Apparently, science can determine how sexy your lips can look. Bee-stung pairs like those of Angelina Jolie and Scarlet Johannson are actually not all that subjective – because the world of cosmetic procedures currently has a metric for measuring lip beauty. And those who have always contemplated a lip filler job can rejoice, because this means that lip filler augmentation is no longer like the Wild West – there is actually a way of working out the best dimension for your lips that is considered ideal for your face.
‘SUPERSIZE ME’ – VOLUME CAN BE PLANNED
Believers of “size is not everything”, this will reaffirm your belief. Studies show that different ideals of lip beauty is not rooted in size, but in ratio. In fact, this was a concept born years ago when Leonardo Da Vinci postulated that the ability of the human brain to determine beauty is actually hardwired and tied to a mathematical proportion, now known as the Golden Ratio.
This means that you can probably upsize and look better with natural lip fillers, but only until your face agrees with the size of your new lips before it starts looking overdone.
But wait, there’s more. Dr Michelle Lim, Medical Aesthetics Consultant at the SW1 Clinic explains that using mathematical proportions, the ideal beauty of an individual could actually be only a few millimeters away. And most doctors like herself specializing in non-invasive (or minimally invasive) cosmetic procedures have a working principle of enhancing facial beauty using proportions. For the lips in particular, the general trick is a not-so-secret proportion between the upper and lower lip that people generally love.
THE LIP LIFT
Instead of just creating dull volume, with the right technique (you need the eye for it too, of course) can change a Resting Bitter Face to something more relaxed or neutral. Lip fillers can be used to raise the vermillion border (edges of the lips), defining the Cupid’s bow, bringing it closer to the nose, getting rid of the unfriendly pursed look. Along with the cupid’s bow, the philtrum can be softly emphasized, adding depth to the upper lip, and droopy lip corners can be lifted. Age or smoker’s lip lines can be filled with watery soft fillers, instantly erasing signs of age and use. Be careful with the choice of fillers though, Dr Michelle warns, the economically savvy may opt for harder, long-lasting fillers, but unless you want way more than subtle results, your best bet would be to stick with softer hyaluronic acid lip fillers.
REVITALIFT LIPS – A ROUND-THE-CLOCK LIP MOISTURIZER
Dry and chapped lips can also look forward to their hyaluronic acid lip fillers providing round-the-clock internal moisturization and a very subtle, ultra-light volume enhancement with Revitalift lips. These fillers do little to change the actual lip shape because they are really, really soft – apart from subtle plumping, it would be hard to see a discernible lift or change in shape.
Who would go for lip fillers if people can’t tell you did it? Plenty, according to Dr Michelle. “Many Asians are still conservative about anything more than mild to moderate upgrades for their lips, but I haven’t met one with perpetually dry, chapped lips who said no to healthy, kissable-looking lips and a subtle, almost-glossy pout yet”.
So at least you now know, lip fillers aren’t just lip service afterall.