When I was offered the chance to try lip fillers for myself, how could I possibly refuse? I always swore that I would never go down the ‘cosmetic surgery’ path, but this wasn't the full-on facelift type of surgery, it was non-surgical surgery. It was just a small thing, something my mother might notice but my husband probably wouldn't.
When I found myself standing on the Knightsbridge doorstep of the renowned Dr Rita Rakus, or the ‘London Lip Queen’ as she’s famously known, I was still in two minds. With a reputation for perfecting the lips of thousands of women, Australian-born Rakus, has been honing the technique for more than 20 years.
Now, we're not talking ‘lilo lips’ or ‘trout mouth’ as Dr Rakus very definitely specialises in the very natural-looking mouth with a small cupid’s bow. 'I try to be strict when people want big lips,' she says. 'I specialise in subtle results.' Phew, that’s a relief.
After ten minutes of chat, I knew I wanted to have my thin upper lip done. I wouldn’t say that my lips were ageing as such, but I’ve always had a thin top lip and have loved the idea of a slightly fuller mouth. It made me feel rebellious. Five minutes and six tiny injections later and I hadn't felt a thing. I looked like Mick Jagger, but Dr Rakus assured me the swelling would go down in a day or so. She warned, too, of potential bruising and the occasional cold sore.
As promised, within twelve hours the swelling had gone down, and I adore my new mouth. Of course my husband noticed. He liked its subtlety, but to me I felt like a new woman. What's more, lips are not Dr Rakus's only speciality. She does other crucial little bits too - frown lines, crow's-feet, drooping corners of the mouth, creases around the nose and shallow scars. 'Most people come in for a cocktail of things, ' she explains. 'We can take five years off someone in five minutes.'
Dr Rakus compares a visit to her as like going to the hairdresser. I don't know about that, but it's certainly no worse than a bikini wax. Now that's got to be something worth smiling about.
(The ‘London Lip’ costs from £475 www.drritarakus.com)
