What is the perfect mouth? According to Dr Nick Lowe, the perfect lip ratio is that the upper lip should be a third of the size smaller than the lower lip, with a neat cupid’s bow in the centre of the top lip.
It’s important to choose your cosmetic doctor carefully, and make sure they are using a reputable product such as Restylane or Juvederm. These contain hyaluronic acid which acts like scaffolding to support and lift the lip from the inside, and now include built-in anaesthetic making it less painful than ever.
Fillers can restore all the signs of ageing when it comes to lips, from lines and wrinkles to drooping corners and thin upper lips, depending on the thickness of the solution. A small amount of fine filler injected into the lip margin will fill fine lines and wrinkles, whereas a medium filler can restore volume to the body of the lips or lift the corners of the mouth.
To avoid the infamous trout pout, a good doctor will exercise caution when injecting fillers. ‘Trout pout is caused by too much filler in the upper lip’, explains Dr Lowe. ‘I insist that my patients hold a mirror and tell me when they want me to wait or stop. Don’t be afraid to do this, it is so much better to have a small amount and come back for more than to overdo it’.
But the lilo lips of some well-known celebrities have given lip fillers a bad name of late. ‘I have been doing non-surgical procedures for ten years, and people are still concerned about having their lips done,’ says cosmetic dentist, Dr Stephen Hennessy. ‘People are scared of looking like Pete Burns, but it’s not just a case of bigger lips. You have to be cautious, big lips don’t just happen by accident’. As a result, he has created ‘Lighter Lips’, by injecting a small amount of Juvederm Smile filler into the lip line including the cupid’s bow. Sometimes this is enough, or he might add some deep into the lip to fill it out, and then tweak the corners to perk them up without bulking the lips out. (Lighter Lips cost from £250 to £300).
Dr Bob Khanna, cosmetic dentist and facial aesthetic expert has created a new design, ‘Heart Lips’ based on natural beauty. After looking at many beautiful women, including celebrities, and trying to work out what it was about them that was so compelling, he noticed that many of them, particularly Angelina Jolie, had a particular ‘quirk’ in common - a discernible cleft in the mid-line of the lower lip, which means their lips are naturally heart-shaped.
Full, soft lips have always been a symbol of sexiness, but until now most lip enhancement techniques have concentrated on size, rather than shape. Dr Khanna realised that if he could find a way to recreate this cleft artificially, he would be able to help women achieve lips like Angelina’s. And so, ‘Heart Lips’ was born and has taken the industry by storm.
‘It’s important that lips are in proportion with facial features so I take great care to tailor the treatment to each individual patient to ensure that their lips look balanced and natural’, explains Dr Khanna. ‘I refine and tweak to get the best possible result.’
But facial fillers are not the only solution to ageing lips. For defined upper lip wrinkles, Dr Susan Mayou uses tiny amounts of Botox to weaken the muscles. Dr Lowe also recommends Fraxel laser to treat lip lines. 'It's safe, effective, and doesn’t cause any scarring,' he says. The secret to maintaining the effects of the laser treatment is to apply a broad spectrum UVA and UVB moisturiser every day, even in winter, under your lipstick, to protect the lips.' (Fraxel Repair, £1,500 for one treatment, Fraxel Restore, £1,500 for a course of four).
A brand new treatment, Pellevé, is a new radio frequency treatment to create firmer, tighter skin. A handpiece is used to deliver heat to the deep layers of the skin which increases the production of collagen and can be used on very delicate areas of the face, such as the lips. Cosmetic doctor, Dr Rita Rakus, has been using the technique for treating fine lines on the upper lip. ‘Patients expectations are ever-increasing and this is a great treatment for the delicate areas of the face such as under the eyes and the lips’. (Pellevé costs from £600 for one session and lasts for six months).
