The Secret to a Beautiful Lip

Having fuller lips, like that of Angelina Jolie, have been considered a desirable trait. A study has shown that female models who are selected in the fashion industry, in general, have fuller lips (upper and lower) than ordinary women. Several studies have also shown that men prefer women with thick and prominent lips. Over the past several years, there have been an increasing number of women seeking lip augmentation to achieve that sought after voluptuous lip.

Angelina Jolie's Beautiful Lips (Image from Alex-Scheffer.com)

Features that Decrease the Perceived Age in Women

Big eyes
Short nose
Small chin
Thick lips
Thin eyebrows
With aging, the upper lip undergoes several changes which range from atrophy of the fatty tissue of the lips to thinning and a less pronounced vermilion border. Thus, augmentation of the lip may decrease the perceived age in women desiring a sensual and youthful lip.

Photograph Courtesy of http://celebrity-stuff.popsugar.com

Common Changes in the Aging Upper Lip

Fatty tissue atrophy of the upper lip
Thinning and less pronounced vermilion border
Flattening of the philtrum
Widening of the Cupid's bow
Loss of the natural "pout" of the lip

Ideal Lip (Photograph by Rachael Ashe; Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

So what is the secret of a beautiful lip? Nearly every fashion model has full and plump lips. Does having a lip augmentation of one's upper lip sufficient to have that sought after voluptuous lip? Studies have shown that the ideal lip has an upper to lower lip ratio of 1.0 : 1.6. If this ratio is altered, as found in women with excessive augmentation of only the upper lip, the lip may look unnatural. This would not be as attractive as the natural upper lip. The upper lip may predominate the discourse in aged lip, but the lower lip may need augmentation as well due to the development of lip ptosis with aging. Moreover, lower lip augmentation may be needed to maintain the upper to lower lip ratio in order to achieve "natural" and beautiful lips.

Lips of a famous actress after lip augmentation. Overcorrection of the upper lip augmentation resulted in a deviation from the ideal upper to lower lip ratio. Thus, the lips look unnatural.

Reasons Some Women Desire a Lip Augmentation

Desire to have more fullness of the lips
Those with genetically thin lips
Those with poor definition of the vermillion border
Atrophic lips due to advancing age
Non-Surgical & Surgical Options for Lip Augmentation
Implant material, such as Goretex, Alloderm, PTFE, Silicone
Fat grafts
Dermal-fat grafts from patient's own tissue, especially after a facelift procedure
Dermal filler lip injections

Before & After Photos of Lip Augmentation using Dermal Fat Graft by Emmanuel De La Cruz, MD, PLLC

In most cultures, having a full lip is associated with female beauty and youthfulness. Young women may want to achieve sensual lips like that of Angelina Jolie or Jessica Alba. The older and refined woman may want to look younger with fuller and sensual lips. Whatever their reason maybe to obtain the ideal lip, one needs to be aware of the secret of the beautiful lip before one undergoes plastic surgery.

Kara Dioguardi was included in PEOPLE's Most Beautiful List (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

So is there a secret to a beautiful face? Stay tuned....

Emmanuel De La Cruz M.D. Houston Plastic Surgeon References:

Anderson, Richard. Alloplastic Lip Enhancement. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 2001. September, 21: 5: 445-449 Bisson M, Grobbelaar A. The esthetic properties of lips: a comparison of models and nonmodels. Angle Orthod 2004;74:162-166. Giddon, D. Orthodontic applications of psychological and perceptual studies of facial esthetics. Semin. Orthod. 1995. (1)82-93 Koscinki, K. Facial attractiveness: General patterns of facial preferences.Anthropological Review. 2007. (70):45-79 Lemperle, et al. An Index for Quantitative Assessment of Lip Augmentation. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 2010. May. 30(3) 301–31 Narsete, et al. Lip Augmentation in Conjunction With Facelift: Preliminary Experience With A New Permanent Implant. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 2009. September, 29: 5: 356-359 Rohrich, et al. The anatomy and clinical implications of of perioral submuscular fat. Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. 2009;124:266-271.