What’s in a pout?
Fillers in Dubai | 13 June 2019
Well, quite a lot, as it turns out that full and sumptuous lips are the most preferable lip shape of them all – but according to a global study, there’s one key trait that distinguishes the perfect pouts from their equally plump, yet sub-par, counterparts.
A survey of more than 1,000 people from 35 different countries revealed that the key to the ultimate lip shape actually boils down to symmetry. In the study, which was published in the Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, more than 60 per cent of respondents chose the 1:1 ratio between the upper and lower lip as the most attractive shape. The second highest-rated pouts were those with a fuller lower lip, like Kylie Jenner, who has built an entire beauty empire based on her infamous (and surgically-enhanced) pout.
A heavily-defined cupid’s bow is the most-requested lip shape. Cupid’s bows can be enhanced and further defined with the use of specific amounts of filler in the upper lip to enhance the natural vertical columns that lie immediately about the upper lip. The use of a specific filler can also be used to enhance and redefine the overall contour of the lips. Other common shapes patients request improvements on include the “natural trout pout”, when the lips’ symmetry is slightly offset by a heavier top lip, and the “flat upper lip” as seen on Julia Roberts, where the upper lip has no defined cupid’s bow.
Lips start to naturally reduce in size from the age of 28 onwards, as this is when collagen and hyaluronic acid production slows – the latter is the most commonly-used product in lip injection treatments. There are numerous lifestyle factors that can affect the fullness of your lips too. Don’t smoke, stay out of the sun and don’t overdo the booze if you want your lips to be naturally full for longer. Obviously there are some risks involved with lip-plumping treatments, which can leave patients with severe swelling, bruising and soreness afterwards. Prospective patients should always seek advice from a medical professional before embarking upon surgical treatment.