From celebrities—dating back to the iconic Marilyn Monroe in the 1950s—to lip injections and fillers, to over-the-counter glosses with plumping ingredients, to makeup contouring tricks, Americans are infatuated with the full lip.
In 2015, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) claimed the number of lip implants grew by double-digits with a total of 27,449 procedures performed, an astonishing one every 20 minutes. This is more than a 40 percent increase since 2000, and demand continues to grow. The ASPS also reported injectable wrinkle fillers (such as Juvederm® and Restylane) skyrocketed 243 percent between 2000 and 2013, and 13 percent between just 2012 and 2013.
But the full-lip aesthetic isn’t purely an “American-beauty dream.” The British newspaper, the Daily Mail, reported on a study conducted by England’s Manchester University that involved tracking the eye movements of 50 men as they were presented with images of different women. Dr. Geoff Beattie, who is a professor of psychology and who led the research, said: “This study proves that lips represent one of the most sensual aspects of a woman’s body and play a critical role in human sexual attraction. Full and red lips combined deliver the perfect pout to achieve male fixation, but women who simply wear lipstick—regardless of their lip type—secure significantly greater levels of attraction than those who do not.”
Jamie Gordon, anthropologist, partner, and cultural strategist at Culture Agency in Atlanta explained to Women’s Health magazine: “When you look at the anthropological history of the female body and sexuality, full lips signal not only sensuality but being excited about having sex. Much like how studies show that the higher your hip-to-waist ratio in some African tribal cultures, the more attractive you are, full lips can also make you seem more attractive.”
Although attractiveness and beauty play significant roles in the desire for full lips, many other elements factor into the equation:
- Naturally thin lips
- Self-consciousness about lips
- Lips disappear when you smile
- Loss of natural volume due to the aging process
- Belief that full lips will balance other facial features
You may simply want to try a fairly non-invasive/quick-recovery plastic surgery procedure. There’s little downtime, and results last for six to nine months when using fillers or injections for lip augmentations. This medspa procedure takes about 15 to 20 minutes, and the numbing will start to wear off after about 15 minutes. You should plan for at least three days of downtime (in case of bruising) before a wedding or an important event. If you eventually decide to stop receiving injections, your lips will return to their original state.
When you schedule a consultation at Buinewicz Plastic Surgery, Dr. Brian Buinewicz will work with you to determine the best course of treatment based on the look you are hoping to achieve (e.g. fuller lips or smoothing lines around the mouth). He will evaluate your current appearance, ask you questions concerning your desired outcome, and together you can decide which lip augmentation is best for you.
