Full, juicy, sexy lips: everyone wants them, but most of us don’t have them without help. It’s 100 percent okay to get a little boost if nature didn’t happen to bless you in that area. And whether you want something more permanent or temporary, it’s easier than you think to get fuller, softer, younger-looking lips.
How Can I Make My Lips Fuller?
The full lip trend has been huge for the last several years with celebrities like Kylie Jenner leading the charge. Fillers have joined Botox at the top of the list for most popular non-surgical cosmetic procedures, leading Elle magazine to call the last decade the “age of lip fillers.” And while lip fillers are the bomb, there are also less expensive and less permanent ways to plump those lips.
- Lip fillers are a quick and easy way to get long-lasting results. They use the skin-plumping miracle ingredient hyaluronic acid to add volume and firmness to your lips. Juvederm offers two terrific options for bigger lips: Ultra Plus XC is all about adding fullness while Volbella adds a little volume while also tackling those annoying vertical lines above the lip. At around $600 per injection, a filler is not the least expensive approach but is the longest-lasting, with up to 6 months of fuller lips.
- If you’re not ready to take the filler plunge, there are some wonderful topical plumping products available that offer amazing results using collagen and hyaluronic acid to plump lips and keep moisture in. Some of our favorites, like SkinMedica’s HA5 Smooth and Plump System and IS Clinical’s Youth Lip Elixir, use hyaluronic acid to plump lips for immediate and long-term results.
- Amazing strides in high-end makeup mean cosmetics can actually give your lips a plumper look. Stellar products like Jane Iredale Just Kissed Lip Plumper use natural oils to hydrate along with peptides to stimulate collagen production and make lips look fuller without injections.
How Can I Make My Lips Look Younger?
Getting rid of those pesky vertical lines above the lip (sometimes called smoker’s lines or lipstick lines) is the best way to make lips look younger. There are several great ways to tackle those lip lines:
- Botox is an absolute champ for vertical lines and works differently from fillers, blocking nerve signals to prevent the muscles around the mouth from contracting. It’s a tried and true and relatively inexpensive fix for lip lines.
- Juvederm Volbella is another great choice for erasing vertical lines while adding a touch of volume to the lip itself.
- If you have problem lip lines and are also looking for more volume, a Botox/Juvederm combo may be the perfect solution.
- Laser treatments like the Nano Laser Peel can precisely target those fine vertical lines above the lip without an injection.
How Can I Add Moisture to My Lips?
As we age, our skin’s natural oils decrease, so it’s important to hydrate our bodies and protect our skin (including our lips) from the sun. Fortunately, there are some brilliant topical products and makeup designed to protect our lips and skin from sun damage while hydrating and keeping lips moist. Famous for its focus on sun protection, the Colorescience line offers Lip Shine to both soften, hydrate and protect lips from the sun along with a range of mineral shields and skin protectors for the face that help prevent and tackle those vertical lines above the lip.
How Can I Make My Lips Softer and Pinker?
Should I be exfoliating my lips? Absolutely! Most of us have known about the benefits of exfoliating our skin for years. But for some of us, lips have been left out. We’ve learned that to get softer lips, you’ve got to scrub, and exfoliating is also the best trick for making lips pinker naturally. Luckily, there are fabulous lip scrubs like IS Clinical Lip Polish that exfoliate, soften and condition.
Bigger Lips: What to Watch Out For
There are plenty of safe, tested and wonderful ways to get fuller, juicier lips. But lip plumping injections can go wrong if we take things too far. That’s why getting treatment at a reputable medi-spa with trained and experienced pros is the only way to go. As many of us have seen on TV, overdone lip jobs can be a disaster, while too much filler can stretch the skin of the lips and make them saggy. It’s important to work with a trained medical professional who knows what they’re doing and has the right touch. Find a professional who will help you make the right choices for your lips and face long-term. At Radiance Salon & MediSpa, our RN’s have years of experience helping clients achieve their goals without overdoing it. When it comes to lips, this means helping guide clients toward the best procedures and products and knowing when to say when.