Were you born with thin lips, but dream of a full, sexy pout? Depending on your budget and tolerance for discomfort, there are a few different methods for enhancing your lip volume. The most invasive (and most expensive) way to increase the size of your lips is to get lip augmentation surgery. Want to know what lip augmentation involves, and the alternatives to surgical enhancement? Let’s explore all the options.
What Is Surgical Lip Augmentation?
For the longest lasting effects, lip augmentation offers the best results. Lip augmentation procedures generally take a short time, and can be completed as an outpatient procedure. The surgeon will first administer a topical anesthetic, and then inject the filler of your choice into your lips. Each of the different fillers will have slightly different effects, and they will last for different periods of time. (Some fillers will last up to a year.) Here’s a brief breakdown of the choices. For more information on surgical procedures, consult your physician.
Types of Lip Fillers:
Natural Lip Fillers
These choices all involve substances that are extracted from another part of your own body, so they are guaranteed not to cause an allergic reaction.
- Autologen: your own collagen
- Fascia: a small sample of your connective tissue
- Fat from your thighs or abdomen
- Hylaform: made of hyaluronic acid from your body
Some additional natural filler options, which come from other sources.
- Dermalogen: collagen from a deceased human donor
- Collagen: taken from cows
Synthetic Lip Fillers
The synthetic lip fillers carry a risk of allergic reaction, so you’ll need to discuss these choices with your surgeon if you have any allergies.
- Artocell: a synthetic material suspended in collagen
- Restylane: a clear gel containing hyaluronic acid
Electronic Lip Enhancement
Surgical lip augmentation may not be for you. Fortunately, there are less invasive and less expensive ways to temporarily increase the suppleness and fullness of your lips. A few electronic, at-home lip plumping devices have come on the market that promise to plump your pout in 2 minutes or less.
Juvalips
In the electronic lip device world, Juvalips is a popular brand. On Amazon.com, the device runs from about $120-$130. It’s a battery-operated natural lip plumper that works by creating suction around your lips to increase blood flow and enhancing their size for a few hours. Amazon also carries less expensive electronic devices that run from about $22-$35.
Other At-home Lip Plumpers
There are simpler lip enhancement devices on the market which require no batteries or electricity. For a while, people were using shot glasses to do the Kylie Jenner lip challenge.
On the other hand, Candylipz is a silicone device which uses suction you create with your own mouth. It comes in a few different sizes, to provide the best fit for your personal lip shape. Candylipz is about $25. Another brand, Fullips runs about $20, and there are other similar silicone lip plumpers for $15.
Lip Masks
Lip mask treatments are yet another option for getting a soft, deep-conditioned pout. Sheet masks like the Tony Moly Kiss Kiss Lovely Lip Patch, achieve a fuller look by bathing your lips in collagen. Lady Gaga is to be a big fan.
Aside from sheet mask lip treatments, there are overnight lip masks with hyaluronic acid, collagen peptides, or other moisturizers which create fullness by giving your lips a moisture boost. Marie Claire beauty editors love the Kaplan MD Perfect Pout Lip Mask & Lip Balm.
How Do Topical Lip Plumpers Work?
Lip serum, lip plumper gloss, lip plumping powder and lip plumping balm all basically rely on one of three primary methods to deliver temporary lip volume: They irritate your lips, they use a circulatory stimulant, or they trap moisture in your lips to make them swell. Each of these different types of lip plumpers require regular use to maintain your lip fullness.
Stimulating Lip Plumpers
Ingredients like capsicum (which give peppers their heat), cinnamon and peppermint oil stimulate a reaction in your lips, which causes them to plump up. Lip products which use these ingredients can sting when you apply them, particularly if they contain capsicum. There are even plumpers which use bee venom, a potent allergen for some people. (If you’re prone to allergies or have concerns about a negative reaction, take care to read the list of ingredients before you purchase this kind of lip plumper.)
Moisture-Trapping Lip Plumpers
This type of lip enhancer makes use of hyaluronic acid, collagen, or a similar moisturizing ingredient, to increase the water content of your lips, causing them to swell. Moisture-trapping lip plumpers do not irritate your lips, so you won’t experience any unpleasant tingling or stinging sensations with them.
Blood-flow Lip Plumpers
You know how warm weather or exercise can cause your hands or feet to swell? Some lip plumpers operate on the same premise, directing extra blood flow to your lips to increase their volume. If you’re nervous about a lip plumper which affects the blood circulation in your lips, be sure to read the label and learn about active ingredients.
What are the Best Lip Plumping Glosses and Serums?
Want to know which lip plumpers beauty editors and beauty addicts are talking about? Here are some of the top brands in lip plumper lip gloss, lip plumper serum and lip plumping powder:
- BeautyGARDE Swell Lip Volume Serum: uses a patented formulation of peptides, lipids, BioRetinol and rehydration spheres to visibly improve the fullness, softness and texture of your lips. Goodbye flaky, dull lips, hello Swell, hydrated lips! See our product page for more details on our technology and ingredients.
- Too Faced Lip Injection Lip Gloss
- Dior Addict Lip Maximizer Plumping Gloss
- Buxom Pillow Pout Creamy Plumping Lip Powder
- e.l.f. Lip Plumping Gloss
- Sephora Collection Outrageous Effect Volume Lip Gloss
- Smashbox O-Plump Intuitive Lip Plumper
- NYX Pump it Up Lip Plumper