How to Get Fuller Lips

You've seen the puffy, pouty lips of many of the celebrities. Who could miss the full, bee stung lips of Angelina Jolie? Has she had lip enhancement performed by a plastic surgeon to get fuller lips? Hard to say, but it's interesting to note the most common photos brought in to plasticsurgeons by prospective lip enhancement candidates are of Angelina Jolie.

Wouldn't it be nice if you could get fuller lips at home without visiting a plastic surgeon? Well, you can. The results may not be as dramatic as you see on some of the celebrities, but your lips will appear noticeably fuller.

In this first article, I'll talk about how to get fuller lips without injections or plastic surgery. It's always best to take the natural approach, if possible. In a second article, I'll talk about what your options are for lip enhancement through the wonders of plastic surgery.

The frustrating about lips is they tend to become thinner as you get older. This occurs as collagen production slows down causing the lips to lose some of their volume. The result is thinner, less shapely lips. In some people, this thinning can be so dramatic that it's difficult for them to wear lipstick. If you have extreme thinning of your lips, you'll probably get some benefit from nonsurgical options, but it's unlikely you'll get the pouty lips of Angelina Jolie.

To create the illusion of fuller lips using makeup, start with a lip pencil in a shade that's as close to your natural lip color as possible. Carefully, line your lips with the lip pencil drawing ever so slightly outside the natural line of your lips. You'll want to make sure the tip of your lip pencil is sharp to give the appearance of fuller lips. Be careful not to draw too far outside your natural lip line. You don't want to look like a clown! Once you're satisfied with your lip outline, apply a shiny, high gloss lip color in a shade similar to your natural lip color. Avoid using a matter or dark shade of lip color, as they can make your lips look smaller. The high gloss will reflect the light, making your lips appear larger.

Another option to get fuller lips without surgery is through the use of lip enhancement creams, glosses, or gels. These work by slightly irritating the outer layer of the lips, causing them to swell, giving the appearance of fuller lips. These really do seem to have a slight lip enhancing
effect, but the results tend to be rather short lived, lasting around an hour before you need to reapply. It's interesting to note that one study performed on seven women showed these lip enhancers don't work at all. Since this is only one study performed on a very small number of women, I wouldn't count them out just yet. Why are the results so short lived? It's probably because they work only on the surface of the lips as opposed to surgical lip injections which are placed deeper. If you're planning a special night out, you may want to give one of these lip plumpers a try to get fuller lips. Just don't count on them being a permanent solution!

Other things you can do to slightly enhance your lips and make them appear healthier at the same time, is apply Vitamin E to your lip surfaces daily. The Vitamin E tends to nourish the lips and draw and attract moisture which can make them appear a bit fuller and fill in tiny lip lines. Some people advocate applying cinnamon oil, peppermint oil, or a cayenne pepper mixture to their lips to increase blood flow to the lips. These treatments may result in slightly fuller lips for a short period of time, but are not likely to be a satisfying, long term solution.

Be sure to keep your lip well moisturized to minimize fine lines and keep them smooth and moist. You can use Vitamin E oil or a glycerin based product to add moisture. Some cosmeticians and dermatologists recommend alpha hydroxy acids for lip care as they may enhance collagen production, resulting in fuller lips.
In my next article, we'll talk about surgical means of getting fuller lips. Stay tuned!