How To Make Your Lips Look Bigger – Tips And Tricks
Full, plump lips are considered attractive and youthful. Whether you want to play up your natural pout or keep up with makeup trends, there are many options to enhance your lips. From subtle makeup tricks to dramatic permanent fillers, you can find the perfect method to make your lips look bigger.
Why People Want Fuller Lips
There are a few reasons why enhancing lip size and fullness has become a popular goal:
More Attractive and Feminine
Across cultures, full, voluptuous lips are viewed as beautiful and feminine. Studies show that fuller lips are associated with youth and high estrogen levels, signalling health and fertility. Makeup artists use contouring to mimic the natural shape of fuller lips, which complements other facial features.
Appearance of a Wider Smile
Fuller lips make the mouth appear wider and the teeth look whiter. A generous smile conveys cheerfulness and friendliness. Plumping the upper lip also accentuates the cupid’s bow, creating more definition.
On Trend
From old Hollywood starlets to 90s supermodels to today’s social media influencers, full lips have been a coveted facial feature. Celebrities and models use makeup and fillers to achieve a pillowy pout. With their lips on display, it’s become an on-trend look that many aim to emulate.
Confidence Boost
For some, making lips a focal point provides a confidence and image boost. Lip enhancements can also restore volume lost with age. Feeling satisfied with the appearance of your lips can enhance self-esteem.
However, restraint is recommended to avoid looking artificial. The goal should be beautifully enhanced, naturally proportional lips.
Temporary Lip Enhancing Makeup Tricks
Before considering any medical procedures, try these simple lip makeup illusions:
Lipliner Outside Natural Lip Line
Use a lipliner just slightly darker than your natural lip shade. Trace slightly outside the edges of your lips to effectively create the illusion of a larger shape. Blend the liner inward so the contrast is subtle. Avoid darker, obvious lipliner which looks drawn on.
Lipstick Highlight and Contour
Play with highlights and shadows to create fullness. Apply a light colored, luminous lipstick to the center of the lips to catch the light. Matte contour shades in the outer corners add subtle definition. The color/texture contrast makes lips look 3D.
Concentrated Lip Gloss
Sheer, ultra-glossy lip gloss only in the center of lips looks wet and shiny. Concentrating gloss to the fullest part creates enticing highlight. Use a clear gloss or one that matches your natural lip color.
Illuminate with Highlighter
A tiny bit of highlighter or concealer pencil blended above the upper lip bow draws light to the area. Blend just above the cupid’s bow and on the center of the chin for a pull-upwards effect. Open and widen the mouth appearance.
Overline With Care
Gently trace just outside the natural lip line to subtly enlarge their shape. Use a natural shade slightly darker than your lips. Never sharply or darkly outline. Blend outward with a brush or your finger for a natural effect. Be cautious not to go overboard.
These makeup techniques provide a temporary, subtle enhancing effect. They can make lips look naturally fuller without an obvious artificial appearance. Use alone or combine tricks for customizable plumping. While less dramatic than medical procedures, makeup allows you to safely try different looks.
Lip Plumping Products for On-The-Go Fullness
How Do Lip Plumpers Work?
Many lip plumping products contain ingredients that cause vasodilation – increased blood circulation to the lips. More blood flow to the surface of the lips causes them to appear fuller and redder. Other moisturizing ingredients provide hydration and smoothing effects. The plumping results are modest and temporary, but these glosses and masks are easy to use anytime.
Lip Plumping Glosses
Lip plumping glosses are the most popular quick-fix for making lips appear fuller. They provide both color and enlarging effects. Many contain ingredients like cinnamon oil, capsaicin, menthol, ginger oil, or peppermint oil.
These irritants cause a mild inflammatory reaction, dilating blood vessels in the lips. Users feel a tingling, buzzing, or stinging sensation after application. This increases blood flow to the lips, making them turn red and creating a temporary plumping effect.
With regular use, plumping glosses can help condition the lip skin as well. However, some users find the tingling uncomfortable. The cinnamon flavor can also be unpleasant. Use a product with mild ingredients if sensitive. The plumping effects are modest and wear off within a couple of hours. Reapply as needed.
Lip Pumps and Suction Devices
Lip pumps use suction pressure to physically swell the lips temporarily. Devices like lip Vacuum TM or LipoFlip work by placing the rim around the mouth and pumping to draw the air out. This suction brings extra blood and fluid to the surface of the lips, enlarging them for several hours.
Lip pumps must be used cautiously to avoid over-suctioning and damaging vessels or skin. Apply moderate pressure and slowly build up intensity. Hydrate lips well beforehand. Stop immediately if experiencing pain or discoloration. When used properly, pumps offer relatively fast, visible plumping minus needles.
Hydrating Lip Masks and Patches
Leave-on lip masks and patch products aim to deeply hydrate lips for a smoother, plumper appearance. Many contain hyaluronic acid, collagen, ceramides, peptides and other nourishing ingredients. They help lips retain moisture while increasing elasticity and volume.
Sheet mask patches adhere directly to the lips, allowing concentrated essences to effectively penetrate the thin lip skin. Lip masks can be applied before bed and worn overnight for max hydration. These products offer mild, temporary volumizing benefits with regular use. The plumping effect is more from lips becoming smooth and supple than actually increasing in size.
Semi-Permanent Lip Enhancement Options
Those desiring more dramatic lip enhancement can consider treatments that use dermal fillers or implants to volumize the lips semi-permanently. While longer lasting than glosses or makeup, these medically administered options still require maintenance. When performed by an experienced cosmetic provider, injectables and implants can produce beautiful, natural-looking enlargement. However, improperly done procedures can lead to a distorted, overfilled appearance.
Lip Injections
Dermal fillers injected directly into the lips increase volume for noticeable enhancement. FDA approved products like Juvéderm, Restylane and Hyalform are formulations of hyaluronic acid (HA), a substance that naturally occurs in skin. Other fillers may contain collagen stimulators or hydroxyapatite.
The filler substances absorb water and expand under the skin, augmenting facial structures. HA fillers slowly absorb over about 6-12 months. As filler dissipates, lips return closer to their original size. Repeat injections are needed to maintain plumpness.
When properly administered by an experienced provider, lip fillers can achieve a smooth, natural looking enhancement. However, poor technique and over-filling often leads to an unnaturally lumpy, warped or swollen appearance dubbed “trout pout”.
Start with conservative amounts of filler. Allow time between treatments for results to stabilize. Avoid over-correcting with excessive product. Patience is essential for the best injectable outcomes.
Lip Implants
For more permanent lip augmentation, solid silicone implants can be surgically inserted into the lips and mouth region. Lip implant surgery permanently places flexible, silicone bulks under the lip tissue to volumize the area. Various implant shapes and sizes are available to customize enlargement.
The implants essentially function like embedded filler material. While lip implants provide long-term augmentation, the procedure has some notable downsides:
- Invasive surgical procedure
- Higher cost
- Longer recovery time – swelling for several weeks
- Risk of infection and implant visibility
- Difficulty correcting or removing implants
For many patients, the extended downtime, permanence and surgical risks of lip implants make injectable fillers a preferable option. Implants are best reserved for those highly committed to long-term lip augmentation.
Permanent Lip Enhancement Procedures
Those seeking lasting lip enhancement may consider treatments that provide permanent results without the need for continual filler maintenance. Two main options for permanent lip augmentation are:
Lip Lift Surgery
A lip lift shortens the skin area between nose and lips through small incisions under the nose. By reducing this upper lip length, more of the actual lip is exposed for a fuller appearance. There are different lip lift techniques, but all involve removing a strip of skin between the upper lip and nose.
Lip lifts provide permanent enhancement without any foreign filler substances. The tradeoff is an invasive surgical procedure with recovery time. Swelling and bruising may last one to two weeks. Plus the scar from incisions could be visible without makeup. But for some patients, a lip lift delivers the permanent, low-maintenance plumping desired.
Fat Transfer
Autologous fat transfer is a permanent method of lip augmentation using your body’s own fat. Common areas fat is harvested from include the thighs, buttocks or abdomen via liposuction. The fat is purified then strategically injected into the lips and mouth region.
Fat transfer allows for subtle shaping and natural-looking enhancement. Your own fat has a smooth, soft consistency that integrates seamlessly. While absorption still occurs with transferred fat, most of the volume remains intact permanently. Touch up injections may be beneficial after 6-12 months. Patients appreciate the use of their natural fat versus a foreign substance for augmentation.
Which Lip Plumping Method is Best? Key Considerations
With the array of options for enhancing lip fullness, how do you choose the right method? Here are some key factors to consider:
- Desired Results – Subtle or dramatic plumping? Temporary or permanent? Consider the overall change you want to achieve.
- Budget – Costs range from $20 glosses to $5,000+ for implants/surgery. Factor in any maintenance.
- Downtime – Time for recovery, swelling, touch-ups. Daily activities/work may be affected.
- Reversibility – Ease or difficulty of removing/dissolving if unsatisfied with results.
- Safety – Potential risks and side effects. Use an experienced, certified provider.
- Maintenance – Duration of results and need for repeat treatments/touch-ups.
- Your Lip Structure – Shape, proportions, elasticity – affect recommended procedures.
- Realistic Expectations – Gradual subtle improvements prevent an overdone appearance. Patience is required.
Carefully researching all options for lip enhancement is crucial. Schedule consultations before deciding on treatment. An ethical, skilled cosmetic provider will help determine the best options to match your anatomy, goals and preferences.
Conclusion: Achieve Beautifully Enhanced Lips
More luscious, full lips are an attractive trait often associated with femininity, youthfulness and sensuality. You can enhance your natural lip shape or augment volume through a variety of techniques:
- Subtle makeup illusions for temporary enhancement
- Lip plumping products for on-the-go fullness
- Injectable fillers and implants for dramatic plumping
- Surgical procedures for permanent augmentation
When opting for medical treatments, beware of overdoing it. Consult an experienced cosmetic professional to select procedures that harmonize with your facial proportions. Seek natural-looking improvements for the best results. Properly prep and care for your lips before and after procedures.
While fuller lips can provide a confidence boost, true self-esteem comes from within. Don’t feel obligated to follow arbitrary beauty standards. Learn to love your unique facial features. But if you decide to enhance your lips, use discretion. With careful consideration and moderation, you can accentuate your pout for a beautiful, graceful outcome.