There are many ways to plump up even the thinnest of lips, some more permanent than others.

Lips galore
Does anyone remember what Meg Ryan looked like before she got her permanent fat lip? Can anyone watch Lisa Rinner’s mouth for too long?

Beautiful lips do not have to mean the Hollywood-style puffer-fish lip job. In fact, there’s a wider choice of lip procedures available today than ever before, providing beautiful, natural-looking results.

Lip Augmentation
Lip augmentation can be either permanent or temporary, depending on the wishes of the patient. Many people choose a temporary procedure first, to see if they like the results.

Either under a general or local anaesthetic, the procedure usually produces no perceptible scarring and heals very quickly. One substance commonly used is fat, harvested from other parts of the body, which is then purified before it is injected into the lips. The advantage of this procedure is that it uses your own body’s components, so no foreign matter is being injected.

Other substances include SoftForm implants. This is permanent, as it doesn’t shrink and isn’t absorbed into the body. Because scar tissue forms at both ends of the implants, it also stays in place.

Lip Roll
This too is a permanent procedure that enlarges the lip by making a small incision behind the lip hidden in the fold. This creates a more uniform look of fullness to upper and lower lips.

The Paris Lip
Using the hyaluronic acid implants, a natural component of skin, this procedure is used to enhance the natural shape of the lip. Because hyaluronic acid is re-absorbed by the body, regular treatments every 3-6 months will be needed. The Paris lip is used more to define the outline of the lip, and does not plump up the fleshy part of the lip. It’s a very quick procedure, and may also be used to smooth the outline of the mouth, particularly good for people who have smoker’s lines.

Dermal fillers also using a highly purified form of hyaluronic acid can be used to plump the lip.

Other fillers
Gel products, which not only plump the lip but also define the outline of the lip, are being more commonly used. Philturm ridges can also be defined using the gel injection.

Protein products can be injected with small needles, but as they are re-absorbed by the body, regular treatments once every 1-3 months will be needed.

Injectable implants are also available, using ultra-fine needles. These don’t require an anaesthetic, as they are virtually painless. They also have no recovery time, and life can carry on as normal immediately.

Costs for the procedures vary a great deal, but in the end, weighing up the recurring costs of temporary treatments with the one-off cost of a permanent procedure is necessary. Commonly, however, it will be recommended by a cosmetic surgeon that a temporary procedure is undergone first, just to see if it’s what you’re after.