The Math of Beautiful Lips

A woman’s lips have always played an important role in determining how attractive she is, which is why lip augmentation has been so popular throughout history. Typically, the appealing facial characteristics of a woman are a large upper face, a small petite nose, a smaller lower face, and full lips.

Strategic Placement

It is critical to understand why the lip’s placement on the face is so critical to its overall balance, shape and proportion. It may seem a little mathematical, but beauty experts agree that the lips should form a line parallel to the imaginary line between the pupils of the eyes. Here’s where the aging process comes into play since often the lips lose their elasticity and start to droop with age, giving off that ‘sad’ look. The upper lip should be 20mm from the nose and the lower lip should be 40mm from the tip of the chin. When the face is seen in profile, there should be a little jump where the white part of the skin meets the red part of the upper lip.

Overall Appearance

Understanding the proper qualities for your lips cannot be overemphasized. Fullness is only one aspect you’ll need to consider. Shape and contour are also considerations that add to optimal esthetics. While the lips should be full and well defined, the line between the red portion of the lip and the white of the skin surrounding it should not be blunted.

Like Fingerprints

While it might be a little known fact that no two lip shapes and prints are alike, much the same as fingerprints, there are several common complaints people have with their lips. One of the more common ones is thin flat lips that lack definition, a common result of smoking.

As we age, the upper lip is always the first to lost volume. This can make one appear older, and although it is extremely rare, there are instances where the bottom lip can lose its volume first. If you're unhappy with one part of your lips, lip augmentation can be performed to enhance just that part, whether it be the bottom or top lip.

Many people also suffer from an irregular vermilion border, where one half of the upper and lower lip is smaller than the other. A good filler can also correct this.

The main goal of lip augmentation is to turn back the hands of time and achieve fuller plumper lips for those who are unhappy with what they have. For decades, there have been various cosmetic techniques in lip enhancement to achieve full lips with a desirable contour. However, only with the FDA approval of collagen in 1981 did lip augmentation become a common form of cosmetic surgery. Advances in cosmetic surgery have contributed to a myriad of lip enhancement techniques today, including injectable fillers such as Juvederm® and Restylane®.

All About The Face