If you suffer from thin lip syndrome and harbor a secret desire to look like Angelina Jolie, there are several options available. You can become a professional beekeeper or beekeeper, and have a shaken hive on hand to keep your lips fresh and plump. You can only eat foods that you know will cause an allergic reaction around your mouth. Or you can invest in a decent dermal lip filler.

Remember, however, that while the full, kissable lips are in, the trout pouts are not. If you want to get the most out of your lips, both literally and figuratively, do it right. Pick a surgeon or doctor who knows what he’s doing, and don’t go for the latest fad. Lip augmentation can take an hour, correcting a serious mistake can take years, often with little result.

Delicious lip fillers

Lip enhancement can be done in a number of ways and can not only plump the lips, but also smooth wrinkles around the mouth, which normally occur with age and / or as a result of smoking. And it’s not just a girl thing – both women and occasionally men seek this form of non-surgical cosmetic procedure.

Most dermal lip fillers are temporary, which means they will require refills over a period of time. While some advertise their permanence, the result of permanent fillings is often lumpy and uneven, so steer clear of it. All fillers are injected with a local anesthetic and usually some bruising and swelling appear that should disappear within a few days, and localized soreness and itching are also common.

Dermal lip fillers should ideally increase the volume of the lips so that the lower lip appears 1.5 times larger than the upper lip. In alphabetical order, they include:

* Artecoll is made, in part, of collagen of bovine origin (see below), although it contains small microbeads of Plexigas, so the effect can last up to five years. Some estheticians don’t like to use it on their lips, and there must be a reason why …

* Collagen Injections: Derived from the connective tissue of cattle, it used to be the most popular lip filler. It is less so now after some high profile people used it to augment their lips with almost disastrous results. The best way to prevent this from happening to you is to get an allergy skin test at least 48 hours before any collagen procedure. The effect can last up to 18 months, but complications include skin infection and / or ulceration, asymmetry, and the dreaded trout pout.

* Cosmoderm / Cosmoplast – It may sound a little frankensteinesque, as this filler is made from human skin grown in a lab. Disgusting but less painful than other fillers. Maybe you can ask to grow your own.

* DermaLive / DermaDeep: Made from a blend of acrylic hydrogel and hyaluronic acid, this filler is used both to enhance the lips and to smooth deep wrinkles on the face and elsewhere.

* Fat Transfer: Here’s an idea: why not collect fat droplets from other parts of your body, like your thighs and buttocks, and then inject them into your lips? Give butt kissing another meaning … Critics say it works worse in the lip area than other parts of the body, as fat moves around a lot.

* Juvederm – Similar to Restylane (see below) and its sister, Perlane, Juvaderm claims that it has a higher concentration of hyaluronic acid, which is responsible for retaining moisture in the skin, and is gentler than other injectables. The effects can last from six months to a year.

* Restylane – An injectable gel made in Sweden, Restylane does not contain animals, which means it will not affect people who have allergies to animal by-products such as milk or eggs. Its effect lasts up to nine months and works in the same way as naturally produced hyaluronic acid.

* Tissue transfer: Another fun one. Take a tissue from your wrist or mouth and put it on your lips for a permanent, smooth look.

Pouty trout of the rich and famous

Failed lip augmentation can ruin not only your mouth, but your career as well, as these stars can attest …

* Hollywood star Meg Ryan became a failed lip enhancement model in 2005, when she went from America’s sweetheart to The Joker in Batman virtually overnight. Critics have speculated that she chose a permanent filler over a temporary one due to the stretched nature of her lips. Meg declined to comment.

* Lindsay Lohan has reportedly been sporting weird-looking big lips recently, making celebrity watchers wonder why she got under the syringe. Along the same lines (not literally), actress Brittany Murphy was spotted at New York Fashion Week with what fashionistas have called an “unnecessary trout pout.”

* British actress Leslie Ash had an allergic reaction to collagen injections on her lips in 2002 and suffered a huge trout grin as a result. She was publicly ridiculed for her big lips for years and has since become a mouthpiece for people who have suffered from similar problems. “The beauty industry is unregulated, so you have to do the groundwork,” she said in an interview.

Pop star Pete Burns was paid £ 1 million after a plastic surgeon “ruined his career and life” when he underwent a failed lip operation. Pete has had more than 100 operations to correct the damage to his lips, which suffered horrible swelling and blisters so badly that he could not eat or speak.

Playing it safe

The vast majority of people who want plastic surgery on their lips seek to have them augmented, making them fuller and plumper. However, believe it or not, there are some people who are looking for the opposite effect. If your lips are too large and you want to reduce their volume, this is a simple procedure that can be done quickly (but not without pain). You can choose to reduce one lip or both. Just make sure you finish with a matching game!

For most of us, however, lip enhancement is short for bigger is better, a modern way of getting people to correct what they think is a mistake of nature. Do not opt ​​for this treatment if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, and if you have certain medical conditions or are taking specific medications, it is a good idea to consult your doctor beforehand. Not recommended for people with cold sores, lupus, blood clotting disorders, or other conditions such as diabetes.

If you finally decide that having luscious lips means more to you than anything else, take a hard look at your options. Be aware that side effects, although rare, do occur. You’ll pay between $ 300 and $ 5,000 to give your mouth the look you’ve always dreamed of, so make sure you get what you pay for. Say cheese! The information in the article is not intended to replace the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We recommend that you discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate medical professional.