Pucker Up: Top Tips for Kissable Lips this Valentine’s Day

As our body’s most visible erogenous zone^.1, the mouth is one of our most sensual features. And at the heart of its beauty is the lips. Full, smooth, shapely lips are a sign of youth, vitality and attractiveness, so it’s no wonder they are a focal point when it comes to getting romantic.

As one of the UK’s leading trainers in facial aesthetics, Dr Harry Singh from The Botulinum Toxin Club, shares his top five tips for getting gorgeous, kissable lips this Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day is coming and that means there’s one thing on our minds, who we are going to be smooching this February 14. Whether it’s making time for romance with a long term partner or spouse or going out on dates and meeting someone new, kissing is the ultimate display of affection and the most intimate way to bond without getting naked.

Kissing is nature’s ultimate litmus test. It encourages g us to be most attracted to the people that may be the best genetic partners and it’s why being compatible in the smooching department is so important for many of us. In fact,  evolutionary psychologists at the State University of New York at Albany found that 59% of men and 66% of women hadended a budding relationship because a kiss didn’t go well.²

Our lips are packed with sensitive nerve endings that stimulate happy hormones by igniting the pleasure centres of the brain which is why kissing feels so great.³ As an added bonus, kissing also has a variety of mental and physical health benefits too from relieving stress and anxiety and boosting self-esteem to lowering cholesterol and even decreasing blood pressure by increasing your heart rate in a way that dilates your blood vessels.⁴

The rise of the lip filler

Ever since a young Kylie Jenner admitted to having her lips done on Keeping Up With The Kardashians in 2015, the trend and demand for lip fillers has soared. In the 24 hours that followed, Google searches for lip fillers peaked globally, and one London clinic reported a 70% rise in enquiries. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons has also reported an increase of 50% in lip augmentations. The pout is well and truly in and lip fillers have become part of the beauty zeitgeist, with a whole host of celebrities getting them enhanced.⁵ But how do you get beautiful, plump lips without looking over inflated or distracting from your natural beauty?

Dr Harry’s Top Tips for beautiful lips:

1. Stay hydrated: The winter months can make our lips dry and cracked so hydration is key to a perfect pout. The best way to hydrate our lips is by drinking water but for a helping hand, hydrating skin boosters can be injected to replenish moisture and add subtle volume without over filling your lips.
2. Exfoliate don’t over moisturise: You may think that applying lip balm will keep your lips smooth but while lip balms can be good for protecting your lips from the elements, over use can actually trap the dryness in and too much moisturising can make our skin cells lazy, requiring more and more applications. The most effective way to keep your lips smooth is to gently exfoliate the skin to remove dead skin cells. Try using products that contain active ingredients, such as AHAs or BHAs, which encourage cell turn over.
3. Turn back time: While time may heal all wounds, it certainly doesn’t do our lips any favours, with the ageing process taking away their fullness, making them thinner and less defined and prone to lines and wrinkles. Dermal fillers can be used to replenish lost volume or add volume to naturally thin lips. They can also enhance the outline of your lips by defining your cupid’s bow for a more heart-shaped appearance. Lines and wrinkles round the mouth such a smoker’s lines or smile lines can also be diminished.
4. Don’t over do it: Our lips are a focal point on our face and while lip fillers may be the latest beauty buzz word, we have all seen how over filled lips can have the opposite effect, making someone look strange and even unattractive. Do your research. Ask to see your practitioner’s before and afters and choose someone who will give you natural looking results that are in balance with the rest of your face.
5. Don’t be tempted by cheap deals and offers: Lip fillers can look great when done well but they can also cause many unwanted complications from lumps, bumps and bruising to more serious side effects like blocked blood vessels and tissue death. Making sure you go to an experienced medial practitioner who is highly trained is the best way to avoid any complications. Don’t be tempted by cheap deals and too-good-to-be-true social media offers. Lip fillers are big business and so there are many unscrupulous people out there looking to get your hard earned cash. Don’t risk ruining your face for the sake of price. Choose based on skill and experience.

About Dr Harry Singh

Dr Harry Singh is an award-winning medical professional and owner of the Botulinum Toxin Club. He runs training courses throughout the UK teaching medical practitioners the art of injectables. A successfully published author, Dr Singh uses his knowledge and understanding of facial aesthetics to provide an award-winning service that also informs delegates on how to run and successfully market a facial aesthetics business. This led to The Botulinum Toxin Club being names the ‘Most Outstanding Business of the Year’ at the 2018 Dental Industry Awards.

References

1. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-662-39430-4_5
2. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070830121629.htm
3. https://theconversation.com/lips-are-the-most-exposed-erogenous-zone-which-makes-kissing-feel-very-good-34459
4. https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-kissing#happy-hormones
5. https://heatworld.com/celebrity/news/celebrity-lip-fillers/