Artificial-Appearing Lips Under the Lens

SI_LipAesthetics_425

No pouting—A recent study found that ratios are everything when it comes to attractive lip appearance. The JAMA-published study compared faces of white women with various digitally-manipulated upper:lower lip ratios in order to find the most attractive lip appearance, specifically to aid in achieving optimal results from esthetic procedures, like lip augmentation.

According to the results, the bottom lip is twice the size of the upper, with a ratio of 1:2. Perfect lips’ surface area also increases 53.5% from the baseline, residing on 9.6% of the lower third of the face. An upper to lower lip ratio of 2:1 was found least attractive from the large sample of images.

Stiff Upper Lip

The natural look is key, even with these findings. A similar study published in JAMA in April 2017 took a look at how far lips can be augmented before appearing artificial. Models’ lips were again digitally altered to form five different images with various proportions. Participants (out of the 76 females and 22 males with a mean age of 42-years-old) judged the photos in random sequences online to determine if the lips appeared to have received esthetic treatment.

Upper lips made all the difference to the participants—the upper lip alone had a narrower margin of artificial appearance after alteration, especially regarding the Cupid’s Bow. Observer age also played a role in how they perceived the qualities of the lips.

More in MedSpa