When Angelina Jolie first debuted her voluptuous lips on the big screen, many women began seeking to enhance and augment their lips. Different lip shapes, like many things, have become fashion trends, and are subject to passing fads. What is popular today, unfortunately (or fortunately) may not be tomorrow. Five years ago, Angelina’s lips were the paragon of “lip fashion,” but since then they have fallen a bit out of favor, and the more subtle and natural appearing lip enhancement has become en vogue.

Dr. Chow has previously discussed several different options for lip enhancement. Surgical lip augmentation may permanently change the shape of your lips. However, because fashion goes in and out of style, it may be wiser to choose nonsurgical lip injection, which can usually adapt with your (admittedly good!) tastes. But how do you decide whether lip enhancement will look good?

Juicy lips can be achieved with daily DIY make up tips. Unfortunately, that can take a good chunk of time every day. Lip plumpers packaged in glossy little tubes have also popped up everywhere in the last ten years. They can come in handy for those interested in slightly fuller lips. More often than not, they have become a must have addition to many make up cases.

There are literally hundreds of lip plumpers on the market, and each comes with a different set of ingredients. Many contain irritants such as caffeine extract, peppermint oil, cinnamon, or stinging nettle. The strong irritants in these lip plumpers usually cause a stinging or burning sensation in your lips after they are applied. Some lip plumpers don’t last for more than 30 minutes after application, and others don’t work at all!

In the last few years, Dr. Chow has sought a lip plumper which is non-invasive and works by gently plumping your lips to restore volume and fullness. He chose the Vivite Lip Plumper. Its patented ingredients contain potent antioxidants which protect and heal the lips from harmful environmental pollutants. It helps reduce fine lines, leaving lips looking moisturized and supple. Since lip plumpers have never really worked for me in the past, I was skeptical about the Vivite line at first. I was surprised to find that in less than two weeks, my lips are fuller and more defined! It also works great as a lip balm. However, you must be diligent and apply it 3 times daily for it to work. The difference was even more noticeable on a friend that uses the Vivite lip plumper.

The Vivite Lip plumper is a great temporary solution to plumper lips. If you like the results of fuller lips, then you might consider something that lasts longer, such as soft tissue filler injection. At the Chow Center for Plastic Surgery, we offer different options of lip enhancement depending on what your goals and wants are. If you want something you can do at home, then try the Vivite Lip Plumper for gentle lip enhancement!