The Science Behind Sexy-looking Lips

[By Geraldine Stone]

A lip is a lip. Well, not quite. Scientists and mathematicians agree that we are drawn towards certain types of lips over others. When we see a woman smile, we unconsciously judge their lips to be sensual, appealing, aged or ugly depending on certain characteristics.

To find out why some women have lips that can sink a thousand ships while others have puckers that are best left covered with a face mask, plastic surgeons combed through thousands of pictures of beautiful women and men to uncover the science behind the perfectly proportioned mouth. This is what they found…

An ideal lip should possess these characteristics:

• The width of the mouth should be about 1.6 times the width of the bottom of the nose (aka the golden ratio—what a coincidence!).

• If you drop lines down from the inner part of the iris (the colored part of your eyes), your mouth should fit between those lines.

• Your upper incisor (front) teeth should be visible below your upper lip for one to four millimeters and your lower teeth should not be visible when your lips are open. As you get older, your upper lips drop and you see less of your upper teeth. At the same time, your lower lip sags, exposing more of your lower teeth. Shakespeare’s reference to older people as “long in the tooth” describes this drop. The real reason is periodontal disease, where the gum recedes and the bone follows, creating triangles of space between the teeth. This exposes their roots.

Read More: How to Achieve the Perfect Lips with Fillers

While we’re not suggesting you move your facial features a smidge here and there, we are suggesting that there are objective standards to beauty. The closer a pair of lips is to these objective standards, the more attractive they will appear to others. If your mouth’s features don’t measure up to these scientific standards, there are plenty of other ways you can make the most of your mouth. Let’s take a closer look at your mouth anatomy when it comes to ideal beauty standards.

Here’s a breakdown of the different parts of your mouth, and what these features reflect when it comes to beauty…

The ideal upper lip should be slightly larger than the lower, with a gentle curve that peaks (called Cupid’s bow). The upper lip’s divided symmetrically in two-by-two vertical lines under your nose, called the central philtrum. The lip color also affects what’s going on. Pale lips indicate anemia (a lack of red cells or abnormalities of red cell contents). Blue shows lack of oxygenation of blood, which can come from many causes. Lips, like faces, fat and breasts, are a supreme target of the beauty counter and plastic surgeon’s tools. Hence, there are tricks that can bring our lips closer to these objective standards of beauty, and you will be glad to know that they can be achieved without going under the scalpel.

Thin Lips

Solution: Juvederm fillers for lips give just enough volume to accentuate and define thin lips without looking artificial. This lip plumper seriously amps up your lips’ sex appeal; best of all, it can be done under 30 minutes with results lasting for 6-8 months depending on the individual’s lifestyle and other habits.

Read More: 5 Superb Ways to Make your Smile More Attractive

Inverted lips

Solution: Ahhhh… the bane of aging. As one gets older, our lips lose their sexy poutiness, also known to surgeons as ‘lip eversion’ (think of the action you do when you pout). In fact, your lips tend to turn inwards. A touch of Botox around your lips can actually do wonders for those who have found their pout anything less than alluring. Botox microinjections when done around the lips can also minimize lip lines. Hooray!

Lined, dull or dark lips

Solution: Also known as smokers’ lips, these lips have good volume but look lined, dark and deflated. Revitalft lips from SW1 Clinic is a special lip hydration treatment that boosts the lips natural hyaluronic acid content (or water-carrying capacity) without adding unwanted volume to the lips. End result: pinker, fresher, smoother and more hydrated looking lips without any change in size.

Read More: Beauty Tips from the 5 Most Iconic Victoria’s Secret Models

Shapeless lips

Solution: Lip shaping is a specialized procedure done by doctors to enhance only certain aspects of your lips to create a more youthful or alluring shape. “Some of my patients like to have a ‘sweetheart’ shape to their lips, so I will place a touch of filler at the central pillow of the lower lip to create an innocent, vulnerable look” says Dr Low Chai Ling, Founder of SW1 Clinic. “Some of my patents want a more defined look, so I will augment the Cupid’s bow which is the central part of their top lip to give them a better upper lip shape” says Dr Toby Hui, also from SW1 Clinic. Whatever the shortcomings of your lips, they can be enhanced and fixed with targeted lip shaping, says doctors.

Tired dry lips

Solution: Short of your DIY treatments, consider getting a professional to give your lips the time of the day by treating them to a spa therapy meant exclusively for the lips. Lip fabulosity is a targeted lip exfoliation, stain removal and cellular replenishing therapy aimed at prepping your puckers so they looked renewed and rejuvenated.