[By Kirsten Lim]

Our lips are one of the most overlooked part of our anatomy, and that’s surprising considering we use them for kissing, smiling, eating and whispering sweet-nothings into our partners’ ears. It is a little known fact that our lips also age with time, losing its fullness, its shape and its color. Restoration of the lips is now one of the hottest trends to hit the beauty industry as ladies realize that owning a beautiful pair of lips can be the difference between pretty and gorgeous.When you see a youthful face, one of the most endearing features is a subtle hint of a smile, a playful tilt of an upturned lip. Unfortunately, this is something that gets lost with age. Why? Slowly, little by little, the collagen that props up the corners of our lips gets lost with age, this leads to the corners of our mouth looking downturned and droopy with time.Ever wonder why older faces always seem so sad looking? This is because their mouths perpetually fall into a downturned scowl. This could also explain why even ladies who have been “treated” with face-lifting procedures sometimes never truly regain that joyous look of youth. The difference is in the details…such as the lips. How can we up our lips appeal? Let us count the ways…

Boost the hydration right at home

Think of your lips as a pair of sponge cos that’s exactly how they behave. If you want siren lips that are plump, full and supple, you got to go an extra mile to ensure that they are well hydrated. Lips do not possess sweat glands and lack sebaceous or oil glands needed to produce naturally hydrating oils, making them super susceptible to dehydration. Lip gloss and lip balm have their place but they can only go so far when your lips are in need of serious SOS. To nurse your lackluster puckers into an enviable, luscious pout, try pampering them once or twice daily with a slick of luxurious CHAI ROSE QUARTZ OIL Moisture Lip Treatment. Made from a lip restorative combo of rose hip oil, jojoba seed oil and hazel seed oil, this is a superb way to heal and condition uninspired lips in a New York minute. Penetrating deeply to plump up, nourish and hydrate the lips from within, ROSE QUARTZ OIL helps to restore the softness and suppleness of the lips, brightening the overall natural shade and smoothening out fine lines for a youthful, more enhanced appearance.

Read More: How Facial Slimming Can Make You Look Like a Celebrity Too

Pamper with a spa treat

Considering everything from lipstick to lunch that comes in contact with them, not to mention lip-biting moments, harsh climates and environmental pollutants, they’re in need of some serious TLC. If you find your DIY home treats ain’t making the cut, consider getting a professional to give your puckers the time of the day by treating them to a bespoke spa therapy meant exclusively for the lips . Either as a standalone targeted lip treat or an add on to their comprehensive spa treatment, SW1 Spa’s Lip fabulosity is a targeted lip exfoliation, stain removal and cellular replenishing therapy aimed at prepping your puckers so they looked renewed and rejuvenated.Pumpkin apple enzymes gently melt away dead cells and erase stubborn stains from food residue and makeup, with innovative pout-softening ingredients leaving lips clean, healthy and incredibly refreshed, perfectly prepped to  show off your latest lipstick color from the palest shade of nude to the darkest berries and plums.

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Say no to lines

Dehydration, cigarette smoking and normal aging leads to dullness and appearance of peri-oral lip lines. Not only is collagen necessary to keep your lips well-padded and kissable, it also prevents cracks and fine lines from forming.Smoking is possibly one of the worst thing you could do for your lips, the second worse is sucking on straws. The constant puckering action of the lips will result in the formation of fine lines on your lips, also known as lipstick bleed lines. Also known as smokers’ lips, these lips have good volume but look lined, dark and deflated.

Say no to lip lines with Botox for lips, a lunchtime procedure whereby micro-droplets of Botox are placed judiciously at the hillocks around pinched lips to minimize lip lines and furrows, restoring youthfulness and eliminating frustrating lipstick bleeds. Alternatively, if hydration not volume is what you seriously need to glamourize your lips, bestow upon them some much needed resuscitation in the form of Revitalift Lips. With a series of microinjections of an ultra-fine, natural hyaluronic acid, this deeply replenishing, lip-nourishing treatment is a one way ticket to transform dull, lackluster and lined numbers into red carpet-worthy puckers overnight. Revitalift’s main benefits are its intensely hydrating and line-minimizing effects, accomplished without any risk of looking unnatural or cartoonish with overtly amplified lips to gargantuan shape and size.

Read More: Beauty Hacks for Kissable Lips. Here’s How.

Reversing the scowl

The downturned lips can be corrected with a touch of hyaluronic acid filler injection + Botox treatment to up the smile appeal

You are what you do, the more you sulk and pull down the corners of your lips, the more likely your lips will droop in the future. The muscles that pull down the corner of our mouth is called the Depressor Angular Oris (DAO). As with all muscles, it becomes stronger the more you use it (think biceps). If you are prone to sulking, imagine what a workout you must be giving your DAOs. This explains why some people have mouths that are downturned in perpetual sulks. Doctors have now identified the tiny details that can make the difference to a pair of aging lips. If you find that your lips have turned south, Botox for lips injected into your DAOs can help relax the downward pull on your mouth corners and free your lips into a more even, balanced position.

“Sometimes the devil is in the details, and that can make the difference between a natural-looking yet youthful face and one that is obviously overtreated.” Explains Dr. Low Chai Ling, medical director of the SW1 Clinic.“One of the little touches I love to add after a filler procedure for the face is enhance the corner of the mouth for a subtle lift. Patients love it, it isn’t a big difference, hardly anyone notices it but like a good perfume, it leaves a lingering impression.”

Read More: Here’s How to Get an Eyelift Without Surgery

Sculpt to perfection

Well balanced proportions play an important role in a pair of beautiful lips

Whether you’re born with a pout that’s less than perfect, have serious Kylie Jenner envy or if age has been unkind and robbed the volume and vitality out of your once beautiful lips, you don’t have to grit your teeth and bear with it. Lip Fillers is a safe and simple procedure that in the correct hands, can allow one to sculpt her puckers to perfection, “up-grading” them from ‘A-size’ to ‘A-lister’ proportions and glam quotient.

“Lip Augmentation should not be treated with a ‘one size fits all’ approach as the essence of creating a pair of lips that appear naturally gifted is to individualize them by respecting one’s overall facial harmony.” Explains Dr. Toby Hui, senior medical consultant with the SW1 Clinic, a one stop medical destination for medical spa, cosmetics dermatology and cutting edge aesthetics surgery in Singapore. “On top of maintaining good lip proportion and shape, a beautifully enhanced pair should not only be congruent with the rest of the facial features, but should also reflect the bearer’s own unique style and personality.”

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