For many of our patients, the words ‘lip enhancement’ can be quite scary as they associate it with very unnatural looking results often seen in the media. Sausage lips or a trout pout are a common concern for anyone thinking about the procedure. In this month’s blog Assoc. Prof Greg Goodman explains the reasons why enhancement often looks unnatural and how at DIV, we follow some basic mathematical principles to achieve a natural, beautiful looking outcome.
Assoc Prof Greg Goodman says that, ‘the first thing for both the patient and our practitioner is to discuss the fact that lips cannot be treated as an individual feature, they are part of a whole and need to stay in balance and symmetry with not only themselves (upper to lower lip) but to the other features and the face in general.’
Achieving natural looking lips is a skill that requires an understanding of the essential rules that guide aesthetics. At DIV we assess lips not only by the size and natural shape of the lips themselves, but also the surrounding structures, the symmetry of the face and the age of the individual.
Our key to achieving natural lips is to take into consideration some rules such as the golden ratio of ‘phi’. This ratio is a complicated mathematical construct fixed at 1.618:1 (see diagram), first described in ancient Greece by Phidias.The lips should be at a ratio where the lower is 1.6 to the upper lips 1. ‘Phi’ is a proportion that the human eye finds very appealing it is found in nature, in architecture, in the human body and in faces.
These three common problems can be seen in lip enhancement which can create an unnatural balance in the face:
- Too much product is placed in the upper lip which distorts the balance between upper and lower lips and breaks the rule of ‘phi’
- Product is injected throughout the lip without attention being paid to defining features such as the cupids bow, creating the shapeless or sausage lip
- Too much product is placed generally in the lips, throwing them out of proportion with other facial features and the face in general
Lips come in a huge number of shapes and sizes and enhancement is often very beneficial for the appearance of the individual. At DIV, we’ve taken the following steps to ensure we achieve natural results for our patients:
- The Dermatology Institute of Victoria has several highly trained and qualified injectors who are also national product trainers, meaning they are responsible for training others on how to perform this treatment.
Lip enhancement performed by Mike Clague Aesthetic Nurse
*All results shown on our website have been achieved by our team members. Please note that results are individual and may vary.
- We can supply you with a portfolio of our work to ensure that the results we have achieved match your expectations
Lip enhancement performed by Dr Stefania Roberts (Cosmetic GP)
*All results shown on our website have been achieved by our team members. Please note that results are individual and may vary.
- We have a detailed discussion around your expected outcomes and treatment options
Lip enhancement performed by Assoc Prof Greg Goodman (Dermatologist)
*All results shown on our website have been achieved by our team members. Please note that results are individual and may vary.
Assoc Prof Greg Goodman says that, ‘the dermal filler products we use at DIV are very safe, temporary and can be reversed if results do not meet expectation, taking much of the worry out of the procedure’.