Youthful-looking lips are rosy and plump, but unlike the skin that covers the rest of the body, our lips are made of the same tissue (mucous membrane) that lines the inside of our mouths. This means the surface of the lips lacks epidermal cells - the protective layer of the skin - leaving them vulnerable to dehydration and environmental assaults that leads to signs of aging. The lips also contain less melanin than the rest of the skin, making them more prone to sunburn and photoaging, which destroys the collagen that lends to lip plumpness.

MEDICAL TREATMENT

Perfect your pout

There are many injectable options for temporarily enhancing the lips and the areas surrounding them. Hyaluronic acid-based fillers (including Restylane, Captique, Hylaform Plus and the recently approved Juvederm) can offer a plumper pout for up to six months. Collagen-based fillers (such as CosmoDerm and CosmoPlast) can be useful in reducing the appearance of "bleed" lines (or smoker's lines) for about three to four months. For optimal results, your dermatologist or plastic surgeon may recommend a combination of both. Laser resurfacing can also be used to rejuvenate the perioral area-the skin surrounding the lips-by removing aged, damaged skin to make way for fresh, smoother, younger-looking skin.

SURGICAL TREATMENT

Give lips a lift

For long-term results, there are a variety of surgical lip-lift procedures that address a slew of pout problems. According to facial plastic surgeon Ira Papel, MD, of Baltimore, "These procedures are great for two types of patients: those whose teeth aren't visible when they smile and those whose lips have gotten longer with age." A lip lift can reveal more of the pink lip "vermillion" that lends a youthful look. In most cases, a small piece of skin is removed under the nostrils to yield a 3- to 4-millimeter vertical lift of the upper lip. Other techniques can lift the lip with incisions at the comers of the mouth or on the upper lip border. Dr. Papel cautions that scars are a trade-off associated with lip lifts. "It's hard to know who's going to heal well and who won't," says Dr. Pape!, so these procedures may not be appropriate for those with darker skin or skin that has a tendency to form raised or keloid scars. Although more commonly performed in conjunction with other procedures such as lip augmentation or facelifts-a lip lift alone can be performed under local anesthesia, with or without a mild sedative. Sutures are removed after a week; bruising and swelling subsides within seven to 10 days. Expect to eat a soft-foods diet for the first few days, and try to avoid rubbing or massaging the lips for at least two weeks.
Here are some products from www.ibeautysource.com that will temporarily give you fuller lips without medical treatment.

Peter Thomas Roth - Lips to Die For
Bioelements - Tinted Balm for fuller Lips
Kinerase - Lip Treatment
Sothys Secrets - Intense Lip Treatment