Big lips are truly in the eyes of beholder. Here in Southern California specifically Beverly Hills lips with volume are a sign of youth and vitality. According to a recent ABC story one patient actually bragged about her desire to look like the character Jessica rabbit. In her opinion that look is desirable and she had always had very thin lips her whole life. After plumping her lips with injectable fillers she feels as though she looks beautiful. Some believe that the line between normal and extreme has become blurred mostly due to cosmetic plastic surgery and injectables.
One thing is for sure, the size of injectable lips today, versus 10 years ago when collagen was the primary filler is significantly larger. What can happen with some patients is that they become used to the volumized lips each time they have the procedure performed. Once the swelling goes down they could start to believe that the lips are not big enough. Thus starts the cycle of more product and bigger lips.
Dr. Kim is careful to explain to patients that their desired look should always take into consideration if it fits the patient’s lifestyle, and community in which they live and work. Also, patients who are concerned with the size of their lips should also take into consideration any concerns they have with their nose and chin. Often patients are thrilled to realize that because of Dr. Kim’s artistic expertise he takes the entire face into consideration. In some cases he may recommend a rhinoplasty to better shape the nose and a chin augmentation with a chin implant to create a better profile for the patient. It is important for patients to understand that the symmetry of their face is important and they must consider other attributes of their face that contribute to the overall size, shape, and beauty.