Plumpers For the Perfect Pout

"Ouch!"

Though this writer has never actually experienced it, you have to think that getting a collagen injection on the lips comes with some level of discomfort -- numbing agents notwithstanding.

And what about the swelling afterward, as razor-thin lips fatten up? That's got to hurt.

Not to mention that punch to the pocketbook. The cost of injections can range from $200 to $2,000. Still, celebrities do it -- and then deny it.

What about you? Don't want to do it? Well, you don't necessarily have to. These days, there's an alternative to achieving that popular bee-stung look:

Lip plumpers.

Cosmetics that come mostly in gloss form, many lip plumpers are applied either with a brush or a spongy tip. Others come in both gloss and lipstick formulations, which are used in tandem. Plus, there are tinted versions as well as clear ones for those who want to add their own touch of color. Most work by "stinging" the lips and, for lack of a better description, causing mild irritation and swelling.

Lip-stimulating ingredients such as pepper, camphor, cinnamon, ginger and menthol are used because they dilate the blood vessels in the lips and increase circulation.

Yes, the results are short-lived (typically 30 minutes to a couple of hours), but having the perfect pout for even a day -- by re-applying -- can give most women something to smile about.

Something else to bring a grin: In the past year, cosmetics counters have been smacked with a horde of lip-plumping products. Some are expensive (as much as $50 for Lip Fusion XL), while others are less than $10 (Sally Hansen Lip Inflation costs $6.49).

No matter. They're flying off the shelves. According to the NPD Group, which tracks consumer spending, plumpers represented 16 percent of lip sales last year. That's about $34 million, up more than 100 percent from 2004.

"Women who don't have the money or the desire
to go through (injections) are turning to lip plumpers instead," says
Catherine Piercy, beauty writer at Allure magazine."This way, they can get instant gratification."

Most women say they experience the stinging, or "plumping,"
along the thickest part of their lips, which is also where the most
significant increase is usually observed.

Piercy says that in addition to the plumpers that contain mild
irritants, others purport to boost collagen in the lips or increase the
water content in them for a fuller look. She adds that there's no
evidence to support this latter theory, however, and dermatologists
"seem pretty skeptical about seeing long-term results from these
products."

Then, there are the formulas that claim to make your lips look
not only fuller, but rosier, like a young child's. Other products say
they increase elasticity over time.

"Part of the idea is both psychological and physiological,"
Piercy says in a call from New York. "If you feel like something is
going on -- a tingle or a reddening -- then you're more likely to feel
good about the short-term results."

Of course, as a beauty writer, Piercy has sampled a few lip plumpers herself.

"I like Lorac's Lip Addiction and DuWop Lip Venom," she says.
"DuWop is the one most people think is what kicked off the whole
(plumper) boom."

Laura Kenney, a writer for Sephora's magazine, credits advertising and media exposure for the enhanced appeal of plumpers.

Kenney agrees that, even as cosmetic surgery continues to become
less invasive, there's a huge market of women who want to avoid needles
and any subsequent effects.

"And they don't necessarily want to look like their lips have
been enhanced, either," she says from New York. "They still want to
look like themselves."

One thing to keep in mind: Always apply a plumper to clean
lips. Then, if you want, you can apply lipstick or lip gloss over it
...

Source: The Sacramento Bee. Powered by Yellowbrix.