Do you have a perfect pout? Scientists claim to have finally nailed down the ideal female lip proportions - the bottom lip should be twice the size of the top one.
Researchers at the University of California in America asked groups of men and women to assess the attractiveness of 160 pictures of white women’s faces. They found that a 1:2 ratio of upper to lower lip was considered the most attractive by both sexes.
Ideally, the lips should make up about 10% of the lower third of the face. For those considering lip fillers, these findings should be adhered to in order to preserve a natural look.
If you’ve ever seen someone with “fake” looking lips it’s because they’ve broken the golden rules of ratio and proportion. Women who increase the size of their lips by more than 50% risk leaving their face looking out of proportion. Meanwhile, those who overfill their upper lip will create an artificial, “duckbill” appearance.
The authors of the study concluded: “We advocate preservation of the natural ratio or achieving a one to two ratio in lip augmentation procedures while avoiding the overfilled upper lip look frequently seen among celebrities.”
The Cupid’s bow
To be considered truly attractive, lips must not only be full, but also shapely. As one London-based doctor, Dr Tijion Esho, points out, the 1:2 ratio should not extend the entire width of the lips. The perfect lips will have a 1:1 ratio in the outer corners - plus an accentuated philtrum, or Cupid’s bow.
To create a really sensual look, the bottom lip should be plump in the centre while the top lip should be “dipped low” in the middle, like can be seen in Angelina Jolie’s famous pout. The shape can be achieved during lip augmentation by careful placement of small droplets of lip filler.
Why are full lips attractive?
Just like a high hip-to-waist ratio in a woman signals strong mating potential, full lips are also thought to indicate fertility. This is because lips lose volume and narrow as women age, therefore full lips are associated with youthfulness. Maximum lip thickness is reached in girls at age 14, from which point they gradually decrease in size.
Additionally full lips are linked to sexual arousal. Lips, like other sexual organs, engorge with blood leading to increased fullness and redness. The effect is mimicked by lipstick, which is why women have been painting their lips for centuries (dating back to the Ancient Egyptians).
When the women wore lipstick, the men gazed at their lips for an average of seven seconds – spending just 0.95 seconds looking at their eyes and 0.85 seconds studying their hair. Red lipstick held them captivated for the longest time - an average of 7.3 seconds.
How do your lips measure up?
Despite the identification of the “perfect” measurements for lips, those with lips that don’t meet the criteria should not despair. As the researchers from the University of California point out, the overall attractiveness of a face comes from more than the lips.
Looking at models in Vogue over the past 50 years, they found, on average, the women did not meet the 1:2 ratio, instead having bottom lips only 47% larger than the top.
In addition, the study at Manchester University found while full lips were deemed to be the most attractive, the appeal of thin lips increased by more than 40% after lipstick had been applied.
It just goes to show, with a flattering lipstick, it’s easy to make the most of what you’ve got! However, if you’d like to enhance your lip size or shape, modern fillers offer a good option.
New formulations that last longer and look more natural, combined with a greater understanding of lip aesthetics and advanced surgical techniques, mean a beautiful pout can be yours.
To find out more about lip fillers contact Ocean Clinic Marbella on info@oceanclinic.net or 951 775 518.
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