Your lips are one of the most expressive features of your face—they help convey emotions and frame your smile. Given the amount of attention that is drawn to the lips, it’s important to show them the same attention we give to the rest of our skin. Here, the Lafayette med spa team at Laser Skin Center of Louisiana shares three lip tips you can follow at home for healthier lips and the top lip treatments we recommend for elevating your natural look.
Tip 1: Keep your lips hydrated
Unlike the rest of your skin, your lips don’t have oil glands, which makes them more prone to dryness and chapping—especially since they are always moving when speaking, eating, and drinking! To maintain soft and supple lips, drink at least 64 ounces of water a day to keep your lips moisturized from the inside out. You can also apply lip products that contain SPF and nourishing ingredients like coconut or jojoba oil to both increase hydration and protect your lips from sun damage.
Lip skin is thin and sensitive and even more susceptible to sun damage compared to other body areas.
Tip 2: Exfoliate regularly
Exfoliation removes dead skin cells to reveal smoother lips underneath. There are several lip scrubs you can purchase or you can make your own—a simple mixture of sugar and honey can serve as an effective natural scrub (as long as you aren’t tempted to lick your lips—saliva can strip away your lips’ natural oils!). Ideally, whatever lip scrub you use will have very fine particles and gentle, nourishing ingredients. Most people only need to exfoliate about once a week, any more frequently may cause over-sensitivity and can even damage your lips.
Tip 3: Use quality lip products
Your lips absorb what you put on them, so the quality of the products you apply can make a significant difference in their appearance and health. Select products with beneficial ingredients like vitamin E, shea butter, or hyaluronic acid to help keep your lips soft and prevent them from drying out. You’ll also want to steer clear of products with artificial fragrances, parabens, or allergens that can cause irritation or allergic reactions.
One common mistake many of us make is forgetting to check expiration dates and replace products as needed. Expired lip products can lose their effectiveness and worse, harbor bacteria, so make it a habit to check the expiration dates, especially for products you don’t use on a regular basis.
Your Lafayette lip enhancement options
When at-home care isn’t enough to achieve your perfect pout, we have several different lip augmentation options in Lafayette to enhance the beauty of your lips.
Lip blushing
Lip blushing is a form of semi-permanent makeup that enhances the color and shape of your natural lips. Our Lafayette permanent makeup artist, Lacie, customizes the color, whether you want a very natural “my lips but better” hue or would like a more dramatic shade for a glam look. This treatment is also perfect for reviving pale lips or correcting unevenly colored lips. Plus, lip blushing is quick with minimal discomfort and downtime, and your results can last up to two years before a touch-up is needed to refresh the color.
“Want to thank Dr. Duplechain and his team for the great care they gave me before during and after my procedure! Would recommend them for all your skincare needs. So happy I chose them! Local experts located here in our area”
—5-star Google review
Lip fillers
We can also use injectable lip fillers to add volume and shape to the lips. Fillers are highly customizable and offer subtle enhancements or more dramatic transformations—our injectors personalize your treatment based on your lip anatomy and preferences. Lip fillers last between 6-12 months, and the effects can be easily maintained and adjusted with touch-up injections as desired. If you’d like a temporary lip enhancement option or want a preview of what more permanent treatments can achieve, lip filler may be the best treatment for you.
Fat transfer to the lips
Fat transfer, also known as fat grafting, uses your body’s own fat to enhance lip volume. When performing facial fat transfer, Dr. Duplechain and Dr. Ishee use liposuction to harvest a small amount of unwanted fat from the desired area. That fat is then sent through a centrifuge to purify it before it’s strategically injected to help plump and shape the lips. Fat transfer to the lips is longer lasting than dermal fillers and can be a long-term enhancement for many patients.
“Dr. Duplechain’s work is amazing! He thoroughly listens to what you want and the results you are looking for. And his staff is amazing too. They’re all so sweet!”
—5-star Google review
Lip lift surgery
A lip lift is a surgical procedure that shortens the space between the nose and the upper lip. By removing a small wedge of skin from this area, your upper lip is slightly raised and more natural lip tissue becomes visible. There are several lip lift techniques our surgeons use to enhance the shape of your upper lip while also showing more of it. A lip lift also allows more of your upper teeth to show when speaking or smiling. We recommend this approach if you desire a permanent lip enhancement option and a subtle boost in volume.
If you want to learn more about your lip augmentation options, we would be happy to meet with you and guide you toward the treatment or procedure that would be best for you! To schedule your appointment at our Lafayette cosmetic surgery center or our in-house medical spa, Laser Skincare of Louisiana, please call (337) 456-3282 or fill out the contact form on our website and we’ll be in touch.
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