Today, getting lips fillers is as normal as getting your nails done. Essentially, lip injections are a temporary and minor (non-surgical) procedure to enhance, or “plump”, one’s lips. The results of the procedure can last as long as 18 months, or as short as 6 months. Hyaluronic acid gel is the most common lip injection to plump the lips. There are also a variety of lip plumping products, such as the ever so popular Too Faced lip injection lip gloss. According to a study done by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons in 2016, in just the last two decades, there was a 50% increase in lip augmentations for people between the ages of 18 to 55. People’s obsession with lips started back in the early 2000 with Angelina Jolie’s naturally plump lips. Furthermore, in 2015 when Kylie Jenner (who was 17 at the time) admitted that she had gotten her lips done on Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Google searches for lip fillers spiked overnight and clinics reported a huge rise in inquiries. Hyaluronic acid fillers weren’t new, but Kylie blew it up. And now in the COVID-19 world that we are in with outdoor mask-wearing, it’s easier than ever to get your lips done because no one will see the bruising. In the 80s and 90s, the trend was to get a lip reduction. Now we see a reverse in beauty standards and what fits under the modern definition of femininity and sexiness. Beauty standards change and evolve over time, but this seems to always lead to an epidemic of unhappiness about appearance. Far too many young women aim to mimic the surgical looks of celebrities. With the rise of “normal women” figures (i.e. not celebrities or supermodels), one might think that would mean a more democratic and diverse standard for beauty, but it has not. The truth is, what is “normal” has changed because even these “normal women” figures are accompanied by heavy makeup and invasive procedures which have influenced and changed the idea of what normal is. One important point I would like to make is that I personally never had the desire to change my lips. It was never something that ever crossed my mind until I started to see all these girls on social media and all of these influencers getting their lips done. From a larger perspective, I think Instagram has over-normalized teenage surgery. In the past, people would never consider these types of non-surgical procedures until in their mid-40s. Now, with women being more aware of the aging process and the improvement of non-surgical treatments, they have become increasingly popular for women in their mid-20s. We’re currently a part of the “social media generation”. We now live in a world where video calls, snapchats, online dating, and selfies make up a huge part of our world which has made us more invested in how we look than ever before. Selfies have become a huge part of social media. According to the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, the constant obsession of perfection on social media has led to a huge increase in plastic surgery for those under 30. Additionally, according to the same source, in 2017, 55% of facial plastic surgeons said they had seen patients asking for procedures to help them look better in selfies compared to only 13% in 2013 and 56% of these surgeons observed an increase in young clients. Overall, we can observe a huge increase in the desire for cosmetic procedures (such as lip fillers) in young women. By no means do I not like the idea of lip fillers. In fact, I truly believe that you should do whatever makes you happy, so if getting your lips done makes you happy and makes you feel good, do it. Despite the stigma that surrounds procedures like this, getting one’s lips done has done wonders for many and allowed people to achieve their goals. Overall, I really believe that it is important to do whatever makes you feel your best. Of course, we all want to feel good in our bodies and keep them that way. The most important thing is to do everything in moderation, like anything in life.  

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