Pucker up: Record number of Americans doing this

Selfies leading to increase in lip augmentation surgeries.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) said in a press release this week a record number of Americans had lip augmentation surgeries in 2015, likely sparked by the rise of social media and the quest for the perfect “selfie” picture.

According to CNBC, the statistics from the ASPS show the number of lip implant procedures in the US grew by double-digits in every region of the country last year.  And it was not just women, as men also contributed to a total of 27,449 lip implants, an increase of 48 percent since the year 2000.  According to the report, one procedure was done every 19 minutes in the US in 2015.

The average cost of a lip augmentation procedure was $2,074, according to another group, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, which adds people who want fuller lips and those who feel self-conscious about their appearance typically consider the procedure.  Lip augmentation is the second fastest growing facial procedure in the US since 2000, led only by dermabrasion procedures.

A survey commissioned by the ASPS found that Jennifer Lawrence had the most desirable lips for a group of 1,000 women surveyed, followed by Scarlett Johansson, Jenifer Garner, and Angelina Jolie.

Many think the increase in lip procedures is fueled by the rise of the “selfie” photographs, which typically highlight the region around the lips, and people are looking to create that perfect look by enhancing their features.

Robert Houser, a plastic surgeon in Westerville, Ohio, in the same release said, “Lips are an easy place for people to start.  A patient may not be ready to commit to something as dramatic as a facelift or eyelid surgery, but there are a variety of ways you can change the shape of your lips.”

The London Smile Clinic said in a press release in February of this year that many of their customers are coming in and asking for a new “selfie smile.”  Tim Bradstock-Smith, clinical director and cosmetic dentist at the clinic, said, “The problem with a selfie is that the picture is taken quite closely, so the image can be distorted. Teeth often look more protruding than they are in real life and appear ‘horse-like’.”

Bradstock-Smith says they have seen a 30 percent rise in the last five years of patients that have a problem with the way their teeth look in pictures, but when they arrive at the office, their teeth don’t look bad at all.  The clinic said the normally dissuade 2-3 patients a week from having a treatment, and refer many others to a simple alignment procedure.

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