Big lips? Fine lips? A perfect cupid’s bow or a rounded upper lip? The answer, according to a study published in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, might surprise you.
Researchers at the University of California, Irvine found that the most attractive lip shape has more to do with symmetry than specific size or shape, with the most attractive lips being those with an upper to lower lip ratio of 1: two.
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The research team asked people in conventional and internet-based focus groups to look at 100 photos showing women with different lip sizes with the aim of finding out what size and shape of lips were considered the most attractive on white women.
«In an attractiveness survey,» the results state, «a 53.5% increase in total lip surface area was found with a linear dimension equal to 9.6% of the lower face and a relationship between 1:2» upper and lower lip. be the most attractive.
The findings were quite interesting as the trend, especially in the plastic surgeon’s office, has been for a visibly larger upper lip, much like Kylie Jenner’s.
«We advocate preserving the natural proportion or achieving a one-to-two ratio in lip augmentation procedures while avoiding the overfilled upper lip look frequently seen among celebrities,» they concluded. authors.
However, in a 2017 study with over 1,011 responses from 35 different countries, a 1:1 ratio of upper and lower lip was found to be the most attractive, with over 60% of participants choosing this as the shape. of ideal lips.
That team of researchers found that while «gender, country of residence and profession have a significant impact on individual preferences upper to lower lip ratio…apparently, a lip ratio of 1.0:1.0 may be considered more pleasing on women.»
Plastic surgeon Julian De Silva told Business Insider that the most sought-after shape is a full, symmetrical upper and lower lip with a strongly defined Cupid’s bow.
According to him, the singer Taylor Swift she has the most attractive lip shape.
It suggests that Swift’s mouth is almost exactly the shape that most people consider ideal when it comes to these standards of beauty.
«Taylor’s lips are perfect. She has a beautiful voluptuous pout and a beautifully shaped Cupid’s bow that so many women want,» De Silva said.
De Silva also said that patients commonly request a «natural trout pout,» with a slightly fuller upper lip that doesn’t have a defined Cupid’s bow, like Julia Roberts.
So while the most attractive lip shape is based on the proportion compared to the actual size of the upper and lower lips with a defined Cupid’s bow, it seems that people also like the natural fullness of the lips without that same definition.
How to keep your lips attractive and healthy as you age
Regardless of the size or presence of Cupid’s bow, there are ways to care for your lips to leave them looking healthier as you age.
De Silva gave some advice on how to keep lips looking fuller: «Don’t smoke, stay out of the sun and don’t overindulge in alcohol if you want your lips to be naturally plump for longer.»
While full lips seem to be the trend according to the media, beauty standards often change, and this ideal shape may be available in just a few years.
It is important to note that the JAMA study was based on the characteristics of Caucasian women and not women of color, and the study authors noted some additional potential areas of possible limitation and bias in both their methodology and their study sample. participants.
So before you rush to the plastic surgeon’s office to get your lips in a perfect 1:2 or 1:1 ratio, consider taking these studies with a grain of salt.
Remember that your physical appearance, let alone something as specific as the shape of your lips, is not everything when it comes to attracting.
Try to love your lips just the way they are. After all, your beauty appears in all its glory when you smile.