Lip Plumpers: How and Why They Give You Fuller Lips
The resurgence of lip-plumping glosses as a trend in beauty has boosted the beauty product industry and created a huge buzz in the celebrity and cosmetics world, alike.
The Secret of how lip plumpers work
Have you ever wondered why super-spicy foods can irritate your lips and make them swell? Therein lies the secret of most lip-plumping glosses, as they use similar ingredients. Capsicum found in chili peppers, cinnamon, and menthol causes very mild irritation of the lips, resulting in a tingling sensation. It makes the lips pouty due to the reaction on the skin of the lips.
So what is the science behind lip plumpers? Plumping glosses have been around for a long time. The idea is to make the lips fuller than usual. Are plump lips just an optical illusion, or is it real and lasting? Such plumping glosses add a natural plump to your pout almost instantly. Although it seems like suffering knows no boundary for the sake of beauty, some people do particularly love the tingling, burning-like sensation when they use lip plumpers.
The Defence Mechanism and Lip Plumpers
Lip plumpers that give the lips a subtle swell feel like an ordinary lip balm with medicated ingredients. Of course, they do come in glorious colors to suit every individual taste. Mild irritants such as cinnamon, menthol, or capsicum, when introduced to the lips, cause blood to rush to the surface of the skin on the lips--akin to the resultant effect of a bee sting on your lips. Ouch!
Lip plumper fool the affected part of the body—in this case, your sweet lips. Reacting to the intrusion of foreign substances, the body tries to reject by setting up a natural defense mechanism. There is transient swelling of the lips in reaction to the foreign substance introduced directly onto the affected skin. Luckily, these effects are temporary. With prolonged use, the results of the desired swellings disappear as the irritants become less effective with time. The stinging, tingling, and burning sensations gradually fades as the lips are immuned to the irritation. In short, our body grows accustomed to the chemical irritant.
Remember, different people have different levels of tolerance to specific irritants. And when a certain threshold has reached, the irritant may trigger a severe allergic reaction for some individuals. It may give rise to unintended medical complications. So please exert caution; read all substances, ingredients, and chemicals in the making of the lip plumper that you intend to apply on your lips.
What’s New with limp plumpers of today?
New lip plumper products use hyaluronic acid as their active ingredient. Manufacturers claim lips will feel more hydrated while looking plump. Another alternative to fuller lips is the use of fillers. Lip fillers offer a more permanent feature compared to the transient, temporary effects of applying gloss. Obviously, such a choice is for the more adventurous amongst us. There are always risks associated with any foreign substance introduced into the human body. Always be careful when you embark on this plumpy-pouty path! Hence, the challenge is to find that super elusive product to give your lips a subtle, fuller, hydrated finish; without compromising the desired effect of plumper lips every time.
Creating a transient optical illusion just for that magical moment outweighs the mild physical discomfort associated with using lip plumpers. For those adventurers out there seeking a longer-lasting or semi-permanent effect, the ultimate challenge would be inserting fillers into the lips or undertaking chemical-laced injections to enhance that pout. The choice is entirely yours to make.
Resources— Bustle, Self, Cosmopolitan
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