There has been a well-documented spike in women having lip fillers over the last couple of years (Kylie Jenner is thought to be partly to blame) but who knew that men have also been getting in on the plumping action? According to recent findings, the number of men having cosmetic surgery rose from 28 per cent between 2005 and 2016. With minimally invasive procedures on the increase (up 74 per cent between 2015 and 2016) lip ‘menjections’ have been requested at a rapidly growing rate, with filler fans hoping to achieve a similar pout to Channing Tatum or Brad Pitt – or a similar smirk to Harry Styles.
Dr Rian Maercks, a Miami-based surgeon, suggests that this development is a side effect of today’s narcissistic selfie culture: ‘Even our politicians embody and celebrate narcissism - we have never been more encouraged to analyse our facial features’. He says ‘Men want the proud lower lip, it gives them a feeling of authority and confidence in a very interesting kind of way'.
While the ‘proud’ lip is credited to Brad Pitt, Henry Cavill’s defined, balanced lips are the most popular among Maerck’s clients: ‘He has this proud lower lip, but also a full upper lip that is almost feminine, but the strength of the lower lip makes it masculine’.
Maercks revealed that lip injections rapidly became the most popular procedure in his clinic, with up to five men per day booking themselves in for a top up. It’s not a habit for the cash strapped, with filler like Restylane or Juvederm costing around $1,000 per millilitre.
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