The homogenization of the lips among the younger population is a trend. Estíbaliz Cuevas (Madrid, 21 years old) decided that his gift when he turned 18 was an increase in volume. The 23-year-old Sevillian María Huertas chose to copy her cousin's facial treatment and embarked on the cosmetic operation in 2020. Andrea Marco (València, 26 years old) had been thinking about the idea for a long time and upon noticing the “relatively cheap” price ” who had taken the step. None of them had a big complex with her lips, they agree, but they looked “a little thin” and they decided to try the filler with hyaluronic acid. Her young age is no exception: the average access to this type of treatment has gone from 35 to 20 in the last decade, according to a study published by the Spanish Society of Aesthetic Medicine (SEME).
The report, which analyzes trends in the aesthetics market, warns that young people “mainly access hyaluronic acid fillers”, a technique that has become popular in the last decade for its reversibility and for being less invasive, and marks the Pandemic as a turning point in the decline in age. This is confirmed by Dr. Petra Vega, spokesperson for the SEME, who indicates that there has been “an exponential increase in demand” for this type of treatment.
Social networks play a fundamental role in this increase. The combination of lip-enlarging filters and influencers who undergo the treatment is ideal to set a trend. It is a Malaysian drop that “has contributed to generating new needs in young patients,” the study indicates. It has even penetrated minors. “Girls are going to ask for cosmetics in stores,” Vega warns.
Teenagers come to Dr. Ángel Martín (Madrid, 63 years old) asking about lip fillers with hyaluronic acid. He has been working at the Menorca aesthetic clinic for 33 years and confirms the rise of the treatment in recent years. “The products that were used, such as collagen, left side effects and were not as reversible,” argues the doctor, who adds cheaper prices as another cause to take into account. Most of his current patients, he explains, show through their mobile phones the image of his face edited using filters in which the desired lips appear.
This was the case of Cuevas from Madrid, who arrived at the clinic with the image already prepared on her device. “As a teenager she always gave importance to it, she saw that she had a little lip and I thought it would be an improvement,” says Cuevas, whose profession is influencer. The first time the treatment is applied usually lasts between six and eight months until the body reabsorbs the hyaluronic acid and the lifting effect is lost. From the following, it is recommended to go approximately once a year. Each injection ranges between 250 and 500 euros, depending on the clinic.
The bombardment on the networks is constant. Some influencers They have no problem advertising and telling what aesthetic treatments have been performed. And the options for choosing filters that enlarge the lips are countless. “There are people who do not consider or do not perceive that what they see on Instagram or TikTok is devirtualized. I always ask them the same question: Have you seen people like this on the street?” argues the SEME spokesperson. Both Huertas and Cuevas admit that “networks and filters” influenced their decision and that they generate a feeling of need.
The sociologist expert in health and well-being Alejandra Nuño (47 years old, Gijón) highlights the normalization of diversity as a positive aspect of social networks. “Society is moving towards the acceptance of different bodies, the plurality of image and aesthetics, and it is something that we did not see 20 years ago. Gray hair, wrinkles or body sizes are gradually being accepted,” says Nuño, who is committed to consolidating the natural canons of aesthetics and raising awareness through education.
Wanting a lip augmentation is not a new trend; Aesthetic operations of this treatment were already performed decades ago. The change has come depending on the final result sought. While before thicker lips and long-lasting techniques were preferred, now more natural lips and reversible treatment are sought. “The permanent products that were used a few years ago caused long-term problems because the body changed, but the lip stayed the same. They were unnatural treatments,” argues the SEME spokesperson. “Before, they asked me for Angelina Jolie lips, but that fashion has practically disappeared,” summarizes Dr. Martín.
Democratization of prices
The reduction in price to pay for lip augmentation, even if temporary, is another aspect to take into account that explains its recent popularity. The Valencian Marco was interested in the treatment from the age of 16, she says, but she sensed that it would be very expensive and complex to perform. “When four friends from the university did it, I saw that it was feasible and I got the bug,” Marco recalls. “We are witnessing a democratization of prices,” adds sociologist Nuño. There are even alternatives for those people who prefer not to undergo any aesthetic treatment, such as lipsticks that swell the lips for a few hours using an active ingredient that produces a slight itch.
Cosmetic surgery in Spain has increased by 215% in the last nine years, according to the report The reality of cosmetic surgery in Spain prepared by the Spanish Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (SECPRE). Lip fillers represent almost 10% of the total operations performed in 2021, the year in which the report data was collected. 21,312 interventions were performed, although it is not specified whether it was with hyaluronic acid or another type of treatment. Furthermore, despite the gradual penetration among the male public, it is still a predominantly female sector, since 85% of the patients who come are women.
The call effect has caused several of Huertas' friends to join the trend of thicker lips. “My friends didn't want to do anything, but after I took the initiative, they decided to try it,” she says. Marco has also been an example for two other people around her. Both agree with Cuevas that they want to continue with the treatment, at least for a while. “I don't see myself at 80 years old with fat lips, but, in the short term, I want to continue,” says Cuevas.
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