Smile Savvy

By: Katharine Griffiths
Created on 25th March 2010

A radiant smile has long been seen as a symbol of natural beauty and temporary dermal fillers such as Juvéderm ULTRA SMILE can give you plumper, more defined lips without succumbing to the dreaded trout pout

Our smile is the mirror of our personality and it has long been proved that smiling makes us feel happier and creates a sense of well-being by releasing chemicals in our brain that make us feel good. Smiling is a natural drug.

Dr Rita Rakus, who is known as the London Lip Queen for her lip enhancement technique, believes that smile perfection is about the whole picture: "I believe that when looking to enhance your smile it's important to think about your lips as well as your teeth and with more people recognising that, I think we'll see more people starting to consider lip plumping injectable treatments, like the newly launched Juvéderm ULTRA SMILE. We may find that smiling is the new 2010 feature to focus on."

Juvéderm ULTRA SMILE has a unique smooth formulation that gives a natural look and feel that can last up to a year. As well as providing longer lasting enhancement of the lips, it provides a more gentle injection experience, as Dr Rakus explains: "This is the first hyaluronic based dermal filler with lidocaine specifically designed for the lips to become available in the UK, so will no doubt be warmly welcomed by both practitioners and patients alike."

How does Juvéderm ULTRA SMILE work?
It is designed especially for lip reshaping. The key ingredient is hyaluronic acid, which is a naturally occurring, biodegradable complex sugar found in the human body. Among other things, hyaluronic acid hydrates the skin and adds volume, contributing to the overall smooth appearance of the skin. The hydrating effects of hyaluronic acid come from the fact that it retains water and absorbs more than 1000 times its own weight.

Juvéderm ULTRA SMILE is administered in small doses by intradermal injection directly into the lips, temporarily improving volume and smoothness, and reshaping to give a natural fullness and feel.

There are many reasons to smile - it makes us more attractive to others, changes our mood, relieves stress, can boost your immune system and even supposedly makes you more successful at work - so maybe it's time to get happy.

CASE STUDY

Treatment: Lip plumping treatment with Juvéderm ULTRA SMILE
Name: Laura Chambers
Age: 29
Occupation: PR Consultant

What prompted you to have the treatment?
I've always been very conscious that my top lip was thin relative to my bottom lip. When I smiled this became really apparent, making me quite despondent over my appearance. I wanted my lips to have a fuller look to balance out my face.

How was the experience?

I braced myself for the treatment itself to be uncomfortable, but the whole experience was far better than I anticipated - I breezed through it, and was back at work within forty-five minutes.

What were the immediate results?
I could immediately see that my lips were fuller and plumper, there was a little bit of initial swelling but nothing that I felt embarrassed about.

Are you happy with the treatment?
I'm delighted with the results and feel much more confident and really proud of my new and improved, fuller smile!