Is it time to kiss lip fillers goodbye?
An NYC board-certified dermatologist who studied at Harvard and Duke universities is sharing the best lip balms to achieve plump lips at home.
“How do you keep your lips from deflating as you get older? Let’s talk about it,” Dr. Charles Puza tells his 1.7 million followers in his trending TikTok, which has drawn 168,000 views since it was posted last week.
Puza recommends applying lip balm with hyaluronic acid and peptides three times a day to get fuller lips without the filler.
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He prefers Clinique Moisture Surge Hydro-Plump Lip Treatment ($21 for 0.34 fluid ounces), SkinCeuticals Antioxidant Lip Repair ($46 for 0.34 fluid ounces), and Paula’s Choice Hyaluronic Acid + Peptide Lip Booster ($24.75 for 0.33 fluid ounces).
“The secret is, if you are consistent and use them at least three times a day for four weeks, you’ll have significant improvement in lip volume and lip hydration,” Puza explained. “At least three times a day you should be putting a moisturizing lip balm on your lips.”
Peptides are amino acids — the building blocks of proteins — which can stimulate the production of collagen to increase skin elasticity.
Hyaluronic acid, meanwhile, is a naturally occurring substance in the body that has been shown to keep skin hydrated, softer, and smoother. Lip fillers consist of synthetic hyaluronic acid.
The global lip fillers market was valued at around $1.3 billion in 2022, with expectations it will balloon to $1.63 billion by 2028.
Despite this growth, some people don’t think lip filler is the bomb.
Kylie Jenner, 26, revealed in 2018 that she had the fillers removed from her lips — and others have followed suit.
On TikTok, videos for #lipdissolving, #lipfillerdissolved, and #lipfillerdissolving have generated millions of views.
“This is not a lip filler hatred post,” Puza said in his TikTok. “I love doing lip filler. It’s one of my favorite procedures because if you do it right, it looks natural and no one is gonna know.”
Puza recommends grabbing his preferred lip balms if you’re not ready to take the plunge on lip fillers.
He also suggests applying a balm with SPF if you’re out in the sun.
His advice comes after a board-certified dermatologist told The Post that lip balms with menthol, peppermint, castor oil, beeswax, and some fragrances that can irritate the lips should be shelved in favor of Vaseline or Aquaphor.