Dr Rita Rakus

8 top tips on how to gift wrap your lips for the perfect pout this season

We share our expert top tips on how best to plump up the volume for a kissable Christmas

We are on the cusp of the festive season and, as we swing into a glittering array of tinsel-filled parties, we all want to add our own sparkle to any festive occasion – and where better to start than with our lips.

This time of year is rarely kind to them – the dual enemies of central heating and cold weather conspiring to make them dry, cracked or even blistered, which is why Christmas is a popular time for lips treatments, as London lip queen and comparethetreatment.com expert Rita Rakus knows only too well.

She says: ‘Christmas is a time for many social events and occasions. Therefore, many of my new and existing clients will visit the clinic to have a number of treatments to get them looking – and feeling – confident. Lip treatments are particularly popular due to our clients’ desire for a natural and beautiful appearance during the festive season. We do not see the demand for these treatments slowing down either.’

Dr Rakus believes there are a number of ways to enhance your lips in a natural and beautiful way, adding gradual improvement to your face – with very little downtime and recovery time. She shares her secrets…

1. Dig out some photos. It is important to choose a reliable and safe doctor who will be able to advise you on what you need to achieve your desired look. Before a treatment, I always spend time in consultation, discussing the desired effect. I would also recommend bringing along old photographs of yourself to show your doctor what you would like to achieve with your lip enhancement treatment.

2. Treat yourself like a Princess. We use a wide variety of fillers, such as Princess, Restylane and Juvederm, to give our clients a soft and gentle treatment that cause minimal swelling with little downtime to give you a slight enhancement or fuller pout – the choice is yours!

3. Paint the town red – or any other colour!
When it comes to lipstick, I believe in wearing a colour that makes you feel the most beautiful and confident – and with the correct shape and fullness of the lips, this will make any lip colour stand out! We stock a variety of products to really make the most of your new pout, including the Dr Rita Rakus Lip Plumper, the Candy Lip Stain and the Dr Rita Lipstick, a scarlet colour with a velvet formula to moisturise the lips whilst giving you a rich, vibrant and long-lasting colour in just one application.

4. Feeling a little perky? We are also pleased to announce our new treatment Perk, a hybrid facial that only takes 10 minutes. This new treatment lightly plumps the lips as well as replenishing the eye area and nourishing the skin. Perk uses technology that loosens dirt, oil and dead skin cells through gentle exfoliation, flushing and suctioning away impurities.

5. Do it naturally. Unfortunately, there aren’t any non-surgical cures for permanent fuller lips or a better pout. However, there are natural methods to increase the blood flow to your lips to make them appear plumper temporarily. Ten minutes of daily face exercise targeting the lip and mouth area helps to prevent wrinkles as it works the hypodermis (lower layer of the skin), the dermis (middle layer) and the epidermis (upper layer), increasing blood circulation and allowing more oxygen and nourishment to reach cells.

6. Stop the clocks! Subtle and natural lip enhancements are a great way of looking and feeling more youthful. With the increased pressure on women to look and feel younger, many are trying numerous methods to give their faces a lift. As we age, our faces and necks show considerable signs of alteration particularly in the lip area. Wrinkles begin to form and lips can lose their fullness; this can really alter the look of our facial features. Lips also collapse with age, so strengthening the top lip with subtle enhancement can improve the overall appearance of the lower part of the face

7. Crisp and dry? I would always suggest using a hydrating lip balm in the winter, particularly if you have had a lip treatment, to ensure your beautiful, fuller lips look and feel smooth, soft and natural.

8. I want a perfect pout now! The great thing with a lip treatment is that the results are immediate and long lasting although the procedure is quick and has very little down time. However, lips are subject to swelling and more prone to bruising so if it is your first treatment, I would advise that you find a quiet time in your diary as the swelling after the treatment can last for 2-3 days. The initial treatment is usually maintained with occasional follow-up treatments.

9. Keeping your lips sealed. Depending on whether you are looking for a very subtle enhancement or a fuller pout, reactions that patients get from their nearest and dearest completely varies. Many of my client’s choose a treatment at the Dr Rakus clinic because they would like a more natural result and this continues to be a growing trend. Getting any cosmetic procedure can be a daunting experience, especially for the first time and people often fear they might be judged for having a treatment. By ensuring the procedure is discreet and confidential between the doctor and client, clients can feel relaxed and not pressured in any way as well being assured that there is a limited chance of anyone knowing they had a treatment. Women want to look good and feel confident without letting people into the secret of having had a procedure or surgery. They may also not want to reveal their insecurity to everyone they know, and instead keep this private.