What is threshold for lips perceived as artificial, unnatural-appearing?

Recognizing the perceptual threshold for when lips appear unnatural is important to avoid an undesirable outcome in lip augmentation.

A new study published by JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery by Sang W. Kim, M.D., of the Natural Face Clinics, Syracuse, N.Y., and coauthors attempts to provide data on balanced augmentation. The study used incrementally digitally altered photographs of a female model's lips and included 98 usable responses to an internet-based survey.

"We recognize that quantitative measurement of the lips as a fixed guideline for lip augmentation is neither practical nor realistic. There are too many variables to assume that a strict set of measurements can predict the subjective perception of the lips. The goal of this study was to provide some quantitative measurements to help guide clinicians in counseling their patients who are seeking lip augmentation," the article concludes.