Are Lip Plumper Products Safe?

By CandyLipz.com

There are two non-invasive methods consumers can use to increase the appearance of their lip volume: Chemical-based lip plumpers and suction-based technology lip plumpers. Both methods may utilize different mechanisms to achieve their results. Are lip plumpers safe to use? You decide.

CHEMICAL-BASED LIP PLUMPERS

Currently, there are lack of clinical research done on lip plumpers. Physiologists have suggested three possible mechanisms by which chemical-based lip plumpers use to elicit lip swelling. All mechanisms could be acting simultaneously to achieve a mild swelling of the lips.

1. Immunological defenses: One proposed mechanism involves the immune system. In the immunological defenses, the body has already been sensitized by the irritants through contact with or exposure to the skin, mucous membranes, respiratory tract, or gastrointestinal tract in the past.  The release of histamine is the major mechanism of action seen in inflammation of the skin/lips. The Initial reaction can appear within minutes of local contact. The common symptoms reported by consumers were beet-red lips assisted by mild swelling after they apply lip plumper liquid to the lips.   Histamine is known as a vasodilator of the immune system. It plays a role in inflammation. Thus, pain, redness, swelling, and heat are the classic manifestations of the inflammatory process.

(Trivia: Consumers of chemical-based lip plumpers have reported the sensations of heat and burning after they applied the substance to their lips. Did you know that scientists from Harvard University found that the chili pepper’s burning sensation and pain caused by inflammation from arthritis disease share the same pain signal molecule, called p38. This protein can trigger a 25-fold increase in production of the “chili pepper receptor”, which results in increased sensitivity to pain. The common active ingredients found in lip plumpers are capsaicin (chili pepper), peppermint oil, mustard extract, caffeine extract, cinnamon extract, clove, menthol, camphor, ginger extract, and wintergreen. Since, lower doses of irritants are ineffective, for the lips to swell higher doses must be used. The higher the doses used in the lip plumper formulations, the greater the burning and heat.)

2. Non-immunological defenses: In non-immunological defenses, the body does not use the histamine-mediated immune responses directly to induce lip swelling. It uses the prostaglandin mechanism to stimulate inflammation. The symptoms are the same. Why non-immunological? Non-immunological means that the body has not been exposed to these irritants so it uses the prostaglandin pathway. In this pathway, it  induces histamine to do its job. Once the body develops and recognizes the irritants, in the next encounter, it will go directly to the immunological defense mechanism via the histamine-mediated immune responses.

3. Direct vasodilation effect:  A few ingredients in some lip plumpers that can directly induce potent vasodilation are benzyl nicotinate (benzyl nicotinate ointment is used to treat blood clots), L-arginine, and niacin.

SUCTION-BASED TECHNOLOGY LIP PLUMPERS In recent years, celebrity endorsements by Olympic swimmers and professional football players to famous Hollywood actresses and actors such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Martin, Jennifer Aniston, Denise Richards, Anna Lynne McCord, Kelly Osbourne, Jessica Simpson, David Arquette, Denise Richards, Cate Blanchett, Ralph Fiennes, Kate Moss, and Victoria Beckham have raised the profile of Cupping Therapy. Cupping Therapy is an ancient medical treatment which uses suction cups to enhance blood circulation in the body in order to encourage healing as shown in the image below.

In suction-based technology lip plumpers, the cup is placed on the lips.

Some experts suggest that cupping therapy may use the hyperemia mechanism to induce the widening of blood vessels in the skin which causes the tissue to expand. Did you know that hyperemia occurs when the sex organs are enlarged when they are aroused or stimulated? Well, the lips are an erogenous body part. They also swell when they are touched, kissed, and aroused. It is possible that the suction of the lip plumper simulates the sensation of kissing.  It can be suggested that the lip swelling is elicited via the hyperemia mechanism.

 TIPS:

• Chemical-based lip plumpers should not be used daily. The questions are: Do you want to aggravate and tease your immune system on a daily basis? What are the long term effects of prolonged irritant/allergen exposures?

• Do not kiss someone after you apply lip plumper liquid gel to the lips. Allergic reactions could be transferred to another person. For example, in a case well known to researchers, the mom transferred her lip plumper allergic reaction to her 3-year old boy when she kissed him on the cheek.

• If a substance can be absorbed into your skin and distributed into your blood, how do you know that it will stay in the area beneath the lips. What if it can be moved into different organs? Collagen microspheres are commonly found in lip plumpers.  Microspheres are tiny molecules which can be absorbed by the body. One type of microsphere is made of dehydrated dried fish collagen molecules.

• If you see allergic reactions developing in different areas, stop using your chemical-based lip plumpers and see if they are the cause of your allergy.

• Lip pumps may be the best natural method to use as it might use the hyperemia mechanism of sexual arousal to plump up your lips!

  

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