Whether it’s injectables, lip-plumping balms or tingling glosses, the quest for fuller lips is big business in the beauty world.
But if you’d rather not opt for an expensive, invasive, or uncomfortable treatment to get a more voluminous pout, the creators of TikTok are going all out for a lip hack that delivers impressive plumping results — without the need for surgery.
In recent months, “hyaluronic acid lips” have become a huge trend on the video-sharing app – with hundreds of creators posting before and after effects of using this common skincare product.
The popularity of hyaluronic acid serums has skyrocketed in recent years thanks to their moisturizing effects – and often affordable prices.
Hyaluronic acid is a known humectant, meaning it attracts water for faster hydration.
TikTok creator @tainara.zappi swears by hyaluronic acid for fuller lips and shares before and after photos of her transformation
While skincare experts wonder how hydrating hyaluronic acid can actually be when applied topically, the creators of TikTok are convinced that it has dramatic effects when applied to the lips.
Leading the way when it comes to the hyaluronic acid lip trend is American skinfluencer @sincerely.juliana, whose video about the effects of hyaluronic acid on her lips has been viewed more than 4 million times.
“When I first did this, the difference was so noticeable it scared me to death,” Ari, one of @sincerely.juliana’s followers, replied in response to the video.
A fan named Brittany wrote, “Finally a product I already have!!! Thanks for the tip.’
TikTokker @makeupbyalissiac, based in the US, said: ‘Hyaluronic acid on lips is a game changer!! Literally instantly plumps and hydrates lips!’
British TikTok creator @darcieratcliff shared her method for using hyaluronic acid for lips with a viral video that has been viewed nearly 2 million times.
‘You start with moist lips and apply the hyaluronic acid serum. I then let this dry, but it mainly dries out your lips – so I applied a lot of lip balm afterwards.’
While British creator @evepilee called using hyaluronic acid and Vaseline her ‘favorite lip plumping hack’.
TikTok creator @evepilee says this is her ‘favorite lip hack’ and applies lip balm over the hyaluronic acid to complete the DIY treatment
So does this DIY treatment actually work, or is it just another TikTok beauty craze?
Speaking to FEMAIL, Kimberley Medd, head of the Face the Future clinic, shared her expert opinion.
The good news is that she credits hyaluronic acid for giving her a plump “glass lips” finish.
She explained: ‘The moisturizing property of HA means it can hold a thousand times its weight in water, creating a blurry, glass lip finish.’
‘Hyaluronic acid is an incredibly popular skincare ingredient, and most of us probably have it incorporated into our routines somewhere, whether we realize it or not!’ she explained.
TikTok creator @darcieratcliff shared her method for fuller lips without filler and the TikTokker also opts for ‘lots of lip balm’ to keep her lips hydrated
According to skin care expert Medd, our lips are the thinnest part of the body’s skin, with only three to five cellular layers compared to the 16 cellular layers of skin on the rest of our bodies.
She explains how hyaluronic acid is a great ingredient to combat dry lips by plumping up cracked dry lines and keeping lip skin cells hydrated.
‘Lips that are dehydrated don’t look as plump, so hyaluronic acid can be a great way to volumize your lips with essential moisture.
‘Hyaluronic acid can also benefit the lips by anti-aging, promoting healthier skin and supporting collagen.’
Medd also believes this skincare ingredient is worth the hype, explaining: ‘Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring polysaccharide in the body.
‘It sits in the large spaces between our skin cells, where it does a number of jobs.
‘It’s not the newest, flashiest or most expensive ingredient out there, but it is tried and tested. Think of it as the old faithful in your regime.”
Dr. Noman Mohamed, a London-based cosmetic dermatology expert, has also joined the trend and given his professional blessing
Dr. Noman Mohamed, a London-based cosmetic dermatology expert who has more than 396,000 followers on TikTok on his account @drnomzzy, has also joined the trend – and offered his professional blessing.
He revealed the results of applying hyaluronic acid to your pout by referencing a study. In the video he tells viewers, “So you’ve started applying hyaluronic acid and your Vaseline to get bigger lips, but exactly what kind of results can you expect, is there any science or research behind this?”
He then shares some before and after photos of the lips, explaining: ‘This study basically looks at women between the ages of 20 and 40 and gave them a lip serum to apply twice a day, one of the main components of that was hyaluronic acid.’
He continues: ‘To qualify for the study, they had to have no history of lip fillers. So you can see that one of the powers of hyaluronic acid on display here is as a powerful humectant.
‘It can hold up to a thousand times its weight in water and if your lips are sufficiently hydrated you could say you may have had half a ml of filler in your lips – just look at the results.’
Fuller lips were high on beauty wish lists long before Kylie Jenner and her lip kits boosted their popularity.
The origins of lip filler date back to the 20th century, when doctors experimented (somewhat riskily) with injectable materials such as paraffin and silicone to increase lip volume.