What is with lip fillers?!? They look so fake and awful

[Fanofan1]

i’m probably showing my age (I’m in my 40s) but am I alone in thinking the lip filler look is just awful?

I see them all over social media and in real life when I’m around people in their 20s. Why? They look so fake.

I know it’s not our fault as women. We’re manipulated into thinking our bodies and faces are never good enough. But lip fillers are so ubiquitous and look so, so bad, I just don’t get it.

I have several friends and colleagues who’ve had subtle Botox and I genuinely did not know until they told me. These are people who went to a private doctor/dentist for it though, rather than to Demi-Leigh at the beauty salon down the precinct who’s “done a course”. If I ever get it I will go to a friend of a friend who is a GP or to my ex-flatmate from university, a dentist.

Lip fillers are always obvious because of the slab of liver effect. But like all rather silly fashion trends, it’ll pass and these girls will look back on their photos and chuckle with embarrassment as anyone who’s ever followed trends, me included, has done. And in the grand scheme of things, it really doesn’t matter what people look like does it.

Some of your parents clearly never taught you “if you have nothing nice to say then say nothing at all” and it really shows.

I actually think it’s the opposite of playing into a patriarchal narrative to say that women can and should do WHATEVER they want to make themselves feel more confident/happy in themselves. In fact, I’d argue you’re the one moving to oppress other women now by slagging off what they choose to do for themselves and insinuating it’s wrong just because it’s not your personal preference. You don’t like filler? No problem, you don’t have to get any.

Why are you directing this rant at me?

I merely replied to the poster who thinks that botox is definitely safe because the NHS prescribes it. That is simply not the case.

Read properly before starting an argument.

The ones that go overboard look very ridiculous. I can’t understand the want to have something done that is obviously not real or natural but that’s just me personally. I guess some people thrive of the attention and comments they get whereas I don’t even enjoy getting compliments when I’ve had my hair done as I just don’t like the attention.

I think each to their own but equally it has created a space now where those who do not have a full lips (natural or not) now are often made to feel that it’s not desirable or nice in this day and age. This is where so many fall into the trap of getting the fillers to begin with and then don’t realise they have become part of that problem. It’s a cycle that I do not see coming to and end any time soon.

Each to their own as long as everyone's happy.

But there's not a single pair of filled lips on this thread that don't look exactly like a pair of filled lips.

It's bonkers that some people have managed to convince themselves they look natural, is that what the people injecting you are persuading you to believe???

Your pictures don’t tell the full story, it’s just a 2d image, seeing someone in real life gives the true picture, how you look with your facial expressions, when you talk, laugh, your side profile etc.

Some of your parents clearly never taught you “if you have nothing nice to say then say nothing at all” and it really shows.

Good because that's a bloody awful thing to teach a child, especially little girls.

Keep your mouth shut and be nice at all times 🙄

OMG what happened to my last post?

I only put a hashtag in 😳😂😂

I had a very small amount- I didn't get it for the look, I was recommended it because I have permanently sore dry lips and someone told me it would help and to be honest it really did they weren't sore at all for about a year. You couldn't really tell wiht mine, my lips just looked like the looked when I was a bit younger but I specifically asker her not to change the shape and to make them natural as possible.

@Mrsttcno1
"Some of your parents clearly never taught you “if you have nothing nice to say then say nothing at all” and it really shows."

And that comment is what exactly? Because it appears to be neither 'nice' nor 'nothing'. 😂

Can I ask what people’s experience of teeth whitening is and whether that’s as obvious? I’ve seen the glowing white ones but my dentist says you can choose how much whiter you want to go. Mine have got more recent stains (and I can tell because my implant is a slightly lighter shade which used to match) and I am keep to get something done but nothing too harsh.

BTW I’ve had a small amount of cheek filler, and I can’t work out if it’s noticeable or not. I don’t think it made as much difference as I wanted!

Someone put fillers in it! 🤣

Sneaky bastards! 🤣🤣🤣

You can't tell the lips that have been filled with a tiny amount of 0.3 - 5 if it's done well. Some lips are a better shape (many factors ) for it than others, though. You need an excellent practitioner.

Past threads people have posted photos where people have not been able to tell, though more commonly photos are posted where they have had no filler at all, and it has been guessed as otherwise.

There may be a few outliers in this statement, but I think women in their 40's and 50's look insanely better than previous generations.

Most of my friends (late 40's) have a bit of botox and careful fillers and they don't have 'the fake look', they just don't look really old, they look their age. Unfortunately, this is so normalised now that women of this age who haven't had it done, genuinely look haggard to me.

None have had lip fillers though, it's all very very subtle work, and I don't think lips can ever be subtle unfortunately.

I had my top lip done just to match my bottom (they’ve always been uneven!) but I don’t think they look unnatural! Saying that, I had it done by a doctor at their clinic which was more expensive than the local salon

Someone will be along in a minute to say you can’t tell they are filled, it’s only bad filler you can see

Yes, and they'd be absolutely right, though, wouldn't they? Because you DO only know people have had lip fillers if it's noticeably fake. Same with boob jobs. Same with Botox. Same with hair extensions and wigs. Same with microbladed brows.

I've never had lip fillers (purely because I like my lips as they are - if I didn't, I'm sure I'd consider it). But I don't really think anyone else's face is my business. If you don't like lip fillers, don't get lip fillers. What you think of other people's looks is irrelevant. I'm sure you regularly make style choices that a lot of people would think were awful too - everyone does. Life's too short to get worked up about someone else's lips, ffs.

I think lip fillers can look good. I’m not anti-lip fillers at all costs. But I think it’s fine for people to start a thread on the subject, as the beauty industry has become so medicalised in the last 10-15 years. And this rapid change in beauty norms affects us all.

I see it as just one example of the pornification of women and girls. It's sad to see, especially on the young.

I spend my working life looking at lips (dentist) and however little is used it is very obvious up close.
What I struggle to understand is if it is not noticeable why spend all that money having it done in the first place?
It’s a bit like the emperor’s new clothes. You are being sold a product to enhance your looks that you admit you cannot detect.
As for Botox, it is not preventative, your skin will still age and wrinkle if exposed to the sun. High factor sun cream or moisturiser is a far better investment.
People who use Botox lose the subtle muscle movements we use to read body language. It’s similar to what happens when people suffer with Parkinson’s. It leaves you emotionless. The smile ends at the mouth which we often interpret as fake.

Women are judged for their appearance, which is oppression. When women pay to improve (or "improve") their appearances, this disadvantages women who cannot afford such treatments, and makes things harder for all women by artificially raising standards, contributing to us all being judged more harshly.

Case in point: celebrities have so many anti-ageing treatments that it has distorted what people think looks "normal" for a given age. Celebrities at 40 now look closer to untreated people at 30. 50 year olds look 40, and so on.

So now natural looking 30 year olds are treated as haggard slobs, or as if there is something physically wrong with them such as an unhealthy lifestyle.

I have not even touched on Botox and Juvaderm being continuously tested on animals - that's not ethical.

I can always tell when someone has fillers. Even a tiny amount.
The young mum across the road has them, her top lip touches her nose and her bottom lip covers half of her chin. It’s fascinating watching her eat, her lips take on a life of their own. She can’t drink without using a straw.

I recall reading that it started because puffed up lips is a sign of sexual arousal. Supposed to make us more attractive to men. Or something along those lines.

I think when people say 'if you have nothing nice to say then say nothing at all' they really don't mean 'be nice and keep your mouth shut at all times'. They mean 'Don't be a total cunt about stuff that doesn't affect you'.

Which, honestly, is good advice.

By all means don't teach your kids to be nice about, eg, racists and wife-beaters. But definitely do teach them not to be judgy little bastards about the harmless choices women decide to make about their own faces.

At some point we moved from just older women having botox/fillers to 20 and 30- somethings having treatments that they absolutely don’t need. I feel about 104 saying this but I find it a shame seeing people ruin their natural beauty.

They don't look natural at all.