I have been doing a lot of research regarding the science of lip enhancement and what defines good versus bad lip shapes.

One day I was flicking through my copy of Dr Karl Kruszelnicki‘s latest book “Karl the Universe and Everything”. In his chapter “Luscious Lips” he quotes a study that attempted to establish the “perfect” ratio of top to bottom lip size in relation.

The ideal ratio (according to the study) for lip enhancement is higher than I would expect, but he notes numerous limitations of the study.

In my practice, I work to a preferred ratio of 1 to 1.6.

Interestingly, this ratio is commonly referred to as “The Golden Ratio” and occurs frequently in nature and aesthetics. It can be found in the art of Da Vinci, and the development of the Nautilus shell.

Dr Karl has discussed the golden ratio frequently in his articles, podcasts and talk-back.

But is there really a magic number we can use for a perfect result?

Cosmetic procedures are a combination of art and science, a good practitioner will not simply pick a number.

She or he will take into account dozens of other factors that will influence the overall result.

A good practitioner knows faces and listens to their customers.