TUESDAY, June 7, 2005 (HealthDay News) -- Women bent on achieving that bee-stung Angelina Jolie look may want to avoid buying over-the-counter products that claim to provide fuller, poutier mouths.
The results of a new study suggests those claims may be little more than lip service.
Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle say their small study of female patients using one of the "lip enhancers" found it offered no observable enhancement.
"It should be noted that these patients were all quite motivated to try this product. While no adverse effects were noted, only 14 percent said they would use the product again," study co-author Dr. Sam Most, an assistant professor of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, said in a prepared statement.
The women used the product for one to four months. The Seattle team used digital before-and-after photographs to assess changes in the women's lips but found no statistically significant change in lip size.
"Many manufacturers have attempted to parlay the public's desire for quick and painless methods for cosmetic enhancement, with the promise of results similar to time-tested surgical and non-surgical methods. In many cases, these products are sold at the cosmetic counter or on the Internet as effective without scientific study, and consumer should be wary of them," Most said.
The findings appear in the May/June Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery.
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