LAUSR

BACKGROUND Lip Filler enhancement has fast become one of the most popular minimally invasive cosmetic procedures. Motivations for 'over-treatment' with lip fillers are poorly understood. OBJECTIVES To explore women's motivations for and experiences of procedures that achieve an aesthetic of distorted lip anatomy. METHODS Twenty-four women who had undergone lip filler procedures resulting in strikingly distorted lip anatomy, determined using The Harris Classification of Filler Spread, took part in semi-structured interviews about their motivations, experiences and perceptions related to lip-fillers. A qualitative thematic analysis was carried out. RESULTS Four major themes are discussed: (1) the normalization of lip-fillers, (2) perceptual drift which is mediated by exposure to repetitive images of larger lips on social media, (3) perceived financial and social benefits of larger lips, and (4) the relationship between mental health and seeking repeated lip filler procedures. CONCLUSIONS Motivations for seeking lip fillers vary, however most women described social media impacting perceived aesthetic norms. We describe a process of perceptual drift where mental schema encoding expectations of 'natural' facial anatomy can adapt through repeated exposure to enhanced images. Our results can inform aesthetic practitioners and policy makers seeking to understand and support those seeking minimally-invasive cosmetic procedures.