Who doesn't want lovely, full-looking lips? Studies show that women with plump and healthy-looking lips not only appear younger than their biological age, but appear healthier, too. So whether you're after volume and fullness or better hydration and colour, we've tracked down the best semi-permanent treatments to try...

For a quick fix

If you’d prefer a totally non-invasive treatment, Lip Perk is a great way to give your pout a temporary boost. This in-clinic treatment involves the use of a pen-like device that gives the lips a thorough, mechanical exfoliation using suction, while at the same time soaking the newly scoured skin with a special solution of lip-plumping ingredients including peppermint oil and wheat proteins.

The super-quick 10-minute treatment is perfect if you often wonder what you’d look like with slightly perkier lips, or before a special event but are not quite ready or brave enough to try lip filler.

Priced at £79, it's available at the Dr Rita Rakus clinic in London.

For fabulous fullness

Probably the most popular and well-known treatment for lips is dermal fillers. Larger, plumper lips are eternally appealing and lip injections are popular not just with older patients whose lips are thinning with age, but also with younger ones  who want their lips bigger, poutier and sexier.

When thinking about booking in for lip filler, the most important thing is to choose a practitioner you trust and who will be able to advise on what you need done to achieve the look you want.  A doctor who understands not only the anatomy of your lips but the aesthetic proportions of your individual face is key to you achieving a natural-looking, enhanced, beautiful pout.

Fillers are mostly made from hyaluronic acid, a molecule the body makes naturally and which holds up to 1000 times its weight in water. Hyaluronic acid fillers come in different densities and for the lips a soft, pliable filler is needed. Fillers usually come in 1ml syringes and you will pay per syringe as well as the doctors time. For the lips it would be very unusual to need more than 1ml if you're after a natural look.

“I would always assess and consider the face as a whole when undergoing a lip augmentation procedure,” says Dr Nima Mahmoodi. "I take into account the structures directly adjacent to the lips – the nose and the chin – making sure they are in complete harmony with one another post injecting.”

For a sexy flush

If the idea of waking up with a perfectly coloured,  plumper-looking pout is your dream then semi-permanent Lip Blushing should be a good investment.

This under-the-radar treatment leaves a flattering, 'just bitten' stain on the lips that can be colour-matched to enhance your own natural lip colour or your favourite lipstick, and will fade slowly over about two years. Imagine waking up every day and just needing a slick of lip balm and you’re good to go!

The technique used by semi-permanent makeup artist, Sian Dellar is similar to that used for micro-blading eyebrows; after topical numbing cream is applied, tiny needles are used to place the colour under the skin. It sounds scary but it really doesn’t hurt and more numbing cream can be applied during the procedure if needed. Not only is colour added but any irregularities in lip symmetry can be corrected, all while giving the appearance of a 30 per cent increase in volume.

Healing takes up to five days during which time you can expect  some minor swelling, tenderness, soreness and dryness. Costing between £395-£595, a top-up is recommended after 4-8 weeks to make sure the colour lasts as long as possible.

For a gratifying tweak

Most people think anti-wrinkle toxin injections such as Botox are just used by doctors to smooth wrinkles and expression lines, but did you know that your practitioner can use them in various ways to give you prettier lips and a better smile?

“For lips there is a lot more we as practitioners can do than just inject dermal fillers”, says Dr Kuldeep Minocha, Medical Director at Tempus Belgravia.  “We can use Botox to relax certain muscles to not only reduce a ‘gummy smile’ but also to evert the upper lip, soften smokers lines and reduce a down-turned mouth”.

Dr Minocha is describing what has been dubbed the ‘lip flip’ – botox is injected into the upper lip to relax the muscles and ‘flip’ the lip upward, thereby making the upper lip look bigger and showing less gum.

Anti-wrinkle injections will wear off between three and six months, although some people find that with repetition they last longer.

For a mouth makeover

When thinking about lips, many of us don’t realise that what’s going on inside our mouths can affect how our lips appear. If an older person loses all their teeth, the face collapses without their false teeth in place – this demonstrates how teeth can affect not just the lips but the entire structure of the lower face.

“The more volume your teeth have the fuller your lips look”, says Dr Rhona Eskander. “If the teeth are straight support for the lips is symmetrical, whereas if one tooth sticks out it can push the lips our unevenly.”

If you’ve been considering orthodontic work then take a look at Invisalign – a teeth straightening, orthodontic treatment that involves wearing a series of bespoke transparent aligners that gradually move the teeth over time. Priced from £3500 at Dr Rhona's it's not the cheapest option, but what price perfect teeth and beautifully balanced lips?