How to Spot Collagen Injections

A little bit of collagen can plump up skinny lips--but too much can make your mouth look like it belongs to a trout. Detecting collagen injections is a favorite sport of cynical celebrity watchers who love to mock overly bee-stung lips. You can tell whether your friend or neighbor went under the needle just by looking for a few telltale signs. Here's how to spot collagen injections.

Instructions

• 1

  Look at the upper lip. Most people have a fuller lower lip than upper lip, but often patients who've received collagen injections have very fully upper lips as well. This may give them a "trout mouth" appearance, like a freshly caught fish.

• 2

  Consider the mobility of the person's lips. Collagen injections can make it harder to purse the lips and make other finely tuned facial gestures. If the person can't pucker up naturally, collagen is probably the culprit.

• 3

  See if there's lots of swelling. Recent patients will have very full, swollen mouths. Unless you know of an injury, severe sunburn or bee sting, collagen injections are generally responsible for a very swollen-looking mouth.

• 4

  Look at very old pictures of the person you think had collagen injections. As we age, the volume in our lips decreases, so if you notice an obvious increase from high school yearbook photos, you can bank on collagen injections being the cause.