How to Get Rid of Lip Lines
A normal part of the aging process involves the development of wrinkles and lines on the skin. One area commonly affected is the lips. Years of smiling, eating and just going through life take their toll on your lips and the skin around them, causing wrinkles and vertical lip lines. Even though the appearance of fine lines is normal, you might want to get rid of lip lines through a variety of means.
Internal Causes
The appearance of lines and wrinkles are caused by several different factors. Genetics play a major role in whether or not you will develop these fine vertical lines as you age or to what degree you will develop them. Collagen and elastin are the primary skin ingredients that are responsible for suppleness. As you get older, these substances diminish, leaving lines and wrinkles. Illness may also cause the development of these lines prematurely and the appearance of wrinkles.
External Causes
The development of lip lines and wrinkles may also be caused by external factors. For instance, experiencing too much sun exposure can cause sun damage on your delicate skin. This leads to the development of wrinkles. Smoking and other lifestyle factors can also cause wrinkles around the mouth and on the lips because it reduces the amount of oxygen delivered to these areas, thus slowing the production of collagen and elastin. There is also evidence that drinking from a straw over the course of several years can cause the development of these deep lines.
Non-Invasive Treatments For A More Youthful Appearance
You can treat minor lip lines and lip wrinkles using non-invasive, non-surgical treatments. In many cases, this involves the use of creams to stop the aging process.
A daily oil-free moisturizer should help to infuse hydration in your lips and make your wrinkles look less deep and defined. You can also apply an over-the-counter wrinkle cream. Use a collagen-boosting cream that contains retinol or an alpha hydroxy acid. You can typically find skincare products like a cream or balm made specifically for reducing wrinkles on the lips.
For skin around the lips, you can use a topical retinoid available by prescription. This will boost collagen production and help to fill in your lip lines and wrinkles.
Invasive Treatments
More invasive treatments might be necessary to get rid of deeper lip lines and wrinkles. Laser resurfacing is a viable option, according to the Mayo Clinic, because it burns off the top layer of skin or uses heat to stimulate collagen production beneath the skin, depending on the type of laser used.
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Dermabrasion is another option, which uses a wire brush to sand off the top layer of skin and dead skin cells. Fillers and injectable treatments can also help to fill in your lip lines and wrinkles. Common substances are hyaluronic acid and collagen. However, you can also use injectable fillers like Botox to plump up the little vertical lines or to relax the facial muscles and make the lines less noticeable.
Preventative Measures
Preventing lip lines and wrinkles is easier than treating them. To do this, you should avoid direct sun exposure and wear an SPF 15 sunscreen every day. Also wear a SPF 15 lip balm to protect your lips. Moisturize your skin regularly and avoid smoking. This should help you avoid the deeper lip lines.
How To Get Rid Of Upper Lip Lines – Lifestyle Changes
Upper lip lines are common as you start to get older, but that doesn’t mean you have to accept them with open arms. Lip lines occur when the skin starts to thin and loses its elasticity. It can be a normal part of the aging process or due to environmental factors like smoking or sun damage. Regardless, you can get rid of upper lip lines through the aid of everything from creams to cosmetic procedures.
Stay out of the sun as much as possible. If you must go out, wear sunscreen with SPF 15 and apply SPF lip balm to your lips. This will protect you from sun damage, which can cause more facial wrinkles to develop around your mouth.
Apply a moisturizer to your skin daily. According to the Mayo Clinic, applying a facial moisturizer with natural oils each morning and night can make fine lines less noticeable and minimize your chances of further wrinkles.
Apply a cream containing retinol to your upper lip. Retinol is a type of vitamin A and helps the skin to slough off much more quickly, revealing smoother skin underneath. Over time and with regular use, this can diminish the look of upper lip lines.
Use plumpers or fillers to reduce the look of lines around your lips. A lip plumper is actually just a stimulant included in a lip balm that causes your lips to swell temporarily. This will smooth out wrinkles and lines, for a few hours at least.
A filler can also be injected into your lips or in the lines above your lips to smooth them out. This procedure is performed by a dermatologist. Fat and collagen are commonly used fillers, though they are temporary and must be injected every few months to maintain the results.
Visit your dermatologist to discuss cosmetic procedures to reduce your upper lip lines. Treatments like chemical peels and dermabrasion are options since they both help peel off the top layer of skin and encourage new tissue growth underneath. Laser treatments may also be effective; they boost collagen production and help to fill in the lip lines.
Add Facial Exercises For Lip Treatment To Your Skincare Routine
Frequent facial expressions, smoking, bad lifestyle habits, excessive puckering, and a lack of facial elasticity due to age can all make your mouth look worn and aged. Lip lines can also make it hard to apply some types of makeup, especially lipstick and gloss. To keep your mouth looking younger, facial exercises for lip lines can be employed to keep the skin around your lips and mouth taut and less likely to sag and wrinkle with age. Try exercises that you can do easily at your desk or while at home for a younger-looking mouth. This is an effective treatment for laugh lines.
Lip Eraser
Meant to exercise the Orbicularis oris, or the band of muscle that encircles your mouth, the lip eraser repetitive motion helps to tighten and strengthen the area for less sagging. Place the tip of your forefinger on the space above the top lip, and your other forefinger directly below on the space under your bottom lip. Briskly move them back and forth, in opposite directions until the lip area begins to fatigue. Then switch fingers and repeat again.
Lower Lip Lift
An exercise that is recommended by the Ohio State University Medical Center to strengthen and tone the bottom lip, the lower lip lift can help smooth out lip lines that are the result of frequent expressions. Stick your bottom lip out, as if you were making an unhappy face. Push your bottom lip out as far as it can go, and simultaneously lift your head to look at the ceiling. You should feel a tightening sensation in the lip, chin and neck area. Hold for 10 seconds before relaxing, then repeat three to five times.
Finger-Smoothing
If your lip lines are mostly from smoking or consistently puckering your lips, you need an exercise in holding your mouth so that it is pucker-free and smooth. You can do this by placing your forefingers on either side of your mouth, in the corners, and pulling gently. Look in a mirror and watch carefully as you place your bottom lip over your top lip. Do it slowly, and concentrate on avoiding puckers and instead having a completely smooth bottom lip. Then release and try the exercise again by placing the bottom lip over the lower teeth and holding, looking for perfectly smooth lips and younger-looking skin.
Lip Release
Release the tired and loose muscles from around your lips and mouth, especially if you tend to hold your tension in your face by pursing your lips or grinding your teeth. With your mouth closed, work your tongue around the inside of your mouth so that it pushes out the muscles around the area of your lips. Focus especially on the upper and lower portion; you may want to complete this exercise in front of a mirror so you can watch as your tongue pushes the skin out, resulting in a temporarily pucker-free lip area.
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