Getting older is a privilege, and skin ageing is part and parcel of growing older. However, lip lines can creep up quickly on our skin (sometimes prematurely), and you may want to know how to treat them. While we cannot halt skin ageing altogether, there are many ways to keep our skin looking its best.
Lip lines can be the result of multiple lifestyle and genetic factors, but if you do want to address them, then there are many ways to prevent and treat them, from lifestyle changes to skincare products and in-clinic treatments. To find out the best ways to get rid of lip lines (as well as keep them at bay), I asked three top dermatologists and skin experts for their honest thoughts. Ahead, CeraVe consultant dermatologist Alexis Granite, Skin + Me dermatologist Jason Thomson and GP and award-winning aesthetician Ahmed El Muntasar share their advice on how to get rid of lip lines, whatever your age.
What Causes Lip Lines?
There are multiple reasons that lip lines can form, says Thomson. "Lines and wrinkles around the mouth (or perioral wrinkles) are caused by the same factors that cause lines and wrinkles on the rest of the face," he says. "As we age, our skin gradually loses collagen and elastin, it becomes drier, and we eventually lose facial fat and muscle, which all contribute to the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and eventually loose skin," he says, adding that the skin around the lips is particularly prone to lines. "Lines and wrinkles usually appear first in areas where we have the thinnest skin and where we have muscles that we use repeatedly, so this explains why we often get our first lines and wrinkles around the eyes and mouth."
Additionally, genetics and our lifestyle choices can also play a part in developing lines around the lips. "There is a genetic predisposition to having lines around the mouth, which can’t overly be changed," says El Muntasar. "Lifestyle preferences such as smoking can really affect this, and having a low fat content around the mouth and repetitive movement may lead to lines," he says.
Ahead, we've rounded up the best ways to treat lip lines should you want to address them.
How to Treat Lip Lines
1. Address Lifestyle Habits
"External factors contribute to the development of fine lines and wrinkles, with UV damage from the sun's rays being the biggest contributor to overall skin ageing. Around 80% of skin-ageing is thought to be due to UV damage," says Thomson. So not only is it important to protect your skin from the sun (more on that below), but quitting smoking or vaping can also help. "Smoking (including vaping) can also have a big effect on accelerating the ageing process. Smokers will usually develop deep vertical lines on the skin above the upper lip—what we call smoker's lines," he adds. Granite agrees, "Cigarette and vape smoke create free radicals, which damage skin elastin and collagen, accelerating skin ageing." Plus, the act of pursing your lips repetitively can also contribute to lip lines. So if you're currently smoking or vaping, it's best to quit if you want to get rid of lip lines.
The next lifestyle habit may be somewhat surprising, but if you regularly drink through a straw, then this may also be contributing to your lip lines. "Repeatedly drinking out of a straw causes the lips to purse over and over again, leading to potentially persistent lip creases," says Granite.
2. Wear SPF Regularly
This goes hand-in-hand with lifestyle habits, but you'll want to watch your sun exposure and ensure you're regularly wearing an SPF to block skin-ageing UV rays. This is essential for not only preventing and treating lip lines but protecting your skin overall, too.
"Limiting exposure to the sun's damaging UV rays is another essential," says Thompson. "This means wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen every day, all year round," he says. And yes, that means even when it is cloudy or cold outside. "I recommend wearing a broad-spectrum SPF 50. UVA rays penetrate deep into the skin, destroying elastin and collagen and are present all year round and can penetrate windows," he adds. "In addition to sunscreen, you should also adopt good general sun-protection behaviours, such as avoiding the midday sun and wearing wide-brimmed hats and protective clothing."
Wearing an SPF every day is the best way to prevent lip lines and reduce their appearance, so it's important to find a formula that you want to wear. This ultra-nourishing SPF cocoons dry and mature skin and features a broad-spectrum SPF 30 to shield against UVA and UVB rays.
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3. Use Retinol
Retinoids (the family name of retinols, tretinoin and retinals) can be beneficial in treating wrinkles and lines around the lips. "Retinoids are the ingredient with the most evidence for improving the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and have been used by dermatologists for decades for this purpose," says Thomson. "Tretinoin is the most potent retinoid but is only available on prescription. (Skin + Me offers this treatment with a dermatologist.)
"The skin around the mouth can be quite sensitive and prone to irritation, so you may want to start with a gentler retinoid (such as retinyl palmitate, retinol or retinaldehyde) and make sure you buffer the skin with a layer of moisturiser before applying your retinoid," adds Thomson. "Retinoids can make you more sensitive to sunlight during the first few months of use, and they're also broken down by the sun, so always incorporate them into your evening skincare routine after cleansing."
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Tretinoin (a stronger form of retinoids) can only be prescribed by a dermatologist, so you would need to book an appointment and have a consultation, which can be costly and time-consuming. Skin + Me offers access to dermatologists and a personalised prescription for £25 a month.
4. Use Hyaluronic Acid and Peptides
While hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid might not give the same extreme results as in-clinic treatments, they can go a long way to help plump and reduce the appearance of lip lines. "Skincare can be helpful when treating fine lines and wrinkles around the mouth," says Thomson. "Hydrating the skin can plump it temporarily, softening the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, so incorporate a moisturiser that has hydrating and skin barrier-boosting ingredients such as glycerin, hyaluronic acid, shea butter and ceramides," he says.
Alongside retinols and hyaluronic acid based skincare, it can also be useful to incorporate peptides into your routine. "Peptides are a broad class of active skincare ingredients that act as chemical messengers to bring about various effects, such as boosting collagen and tightening the skin," says Thomson. "There's less evidence for these ingredients than retinoids, but they can be a good addition to your skincare routine."
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5. Injectibles
You may associate injectables with the lips, but they have various uses, including treating lip lines. "If you have deep lines and wrinkles around the mouth, then skincare will only get you so far and will usually take at least six months before you see any noticeable improvements," says Thomson. "Injectable treatments such as botulinum toxin (Botox is a well-known brand name) and dermal fillers will be able to give a greater improvement in a much shorter time frame. Botulinum toxin is more commonly used to treat wrinkles on the upper face (forehead, frown lines and around the eyes), but it can also be used to relax the muscles that contribute to the appearance of wrinkles around the mouth," he says.
Dermal fillers, on the other hand, usually contain ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and work to plump the skin, and some help to stimulate collagen too. "Hyaluronic acid filler can be used to add subtle volume to the area around the lips, filling creases and improving the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, with results typically last up to one year," says Granite. There are many treatments available, so it's best to book in with a trusted and qualified practitioner who can tailor the treatment to your needs. El Muntasar recommends an injectable treatment called Ellansé. "Ellansé is a collagen stimulator, which you have injected into the skin. It increases collagen in the area, so it thickens the skin, smooths it out, and results can last up to two years," he says.
However, if you venture down the injectible route, it's important to find a qualified practitioner who you trust and also factor in the cost and maintenance of treatments. "These procedures can result in dramatic improvements, but they are temporary, fairly expensive and need to be repeated to maintain the effects," says Thomson.
6. Resurfacing Treatments
Aside from injectables, in-clinic resurfacing treatments such as can be beneficial in treating lip lines. "This can be done by various procedures such as laser resurfacing, chemical peels and dermabrasion," says Thomson. "Each of these techniques involves removing the upper layers of the skin to reveal smooth, more radiant skin whilst also increasing collagen production to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles."
Resurfacing laser treatments can be particularly effective. "Lasers such as Fraxel, iPixel and CO2 can be very effective in treating lip lines and improving overall skin quality and texture," says Granite. "These lasers essentially cause micro-injury to the skin's surface, stimulating collagen as the skin heals. There is downtime associated with these treatments, but the results are also quite long-lasting."
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