One of the more common complaints we have at Lazaderm® is lines around the mouth and on the lips. The lines have different names to include lip lines, lipstick lines and smoker’s lines. Smoker’s lines are not an accurate name for the complaint as most of the patients we see have never smoked. Lip lines are the vertical lines around your mouth and can form on both the upper and lower lips. The upper lip lines tend to be more prominent than those on the lower lip.
Smoking – Lip lines can form from smoking. Smoking leads to premature aging by decreasing collagen production as well as the repetitive use of the muscle surrounding the mouth leading to upper and lower lip wrinkles.
Sun Exposure – 80% or more of the skin’s aging process is due to sun exposure. Sun exposure breaks down the collagen and elastin in the skin. The skin becomes thinner and loses elasticity causing wrinkles to form around the mouth.
Stop Smoking – Smoking speeds up the rate at which we lose collagen, elastin and volume around the lips. It can be difficult to quit, but it is effective in treating lines around your mouth.
Sun Protection – Daily use of a high-quality sunblock is important to prevent sun damage around your upper and lower lip. Sunblock should even be worn on cloudy days and in the winter months. We prefer the use of Zinc and Titanium containing sunblock such as EltaMD®.
Dysport® / BOTOX® – Dysport® or BOTOX® can be used for vertical lip lines. These fillers weaken the muscle around the mouth and decrease wrinkling. This will help soften the lip lines but some caution must be used when treating the area around the mouth. Too much BOTOX® or Dysport® may affect your speech or ability to pucker when you sip on your coffee or drink from a straw.
Chemical Peels – Light chemical peels will show a modest improvement in lip lines and help improve the reflectivity of the skin making the lines less noticeable. Many patients feel that the chemical peels help their make-up appear smoother.
Dermal Fillers – Restylane® or JUVÉDERM® line of fillers can be used to treat the lip lines with very smooth results. Injection of dermal fillers can give back some of the volume that we lose as we age. The volume will plump up the area decreasing the depth of the lines around the mouth and then a very small amount of filler can be injected directly into the wrinkles.
Microneedling or Microneedling with RF – The collagen PIN microneedling device can improve wrinkles on the upper and lower lips by increasing the thickness of the skin through collagen production. The Vivace Microneedling with RF device will be recommended for deeper wrinkles around the mouth. The results from microneedling your lips will leave your skin feeling smooth and flawless.
The thing to remember about treating lip lines is the fact that there are two different causes leading to vertical lines on your lips: the loss of volume and then the quality of the skin. Most patients will require the addition of volume back into the area surrounding the mouth and treatment of the skin to even it out and give it a more full, plump look.
Smooth out the area around your mouth and leave your lips with a fuller, more youthful appearance. Lazaderm® is your leader in aesthetics and our highly trained staff are more than happy to help! Contact us for a free consultation or explore our treatment options for vertical lip lines.
