Here’s How to Soften the Look of Your Lip Lines
We know there’s a ton of talk out there about fighting fine lines and erasing signs of aging, but it’s important to note that wrinkles are also a beautiful fact of life. They can pop up on anyone regardless of age, and if you love them, by all means, let them be (we’re here for it!). But if you’re not a fan, that’s totally OK too—we get it. You might love your laugh lines and not your crow’s feet, or embrace forehead lines and not the look of tired under-eyes. It’s your face, after all, and it’s 100% fine to embrace those wrinkles or want to kick them to the curb.
That brings us to lip lines: a topic that often gets overlooked when it comes to addressing fine lines and wrinkles. By definition, lip lines are vertical lines and horizontal lines that appear on your lips (you know, those lines that your lipstick sometimes folds into after you apply it). The appearance of lip lines can be super fine and barely noticeable, or larger and more pronounced. And if you’ve got them, you’re not alone. Lots of us have them. But what causes lip lines? How can we make the look better? And how can we prevent them? We talked to dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD, for the answers to all our lip line questions.
About the Expert:
Joshua Zeichner, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist. He is the director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, and his expert advice has been featured in various publications, including Allure and the New York Times.
But First, What Causes Lip Lines?
Lip lines can pop up for a variety of reasons. “Lines form around the mouth because of a combination of weakening skin and repetitive pursing of the lips. As the muscles around the lips fold overlying the skin, it leads to lines that eventually become etched in,” says Dr. Zeichner. Basically, we all have lips that move, smile, and sip, which makes everyone prone to lip lines. But factors like the environment, sun exposure, aging, lifestyle, and skin type can impact how pronounced they are. “These lines can be made worse from weak skin due to UV light exposure as well as movements that accentuate muscle activities, like smoking or using a straw. Some people genetically have weaker skin, leading to earlier development of these lines and ultimately deeper wrinkles,” Dr. Zeichner tells us.
10 Ways to Soften the Look of Lip Lines
The good news: It is possible to soften the look of those lines, and they don’t all require a trip to the derm. Keep reading below for our tips on how to tackle and treat them.
1. Up the Moisture
Repeat after us: “Hydrated lips are happy lips.” Making sure your pout is loaded up with moisture is the first step to improving the look of lip lines. Lips that are dry, cracked, and moisture-deprived can make lip lines look deeper and more pronounced. Want to help fade them into the background? Swipe on a healing lip balm like the MOROCCAN MAGIC Manuka Honey Lip Balm. It’s packed with heavy-hitting hydrators like manuka honey, cold-pressed argan oil, coconut oil, and vitamin E, and word on the street is that it’s a serious dry-lip defender.
2. Use UV Protection
While we know you’re diligent about applying and reapplying SPF to your face and bod (don’t ever skip it!), it's easy to leave your lips lacking protection from the sun. As it turns out, UV rays can be a leading cause of lip lines forming. “UV light weakens the skin and damages collagen, and a weak foundation means that it won't resist wrinkling as best as it could,” according to Dr. Zeichner. Reach for an SPF-packed lip balm such as PREVENTATIVE MEASURES 101 SPF Lip Balm, which helps protect and hydrate lips in one gp. Even better, a portion of proceeds from each sale gets donated to cancer research.
3. Stimulate Collagen
“To treat lip lines, look for ingredients that stimulate collagen to strengthen the foundation of the skin. Examples are retinol, glycolic acid, or bakuchiol,” Dr. Zeichner suggests. Luckily, there are loads of lip balms, salves, and serums on the market with collagen-stimulating benefits built in. If you’re interested in retinol, chat with your derm for advice on how to use it. But keep this in mind: “While effective, retinol is slow to act and may initially cause irritation. Start every other day as you adjust. Be careful not to get the retinol onto the lips themselves, but rather apply to the skin around the lips,” Dr. Zeichner advises. Looking for something more subtle? VERSO Lip Serumuses a stabilized version of retinol that’s non-irritating, and helps firm and tighten the look of lip lines.
4. Plump Up Lips
When it comes to lip plumping power, hyaluronic acid is the G.O.A.T. “Plumping creams that contain ingredients like hyaluronic acid are helpful. They act like sponges to draw in water to the outer skin layer to fill in lines,” Dr. Zeichner adds. An Ipster fave is the PCA SKIN Hyaluronic Acid Lip Booster, which uses a powerful blend of hyaluronic acid and peptides to help stimulate collagen while reducing the look of fine lines and wrinkles.
5. Go With Glycolic
As Dr. Zeichner mentioned, glycolic acid is a collagen stimulator, which can work wonders for improving the look of lips lines. Derived from sugarcane, glycolic acid (an alpha-hydroxy acid) has a very small molecular weight, which allows it to penetrate your skin easily and deliver its exfoliating, brightening, firming, and tightening benefits right where you need them.
6. Use An Exfoliant
Speaking of exfoliating, one of the best ways to instantly improve the look of lip lines is to give your lips a good (gentle) scrub. Treat your lips to an exfoliating polish twice a week to help slough dead skin cells, soften lips, boost circulation, and plump up skin. HANALEI Sugar Lip Scrub uses sugarcane to gently exfoliate lip skin without causing irritation, along with essential fatty acids, vitamins A, C, and E to help hydrate and nourish lips.
7. Try Gua Sha
If you’ve spent more than a few minutes scrolling through skin sculpting hacks on social media, you’re sure to have come across taut-faced beauties sculpting and plumping their skin with gua sha. It’s an age-old technique that’s been used in Chinese medicine for centuries, where a gua sha stone is gently moved over the skin to promote circulation, lymphatic drainage, and fight fine lines. As it turns out, gua sha can be used on your lips, too, to help minimize the look of lines and plump up your pout temporarily. Just be sure to be gentle on your delicate lip skin.
8. Use An Anti-Aging Lip Mask
One of the best ways to treat lip lines? With some TLC. Smooth on a nighttime lip mask before bed, looking for good-for-skin ingredients like hyaluronic acid, vitamins, and antioxidants to wake up with a smooth smile. We’re obsessed with smoothing on the LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask(there’s a reason why it’s a cult fave!).
9. Try Laser Or Microneedling
If you’ve got lip lines that run deep or you just want a more permanent fix, an in-office treatment like laser treatments or microneedling may be your cup of tea. “Resurfacing lasers and microneedling work by punching microscopic wounds in your skin and taking advantage of the skin's ability to heal itself up. This wound healing process revs up collagen production, leaving the skin thicker and stronger than it was before,” says Dr. Zeichner.
10. Flirt With Filler
While pillowy pouts and lip flips are more popular than ever, when it comes to fixing lip lines, a little bit of upper lip filler can go a long way. Fillers like Botox, Dysport Juvederm, Volbella, Restylane, and more can be a quick (and long-lasting) fix.
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