How to Reduce the Lines Around Your Mouth? 

It’s inevitable, but with age you’ll start seeing more lines and wrinkles form on different areas of your face. We’re not just talking about those frown lines or crow’s feet, but also the wrinkles called “lip lines” or “laugh lines” around your mouth. Despite their cute nicknames, there’s nothing cute about letting your wrinkles go untreated, and it’s time to reduce the lines.

Laughing, eating, speaking, drinking and many actions are unavoidable however, they stretch the skin above your upper lip, making it gradually lose its elasticity and deepening existing lines. Assuming that you can’t simply stop doing all those actions, it’s best that you know how to reduce and take care of the lines surrounding your mouth. That is why we’ve gathered this guide for you, so you don’t have to overthink every smile or sip. 

Starting Early 

When it comes to any kind of wrinkles, prevention is usually the most effective way to go. According to research, once you hit your twenties, your skin produces collagen 1% less every year. The collagen drop means that your skin is losing its natural elasticity and is becoming increasingly thinner. As a result, the skin around your lips becomes slightly deflated and loses its natural plumpness. Furthermore, as you may have noticed, due to constant exposure to different elements (water, food, saliva), your lips are more prone to dryness, which has an evident impact on lip lines. 

That is why dermatologists recommend that you start protecting the skin around your lips as soon as possible. That includes, but is not limited to, moisturizing creams, sunscreen (preventing further dehydration of the skin), and even facial masks that would nourish the skin and preserve its elasticity. Later on, in your thirties and forties, you should maintain a regular skincare routine that would ensure preventing the deepening of the vertical lines which have started to form. 

Even though it’s close to impossible to erase those lines completely, prevention is without a doubt, your first and most important step. However, if you’ve already witnessed crinkles around your lips, it’s not too late, there’s plenty that can be done. 

Start protecting the skin around your lips as soon as possible

Quit Smoking 

There are many good health related reasons to stop smoking, but if you’re looking for another one, it’s definitely related to your lips. Apparently, this cause even has a name of its own “Smoker’s Lips”. It’s not only the repeated lip puckering that’s ruining the skin surrounding your mouth, it’s also the nicotine that reduces blood flow and robs the skin of the oxygen it needs. Plus, smoking can have a negative impact on your melanin levels and darken your lips and gums. The best way to treat all these is by simply quitting those smokes and drinking extra cups of water to rehydrate the skin and flush those toxins out. 

Did you hear of “Smoker’s Lips”?

Ditch the Straw 

Aside from ecological considerations (500 millions straws used on a daily basis, each taking hundreds of years to decompose) dermatologists claim that repetitively pursing your lips to drink from straws is one of the main reasons for wrinkles around your mouth. It creates a repetitive muscle motion that unlike talking or eating, is rather unnecessary. So, if you already have wrinkled lips, maybe it’s time to put those straws aside and help both your skin and the earth. 

It’s time to put those straws aside

Adopt Better Habits 

Just like smoking, there are countless advantages to leading a healthier lifestyle. That means maintaining a balanced diet, drinking at least 8 cups of water a day (even more if you’re looking to rejuvenate your skin) and sleeping the recommended 7-8 hours a night. Taking all these measures would not only make you feel better, it would also help you look so much better. For instance, did you know that when your body doesn’t get enough sleep it produces a hormone that breaks down skin cells? That basically means that instead of producing HGH (which preserves the skin’s elasticity) and maintaining your skin’s thickness, you’re accelerating the creation of wrinkles and preventing the skin’s natural rejuvenation process. 

Maintain a balanced diet, drinking at least 8 cups of water a day

Replenish your Skin and Reduce the Lines

Due to repetitive rinsing and shaving, and perhaps even occasional shaving nicks, men have to take better care of that sensitive skin. That is why it is highly recommended that you use an appropriate face wash that would soften and prepare your skin for shaving. Plus, it would nourish the skin and trap moisture in it, thus helping prevent and treat existing lines. Last but not least, don’t skip your daily face cream treatment, smoothing and firming the skin. 

So, you don’t have to give in to having a stiff upper lip (and a bottom one, too). With the right kind of treatment and habits, the skin around your mouth can be as soft and wrinkle-free as you’ve always wanted it to.