Lined Lips? Here's Why, And How To Beat Em!

by BR Kellie

You know how sometimes in movies they pop in a scene where a women of a more mature age pulls their skin back on their faces as they imagine what a younger, tightened version of themselves would look like? That would be me, but with my lips. Far too often for my own good, I sit in front of the mirror, place my fingers on either side of my upper lips and stretch them out, erasing the not-so-fine lines that reside there. Yes, lip wrinkles, I have a few. More than a few. A whole lot. And, as good as I am with the rest of the wrinkles on my face - even my super deep mid-brow line that makes me look constantly irritated - I'd really like to see my lip lines gone or, at the very least, diminished.

So, what causes lip wrinkles? How can we avoid them? And what can we do once we've got 'em? Read on...

What causes line lips?

Let's get the bad news over and done with: lip lines can be genetic. That means you can do anything and everything to not get them and you'll still get them. Sorry. I feel your pain. 

Other causes of lip lines can be: smoking, sun damage, stress, repeatedly puckering your lips, and - the biggie that happens to all of us - the reduction of collagen that occurs as we age, which causes the lips to become thinner and therefore more prone to wrinkling.

How can we keep lip lines at bay?

Without sounding too 'duh' about it... If you know you're doing something that isn't helping them, such as smoking, or sucking on drink bottles or straws, stop or reduce the amount of times you're doing the activity that causes the lip puckering. 

Next, moisturise. Apply a good face moisturiser around your lips and a lip balm on your actual lips every day. Bonus points if the lip balm has SPF. In fact, make sure it has SPF, and also make sure to apply sunscreen to your face after moisturising.

Exfoliating your lips can also be helpful when it comes to minimising lip lines, and that includes exfoliating around the border of your lips to help with those vertical lip lines.

It's not just what we put on and around our lips that can help, but what we put in us. Avoid drinks that cause dehydration like caffeine and alcohol. Do keep your water intake up and eat antioxidant-rich foods.

What can we do once we have lip lines?

There are a fair few ways to reduce the look of lip lines - from the quick, easy and affordable to the potentially painfully bank account-reducing.

Quick, easy and affordable: Keep moisturising, using SPF and exfoliating. You can also massage your lips to help stimulate the circulation, which will in turn increase the colour and plump up your kissers.

This next lip tip could fall into either category, depending on the cost of the product you use: Use eye cream around your mouth. Take all that amped-up moisturising goodness and tap it around the border of your mouth before bedtime then, for extra hydrating bonus points, pop a lip mask onto your lips before heading off to the Land of Nod.

Potentially painfully bank accounting-reducing: A trained therapist can help you reduce fine lines and wrinkles with dermabrasion or micro-dermabrasion, or you could go down the micro-needling path, or try a chemical peel. Alternatively, fillers or Botox are both options that can help smooth out the area. As always, be sure to chat with a trained professional to make sure the treatment you're considering is right for you. 

While, at the end of the day, a few lip wrinkles isn't world-ending, however if it's an area that bothers you there's no harm in doing your best to reduce the look if it makes you feel better about yourself. Me? I'm too much of a wimp to go down the cosmetic path, so you'll find me watching Beauty YouTube while giving myself a lip massage, followed by a bit of balm.

So, my lovelies, do you have lined lips? And, if so, how do you take care of them? Sharing is caring, so let us know your tips and tricks below!