As you age, you will find wrinkles appearing in different areas of your face like the forehead, below the eyes, between eyebrows, and wrinkles around the mouth. While everyone eventually gets these, women are more prone to developing wrinkles around the mouth because the structure of the skin in that area is different from men. Like most of the other wrinkles, wrinkles around the mouth also called perioral wrinkles, are caused by age, genetics, sun exposure and smoking
Perhaps the idea of a non-invasive procedure may have crossed your mind, but you may be concerned about the side effects. Or, you might be looking for a treatment that offers long-term results
Wrinkles around the mouth are of three types of skin lines
- Smile Lines (nasolabial lines) – These are those lines that run from the bottom of your nose to the corners of your mouth. These can be seen more prominently in women, especially as they age.
- Marionette lines – If you feel that your face looks sadder or angrier than it used to, it’s likely because of something called marionette lines. These are the vertical wrinkles that can be found at the corners of your mouth. These lines can give the face a downturned expression and make you look serious, or worse, angry, even when you are relaxed.
- Vertical lip lines – Wrinkles around lips are mostly caused by regular lip movements and hence are unavoidable. They are also called smokers lines, because regular smoking, both due to the harmful effects of smoking and also pressing the lips together when you smoke is a big factor in the appearance of these lines. Waxing and threading your upper lip can also be a contributing factor for these lines, although not as serious as smoking.
Prevention
In order to prevent wrinkles around the mouth, you need to learn to completely relax your face. Yes, happiness is the most common universal facial expression. But, it is also the primary cause of lines around the mouth and also on the forehead. Start by looking in the mirror and making regular facial expressions like laughing, crying, and squinting your eyes. We find that people with wrinkles around the mouth are over-expressive. Now, do the opposite: completely relax your face. You will notice that lines look more pronounced when you are making facial expressions and smoother when your face is relaxed. Therefore, you need to start training yourself to control your facial expression.
Further, lines around the mouth are also caused by smoking. Quit smoking, try wrinkle-fighting skin treatments. All the other methods that prevent wrinkles, in general, can be used for perioral wrinkles. You can make the biggest dent by using sunscreen, moisturizers, and skin serums that help stimulate collagen production.
Treatment
Once you get wrinkles around your mouth, there is no way to eliminate them except to treat them before they get worse. Some of the methods to get rid of the perioral lines are –
- Topical Products: A new generation of skincare products designed to help boost natural collagen and elastin levels in the skin can help improve the appearance of wrinkles around the mouth without the risk associated with surgical procedures. Take a look at our recommendations. Take a look at the best face serums. The Repair Serum from Carrot & Stick is a heavy hitter in the fight against wrinkles. The formula contains seven plant-based neuropeptides to enhance the skin’s structural integrity from the inside out, promoting smoother, more resilient skin. A blend of synthesized growth factors promotes elasticity, cell turnover, and nutrient absorption to support revitalization. Rounding out the power-house ingredients list is chamomile, licorice root, and green tea to help brighten the skin.
- Retinoid – When your head hits the pillow, your body goes into repair mode. Give it an extra boost with a dose of Carrot & Stick The Face Oil Retinoic. Retinoid is the main weapon in any arsenal for fighting wrinkles. It is considered the gold standard of for anti-aging and comes from vitamin A. A high dose of retinoid works on fine lines and wrinkles around the mouth.
- Facial exercises – Facial skin with sufficient muscle tone and collagen can deter wrinkling around the mouth. The lost facial collagen can be made up of muscles, and facial exercises help in rebuilding these muscles. There are different types of exercises that you can find at various sources, including asking your doctor. Yes, facial exercises are an effective way to prevent future wrinkles.
- Dermabrasion and chemical peeling –In both of the methods, the upper layer of the skin is removed for a new layer to grow. They work well with the perioral wrinkles. Lighter peels will not yield the results you are looking for. To see any improvement, you need to look at clinical grade peels. But, don’t expect to see long-term results as these procedures are only targeting the upper layers of the dermis.
- Face-lift –This is the ultimate answer to all kinds of wrinkles around the mouth and it can make you look years younger. If you feel like nothing else is working, you can resort to this step. But, this is a risky procedure. A facelift will always leave scars. And, a facelift will never look entirely natural. Instead, take a look at nonsurgical facelifts that utilize laser technology.
- Lasers– Lasers can safely and effectively reduce lines and wrinkles around the mouth. We recommend taking a look at laser devices that are specifically designed to boost collagen naturally, such as Refirm, Thermage, Titan, and Ultherapy. These types of lasers are safer than conventional lasers. Plus, usually, there is little or no downtime. However, avoid ablative procedures such as CO2. These types of procedures give lasers a bad name because there is always downtime. These types of lasers work by vaporizing the upper layers of the skin. Whilst this leaves a smoother appearance, it causes the skin to become paper-thin. Please avoid these types of laser procedures.
- Diet –A diet high in sticky vegetables will help promote hyaluronic acid levels in the skin. Hyaluronic acid keeps the skin firm and plump naturally. Sticky vegetables including taro root, okra, potatoes, and sweet potatoes are known to stimulate the production of hyaluronic acid naturally. However, these types of foods are very starchy and can also cause you to put on weight around your waist.
- Vampire Facial – This is the fastest-growing cosmetic procedure in 2014-2015. Sadly, the science behind this procedure is poor. In fact, it only became popular after a certain reality television star boasted about the results she experienced. Yes, you will see an immediate effect but this is just temporary inflammation of the skin and once the inflammation has subsided you will lose the effects.
Apart from these methods, there are different forms of non-invasive that can also be used. Please consult with your physician about the best treatment for you. Wrinkles around the mouth are probably the biggest reason you look older than you are and the problem is that, they are very easily produced. Every time you make an expression, you are helping create more folds and grooves around your mouth.
