Who doesn’t want that perfect pout? We associate full, plump lips with youthfulness because as we age, lips tend to lose that fullness and definition. In addition to flatter, thinner lips, aging creates lines around the mouth and causes the corners of our mouths to turn down slightly.
Did you know that lips are at their peak around the age of 14-16? After that, they slowly start to become thinner, often manifesting in a noticeable difference by the time you’re in your 30s or 40s.
No matter your age, here at Hawaii Blue, we have lots of tricks up our sleeve to get the perfect pout you’re after. We advise to focus on the three main indicators of aging lips:
- Dry lips
- Stress lines around the mouth
- Loss of plumpness
1. How to combat dry, chapped lips
When lips are dehydrated, they can become shriveled, wrinkled, and cracked. This doesn’t exactly scream “youthful”, does it? One of the easiest ways to encourage younger-looking lips is to take care of them the same way you do the rest of your face!
However, the skin on your lips is notably different from the skin on the rest of your face. It is thinner, contains no hair follicles, contains no sebaceous (oil) glands, and produces less melanin. This leaves lips with very little natural protection from the elements, and means a little extra TLC will go a long way in preventing and correcting damage.
Exfoliate, moisturize, and use an SPF.
Once a week, exfoliate your lips. Exfoliating your lips will remove the outer layers of dry, dead skin cells and will boost blood flow to the lips. Exfoliating your lips can be as simple as rubbing them with a damp cloth or buffing with a clean toothbrush. If you want, you can incorporate a DIY lip exfoliating scrub using sugar mixed with shea butter, honey, or Vaseline.
Every day, but especially after exfoliating, moisturize your lips. Lip moisturizing products that contain hyaluronic acid, peptides, and fatty acids like ceramides are especially beneficial.
Throughout the day, top off your lips with a sunscreen product. Use a chapstick, lipstick, or lip balm with an SPF of at least 30. Sun protection for your lips is vital, as UV exposure to the thin skin of your lips can not only cause sunburn, but it destroys collagen — causing thinner lips and wrinkles.
2. How to combat lines and wrinkles around the mouth
We get wrinkles both on and around the mouth. They are a natural sign of aging, but they are often premature among smokers or those who have had a lot of sun exposure.
Wrinkles around the mouth or lips are called perioral wrinkles. As we age, they are often the first to appear since we naturally have less collagen around the mouth area.
Wrinkles on and above the lip are sometimes called lipstick lines or smoker’s lines. On the lips they look like small vertical lines spanning across the lip. Above the lips, they are vertical lines that stretch above the top lip to the bottom of the nose.
The good news is, they are easily treated!
For wrinkles on the lip, we sometimes recommend a chemical peel. Other options for perioral wrinkles are dermal fillers — Volbella and Vollure are designed specifically for lip lines and give fantastic results. For dramatic results, using both Botox along with other dermal fillers can take ten years off your face! Botox only works on wrinkles that are caused by muscle movement, so this is ideal for smoker’s lines that typically occur from the repeated action of puckering the lips.
3. How to combat loss of plumpness in the lips
Ah, the “disappearing lip” syndrome. As we age, lips get thinner, flatter, and eventually, can almost seem to disappear into the mouth. If you had naturally thin lips to begin with, you may want to hold on to all you’ve got! We can help. But before you turn to us, here’s what you can do:
The basics: drink water and get enough sleep.
Yes, it’s really that simple. Drinking about 8 glasses of water daily really does impact your skin. As we age, our skin stops producing as much natural moisture. This causes skin to dry out, thin out, and become more susceptible to wrinkles.
But, this study showed a measurable increase in dermal thickness when individuals who didn’t normally drink the recommended amount started to drink 8 glasses of mineral water per day. This is good news for your lips, since their thin skin means they need all the extra help they can get.
Your body also needs water to form collagen. Water is about 60% of collagen’s total weight. If you don’t have enough water, collagen proteins become weak and skin loses its elasticity and firmness.
Speaking of collagen, when do you think your body produces it? The answer is: when you sleep. If you don’t get enough sleep, your body cannot repair itself. A difference of just 2 hours less of bedtime sleep (five hours versus seven) can mean twice as many wrinkles.
Thicker skin and abundant collagen = plump skin…including your lips. So drink up, and rest!
Lip fillers to the rescue!
For immediate results, injectable hyaluronic acid (HA) is the answer. Hyaluronic acid naturally occurs in the body. In the skin, hyaluronic acid attracts water and keeps it hydrated. As we age, its production decreases and contributes to loss of plumpness.
So what do we do? Inject it back in, of course! Dermal fillers like Juvederm, Volbella, and Vollure contain hyaluronic acid, and a skilled injector can give you natural-looking, plumper, more-defined lips in minutes. Results last anywhere from 6 - 18 months.
Come Get Your Perfect Pout
At Hawaii Blue, we offer targeted anti-aging solutions for your skin that can give you results quickly! Our services include botox, dermal fillers, chemical peels, and more. If you’re in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, come visit Hawaii Blue in Newport News or Virginia Beach. Schedule your free consultation today.
