Eliminating Lip Wrinkles

Friday, January 18th, 2019

Wrinkles around the lips are caused by multiple factors. The first is thinning of the skin and loss of its elasticity. This happens partially with age as the body stops making collagen and elastic tissue continuously at about 30 years of age, and partially from sun exposure. Secondly, the underlying muscle acts to accordion the skin because of the loss of elasticity and the ability to contract without wrinkling. The more you like to talk or use the mouth expressively the more wrinkling you tend to create. Thirdly, the lip loses its subcutaneous support that separates the skin from the muscle. This also increases wrinkling. Once formed, there are a number of things that can be done to eliminate the wrinkles, depending on their severity. 

Skin Care

Occasionally, if the wrinkles are just beginning, all that is needed is what we call Basic Skin Care Plus. This is a good cleanser, an alpha-hydroxyl to remove the dead cells, a pH balancer and a good zinc oxide sunblock Plus effective retinol to add collagen and Obagi®’s ELASTIderm® to add elastic tissue. 

Lip Injection

The normal upper lip has a noticeable pout at the vermillion and defined philtral columns (the vertical lines on either side of the midline). As we age, both are lost and the lip becomes straight rather than concave. Occasionally, significant lines also appear. If this is the case, plumping the lip just back to normal can eliminate the lines and return the lips to a more normal appearance.  

Laser Resurfacing

If the lines are resistant to injection and other treatments or you wish for fast results, the final option is to flatten the lines using a laser. This essentially removes the top layer of the skin, bringing the elevated skin down to the level of the bottom of the wrinkles. In and of itself, this evens the surface of the skin. Additionally, it stimulates collagen production and tightening to further smooth the lip. 

If you have lip wrinkles that you would like gone, call our office in Highlands for an appointment to see what is right for you. Call us at 828-526-3783.