Wrinkles Around the Mouth: A Science Backed Approach

You should feel your best when you’re smiling -- you shouldn’t feel self-conscious about wrinkles around your mouth. However, this is a very common area of the face to develop pesky wrinkles that just don’t seem to go away! And while it may be tempting to run to the dermatologist and spend tons of money on intensive treatments, a better first option is to revolutionize your skincare routine to target this specific issue.

While you may think that all wrinkles around the mouth are the same thing, that’s not necessarily the case. In fact, there are three different types of mouth wrinkles that each have their own distinct appearance and cause. It’s important to recognize which type of mouth wrinkles you’re dealing with so that you can effectively treat them.

Here are the three different types of wrinkles you can expect to experience around the mouth:

Smile lines

Smile lines form along the sides of your mouth and are particularly pronounced when you smile. Smiling definitely isn’t a bad thing, which is why these wrinkles are a bit tough to avoid.

Marionette lines

Marionette lines form vertically from your mouth to your chin. These wrinkles commonly develop with age and can greatly age your appearance due to their sagging effect on the face.

Lipstick lines

Lipstick lines form vertically on the lips themselves. They are also known as “smoker’s lines” as they commonly affect people who regularly smoke cigarettes.

Developing wrinkles around the mouth is a very common occurrence as we age. In fact, the mouth area is one of the first places people tend to develop wrinkles as a result of the thin skin in this area. As we age, our skin becomes even thinner as we start producing less oil, collagen, and elastin. As a result, we end up with wrinkles around the mouth.

There are other factors involved in the development of wrinkles around the mouth that go beyond just aging alone. When you think about it, it makes sense since everyone ages differently.

Here are some additional causes that could be causing wrinkles around your mouth:

Dehydration

Our skin is made up of a lot of water, so dehydration can have some serious consequences. Make sure to consume enough water to feel good on the inside and look good on the outside. The U.S. National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine recommends consuming 15.5 cups of fluids a day for men and 11.5 a day for women.

Poor diet

The food you eat nourishes your skin. So if you’re eating bad foods, you’re not properly nourishing your skin. As a result, your skin will age faster while also potentially experiencing issues like dryness, oiliness, or blemishes. It’s recommended that you consume healthy foods high in vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, oils, and antioxidants to properly nourish your skin.

Smoking and drinking

Smoking and drinking aren’t very healthy habits to start with, but they could actually be contributing to your mouth wrinkles. For starters, the chemicals in cigarettes are horrible for your skin and can speed up the aging process -- leading to fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin. Furthermore, smoking utilizes a repetitive facial expression of puckering the lips that, over time, can develop wrinkles. Finally, alcohol is a diuretic that removes fluids from your body and can leave you dehydrated. As you now know, dehydration can lead to wrinkles and this can be further exacerbated by alcohol consumption.

Facial expressions

Smile lines, mentioned above, are one of the main types of mouth wrinkles and they are caused by a very natural facial expression -- smiling! And while there’s nothing wrong with facial expressions, it’s important to know that even the best prevention usually can’t stop smile lines.

Sun damage

Sun damage can cause wrinkles all over the body, but it’s particularly problematic for the mouth area. Not many people like applying sunscreen right next to their mouth due to the risk of getting a small amount inside and experiencing a nasty taste. Furthermore, many people neglect to protect their actual lips from the sun by using a chapstick or lip balm with SPF. As a result, your mouth wrinkles could very well be caused by sun damage.

Genetics

This is another factor you can’t control -- genetics. If it seems like some people just don’t seem to age at all despite bad habits and skincare, this is likely due to their genetics. You can get a good idea of your genetics by looking at your parents or grandparents and seeing if they have any wrinkles around their mouths.

Now that you better understand the causes of wrinkles around the mouth, we can move on to remedies. Keep in mind that defending on the root cause of your wrinkles, some treatments may work better than others.

Here are some of the different treatment options you can consider to reduce the appearance of wrinkles around the mouth:

Chemical peel

This is a cosmetic procedure that utilizes chemicals to remove the top layers of skin -- thereby revealing newer, smoother skin underneath. While it’s unlikely that a single chemical peel will get rid of your mouth wrinkles for good, it’s a beneficial treatment to have done on a regular basis to manage the appearance of your mouth wrinkles.

Microneedling

This is a cosmetic procedure that utilizes tiny needles to cause “micro injuries” to your skin. As a result of these injuries, the body sends its healing mechanisms like collagen to the area that is then able to firm up the skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. While microneedling can be done at home with certain devices, it’s definitely safer to have done by a medical professional.

Botox

This cosmetic injection temporarily paralyzes the muscles around your mouth. As a result, you’re less able to make the facial expressions that likely led to the formation of these wrinkles in the first place! While these muscles are temporarily paralyzed, the body can fill them in and create a smoother, younger appearance.

Fillers

If you’re not a fan of temporarily paralyzing your facial muscles, fillers are another injectable option. This procedure involves injecting plumping and filling ingredients like hyaluronic acid into wrinkled areas to smooth out the lines.

If you want your treatment to actually stand the test of time, then we also need to talk about prevention.

Here are some of the best ways you can prevent wrinkles from forming around the mouth in the first place:

• Drink enough water
• Eat a healthy diet
• Quit smoking and manage drinking
• Protect your skin with SPF

These are easy fixes that can make all the difference when it comes to reducing the appearance of mouth wrinkles.

Cosmetic procedures can be invasive -- and expensive. They certainly aren’t the right solution for everyone. However, one simple solution for mouth wrinkles that can work for anyone and everyone involves overhauling your skincare routine.

For example, simply cleansing, hydrating, and exfoliating your face on a regular basis can have a huge effect on the appearance of mouth wrinkles. That being said, not all skincare products are created equal and not all of them are going to help reduce your mouth wrinkles.

Instead of one size fits all skincare, consider personalized skincare with specialized anti-aging ingredients from PROVEN Skincare, the OG personalized skincare brand.

With our award-winning skincare database that contains assessments of more than 20 million customer reviews, 20,000 skincare ingredients, and 4,000 scientific papers, our AI system can develop the perfect formula for your unique skin.

With more than 2,000 different product combinations available, you’re bound to get the perfect formula to tackle skin concerns like mouth wrinkles.

For example, your personalized formula may contain beneficial anti-aging ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, ceramides, peptides, and retinol. And on the off chance that your formula isn’t 100% perfect for you, we will help you reformulate it free of charge.

With PROVEN there’s nothing to lose and everything to gain. All it takes is three minutes of your time to complete our Skin Genome Quiz to receive your personalized formula and start reducing those wrinkles!