The wrinkles and lines around the eyes or on the forehead might take a while to develop, but lip lines are usually the first signs of ageing to become noticeable. The lips develop lines and wrinkles with age, and also discolouration.
The ageing signs we associate with the lips is usually visible through lip lines or lip wrinkles, loss of volume, and even discolouration. There may also be vertical lines that stretch from the top to the bottom of each lip. Many of such lip lines can be present all over the lips, going from one corner of the mouth to the other.
Reduced collagen under the lips top layers causes them to wrinkle up easily with increasing age as the levels of the natural oils in the skin also start to diminish. This is also because the topmost layer of the skin on the lips is very thin and is prone to quick damage and wrinkling. But, the solution for ageing lips lies in proper skincare and some advanced professional procedures that work as anti-ageing treatments.
Keep reading to find the right solution for you.
What are the Signs of Ageing Lips?
Dryness and Flaking
One of the common signs of ageing and dehydrated lips tends to be dryness and flaking. This results in the topmost layer of skin on the lips becoming dry and starting to flake away. In addition, the extreme dryness can also cause cracks in the lips and bleeding.
Damage from the harmful UV rays and harsh environmental conditions cause dry lips. However, internally, the culprit behind dryness and flaking is lack of optimal levels of natural oils in the skin and impaired retention of moisture.
Thinning Lips
Younger lips that are smooth and voluminous become thin and rather flat with the decrease in the collagen levels in the lips. It can almost look like your plump lines have become deflated.
Lip Wrinkles
Lip wrinkles are caused when the line on your lips start off as fine lines but then develop into deeper wrinkles with progressing time.
Both collagen and natural oil decrease because the lip wrinkles to develop. Furthermore, repetitive movements from daily activities, smoking (the movements along with the harmful effects from the smoke can cause premature ageing lips as well) along with pursing the lips worsens the condition.
Pigmentation
The lips can develop a darker colour with age due to the adverse effects of UV damage and smoking. Furthermore, the discolouration adds to the already unappealing look of wrinkled lips.
Suggested Article: Get Luscious, Plump Lips Without the Need for Needles.
How to Prevent the Signs of Ageing Lips
We tend to ignore our lips as we often cover them up with lipstick, lip gloss or liquid lipstick. However, the magnitude of skincare we exercise for our facial skin should match the daily lip care we practice as well.
Protecting your pout and taking care of it can help prevent the signs of ageing lips. Furthermore, a good lip care routine can even delay these signs from cropping up before time.
Follow these pointers as preventative measures for lip wrinkles:
Apply a Lip Balm or Oil
The lips are constantly being depleted of moisture from eating, drinking, and saliva. For this reason, nourishment and moisturisation are repetitively required to keep them looking plump and healthy. So, be sure to use a moisturising lip balm or lip oil and apply it every one-to-two hours on the lips.
Suggested Article: Dry Lips: Combat Chapped Lips This Winter with the Best Natural DIY Remedies.
Use a Lip Balm with SPF
Simply using a lip balm that moisturises the lips and prevents dryness and flaking is not enough. For this reason, you should protect your lips, just like the rest of any exposed skin, from UV rays.
These days lip balms do come with SPF that can keep your lips shielded from the damaging sun rays. A few brands also sell lipsticks with SPF included. So, invest in your favourite flavours and shades to ensure healthy lips that do not get discoloured and damaged due to sun exposure.
Stop Smoking
Smoking is unhealthy for the lungs, the body, the skin, and your lips.
It is responsible for causing premature signs of ageing developing on your face including lip lines and wrinkles around the mouth. Furthermore, it can also cause lip discolouration.
Remove Makeup
Be sure to cleanse your face twice a day and remember to remove all makeup from the lips and surrounding area before you go to bed!
How to Treat the Signs of Ageing Lips
Lips that have developed lip wrinkles and discolouration is a definite possibility. You can, however, use specialized products that claim to reverse your lips to the smooth lips you had in your youth.
The products that are available for treating the signs of ageing lips include the following.
Lip Serums and Treatments
Serums for the face aren’t the latest rage anymore!
Many brands sell both lip serums and treatments these days, specifically to target signs of ageing lips along with working as an anti-ageing treatment for them. These serums are formulated with hydrating and anti-ageing ingredients that will make your lips luscious again.
Lip retinol is one such ingredient that improves collagen production in the lips and fills them up. It also helps to lighten the pigmentation that often accompanies the thinning lips. In addition, Hyaluronic acid is another great ingredient to look out for. This is due to it being an excellent moisturiser and it can help to plump up the lips again.
Vitamin C, brown algae, and other antioxidants in lip serums can combat the damage caused by the sun, pollution, and smoking.
Suggested Article: Facial Acids: How to Introduce Retinol and Acids into Your Skincare Routine
Lip Exfoliators
Scrubbing your lips once in every few days using a lip scrub can get rid of the dead, flaky skin and improve circulation. Improved circulation helps to boost the supply of nourishing factors to the lips. This can also boost collagen production.
You can make a simple sugar scrub at home by using both brown sugar and olive oil. However, in beauty stores, you will find many lip scrub variants that can help to renew the skin of your lips. Lip scrubs are also available in a lipstick bullet form making them super-convenient to use.
Anti-ageing Moisturisers
Using products that are anti-ageing in nature on the lips is not enough. You need to concentrate on the skin around the lips as well. So, make sure to apply your anti-ageing moisturisers on the upper lip area and around the mouth. Be sure to pat it into the skin to improve product absorption.
- Anti-ageing moisturisers with retinol are great for around the lips.
- Hyaluronic acid, ceramides, peptides, and antioxidants are other helpful ingredients.
Suggested Article: Skin Tightening Treatments for Ageing Skin That Really Work
What Products Can You Use at Home to Treat It?
Let us simplify your life and give you a list of products that have been tried and tested by many to treat ageing lips at home.
Dermalogica Nightly Lip Treatment
An overnight treatment that tackles different signs of ageing lips, such as dryness, chapped lips, and lip lines. It contains sesame seed, aloe vera, Indian gentian extract blend, and shea butter to fill in those lines and replenish the lips with healthy moisturisation.
Dr Macrene’s 37 Actives High-Performance Anti-Aging And Filler Lip Treatment
Contains 20 plant-based active ingredients, antioxidants, and hydrating components to soften lips and make them look plump and youthful again. In addition, it is a paraben-free and fragrance-free formula that works as a lip primer and is non-sticky.
Fresh Sugar Lip Serum Advanced Therapy
Exotic ingredients like the acmella flower extract and Kigelia Africana fruit extract set this product apart. These ingredients reduce lines and wrinkles on the lips, and also improve elasticity. It is a widely loved product to get toned, smooth, and younger lips.
You can buy it directly from Fresh.com for £29.50
Hourglass No.28 Lip Treatment Oil
This product contains clinically proven ingredients that improve lip texture, softness, shape and volume constitute. Furthermore, it contains 14 different types of essential oils as well as a handful of plant oils and vitamins.
Your dry lips will love you for using this anti-ageing product!
Some other products worth mentioning in this section for treatments you can use at home for ageing lips are the following:
- Shiseido Benefiance Full Correction Lip Treatment
- Clinique All About Lips
- The Body Shop Exfoliating Lip Scrub
- Clinique Repairwear Intensive Lip Treatment
- TonyMoly Kiss Kiss Lovely Lip Patch
Professional Treatments That Are Available
The products you can purchase from beauty stores or drugstores and use conveniently at home do contain powerful ingredients. But, they do not produce instant results for anti-ageing lips. It can take even months for you to notice any substantial results with their usage.
If you are somebody who prefers instant results that will make the lip wrinkles disappear almost completely, then professional treatments are the option for you. Aestheticians or dermatologists typically perform these treatments depending on their complexity.
Popular anti-ageing professional treatments for ageing lips are explained below.
Laser Treatment
Laser resurfacing is an enhanced technique used to remove the top, damaged layers of the skin. Additionally, the energy from the laser light also improves circulation and promotes collagen production in the lips. This helps to plump up the lips and diminish the appearance of fine lip lines.
For deeper wrinkles, different types of laser can be used to target and reduce them. It must be noted, however, that a few sessions may be required to produce maximum results.
Chemical Peels
Whilst you do not apply these directly on the lips, they do apply them on the skin around the mouth. This is to lighten the discolouration and also promote collagen production in the skin.
Alpha hydroxy acids/chemical peels are applied to the skin in specific concentrations to bring about these changes.
Botox and Dermal Fillers
To restore the structure of your thinning lips, injectables can be used. These are the most popular form of professional treatment for getting rid of lip lines and improving lip volume. However, it is important that before getting an injectable filler you speak to the dermatologist to let him/her know the type of results you are looking for.
Subtle treatments are enough to define the lip and make them appear younger-looking. Repetitive sessions after a couple of months are necessary with fillers and Botox to maintain the results.
Microneedling
You can avoid the downtime we associate with laser resurfacing by opting for micro-needling treatment for your ageing lips. This is when a professional targets the skin around the lips during treatment and microneedles are used to create minute injuries in the skin. When the skin heals itself, it produces collagen and elastin. This, in turn, fills up the lip lines and makes them appear fuller.
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How to Use Makeup to Conceal Lip Lines
The magic of makeup can create an illusion for the eyes that you like, including creating full, luscious looking lips.
Lip Liner
To hide the lip lines and give your thin, aged lips more volume, a lip liner is your new best friend.
Match the lip liner with the lip shade you are planning to use or as close to it as possible. Then, follow the natural lines of your cupid’s bow and overdraw the actual upper lip. Repeat this on the opposite lip but only at the fullest part of your lip, which is usually the centre. Finally, fill the gap between the overdrawn line and your actual lip line with the same lip liner.
Lipstick
Apply your lipstick as usual and you will notice the effects of the trick you just used.
For some extra oomph, apply a lip gloss only to the centres of the lips. This will play with the light falling on your lips and make them appear fuller.
Suggested Article: Radiant Skin: Makeup and Skincare Tips for Luminous, Glowing Skin Inside Out.
Concealer
To avoid the lipstick from bleeding into the edges due to the lip lines and wrinkles on the skin around the mouth, use a concealer.
Preferably the concealer will be the same shade as your foundation and you should apply it to line the outer edges of your lips. Simply, blend the concealer gently and outwards to fill in the lip lines.
Do not forget to set the concealer in place with powder as this will prevent the lipstick from feathering. Additionally, you can use a concealer on the lips as a base to fill in the lip lines and to cover up any discolouration.
Furthermore, using lip primers or non-sticky lip treatments as primers will hydrate the lips and reshape lip contours before lipstick application.
To learn more about anti-ageing treatments, click here to read how to create an ‘Anti-ageing Skincare Routine for Mature Skin.’