Vertical lines around the lips, though they’re known as smokers’ lines or lipstick lines, happen to everybody. They’re a normal part of ageing. Before you notice the lines themselves, you may notice your lipstick running and settling into them.
You may also notice that the lines directly on your lips don’t go away anymore when you hydrate them.
The most effective way to fix lip lines is with a little bit of lip filler, as it prevents the skin from creasing. Although fillers are generally safe when performed in a medical clinic by an experienced provider, not everyone feels that lip fillers are right for them. Fortunately, there are non-invasive options for anti-ageing for the lips, without using filler.
What causes lip lines?
Vertical lines around the lips form naturally from pursing your lips for sipping drinks, sharing a kiss, making a face or pronouncing rounded vowel sounds.
As we get older, our skin loses collagen and elasticity, so small creases or ridges can start to form in the skin with repeated movements. Loss of volume can also make these lines more pronounced. It’s the same process that causes wrinkles to form anywhere else on the face.
How do you treat lip lines without filler?
The least invasive option for lip lines is Fotona SmoothLip. This treatment uses a laser on special settings for the lip area, and on the lips themselves. It has two basic functions.
Firstly, the SmoothLip laser gently promotes cell turnover to remove the creased superficial layer of dead skin cells and reveal smoother, rejuvenated skin below.
Secondly, the energy from the laser stimulates blood circulation and collagen regeneration in your skin to bring back some of that youthful elasticity.
Although SmoothLip is an ablative laser, it’s a very gentle treatment. There may be some mild redness, swelling and flaking for 1-3 days after treatment (which makes it a popular Friday procedure) but it shouldn’t affect your regular activities. The flaking might look like a bit of dandruff, and the redness might look similar to a mild sunburn.
To achieve the best results, you may require a short course of monthly treatments, each one only takes about 15 minutes to perform.
Another alternative to filler is a treatment known colloquially as the Lip Flip. It involves a bit of anti-wrinkle injection above the top lip to relax the muscles and prevent them from creasing. As a bonus, it can also help the curl up a little bit to make the lip look fuller, though the result is subtle.
The Lip Flip is an inexpensive option (it generally involves 2-7 units of anti-wrinkle product per side) and it generally lasts about 3 months.
Can you also plump your lips without using filler?
The SmoothLip laser treatment discussed above helps to improve circulation and stimulate collagen regeneration, which helps to thicken the fibres in the skin and provide some plumping benefits for fuller, natural-looking lips.
After your course of treatments, you can maintain results by using a gentle lip scrub to promote circulation and keeping your lips well hydrated.
