It is common for deep vertical lines — sometimes called smoker’s lines, lip lines, or lipstick lines — to form around the mouth and on the lips as our skin ages. While they are called smoker’s lines, they can happen to anyone at any age, even those who don’t smoke.
Several treatment options to get rid of these fine smoker’s lines around the mouth include microneedling, chemical peels, and laser treatments. However, these procedures can be intense, painful, and require multiple sessions to achieve the full effect. They also might not be suitable treatments for sensitive or aging skin. Some at-home lip plumping treatments are available, but these only treat the surface and are minimally effective.
Instead, we recommend lip fillers, also called dermal fillers, as the best treatment to eliminate smoker’s lines. Lip fillers are a gentle, non-surgical, anti-aging treatment that can eliminate lip wrinkles, provide fuller lips, and encourage your body’s natural collagen production. But how exactly does lip filler help with smokers’ lines?
What Causes Smoker’s Lines?
Smoker’s lines are fine vertical lines around the sides of the mouth, on the lips themselves, and in the upper lip area. They can be stubborn and hard to conceal because lipstick and concealer tend to sink into the deep lines and creases, making them appear more pronounced.
These lines are primarily due to aging and genetics, despite their name. As we age, the collagen and elastin in our skin break down, causing the skin to lose elasticity and form wrinkles. The lips and area around the mouth are susceptible to these effects, and some people’s genetics make them more prone to forming these lines. Loose collagen and elastin can happen to people as early as in their 20s.
While often caused by aging, the likelihood and severity of the appearance of these wrinkles and creases can be affected by other lifestyle factors. Harsh lines and wrinkles can be more pronounced if your skin has had significant sun damage, you smoke cigarettes, or you frequently tense your facial muscles (out of stress, to play an instrument, or any other reason).
How to Get Rid of Smoker’s Lines
Lip fillers, also called dermal fillers, are one of the best treatments for smokers’ lines. They are a quick, non-surgical lip augmentation treatment that eliminates wrinkles fast and has little downtime or side effects.
They are administered with an injector by a doctor. The lip filler is injected into critical areas around the lips and face that will plump up to fill out your facial features and eliminate the wrinkles. The procedure is generally not considered very painful, but numbing cream can help mitigate discomfort.
If you aren’t interested in an extreme lip-plumping effect, don’t worry. Lip filler treatments are customizable to you and your goals. Your doctor can work with you to focus on getting the anti-wrinkle, rejuvenation effect that you desire from your fine lines treatment without overplumping or drastically changing your appearance or facial expressions.
How Do Lip Filler Eliminate Smoker’s Lines?
FDA-approved hyaluronic acid fillers like Juvederm, Volbella, and Restylane Silk help eliminate smoker’s lines by hydrating the lips from the inside out and encouraging your body’s natural collagen production. Creating a fuller pout through hydration and collagen helps tighten the skin’s surface and eliminates the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the mouth.
The injections themselves provide plumpness to the lips, but they also encourage the body to produce more collagen, prolonging the effectiveness of the treatment. However, the effects of lip injections fade over time, so regular treatment is required to reduce the severity of or eliminate smokers’ lines. Depending on your specific treatment plan, you should get lip filler treatments every 6-8 months to achieve and maintain the best results.
Since the treatment is just a series of injections, there is little recovery time, and it is suitable for most skin types. Read more here to learn about lip filler aftercare.
How to Prevent Smoker’s Lines
In addition to a lip filler treatment, positive lifestyle changes can help prevent or get rid of smokers’ lines. Taking good care of your health can go a long way to protecting and transforming your skin for years to come.
Healthy habits such as staying hydrated, wearing sunscreen and protecting your lips from the harsh elements, and prioritizing a hydrating skincare routine can help your skin look and feel your best. If you do smoke, it is best to stop smoking.
These healthy habits will help prevent harsh smoker lines from forming and help your lip filler treatment be most effective.
Make an Appointment to Get Rid of Smoker’s Lines Today
Are you interested in removing your smoker’s lines with lip fillers? At Great City Medical, we want you to look and feel your best. Our Dr. Yelena Tsyba will work with you to find the proper lip filler treatment for you to target those pesky upper lip lines and vertical lip lines. She can also discuss positive lifestyle changes you can make to help take care of your skin for years to come.
We also provide Botox injections and other dermatological treatments. Ask our doctors how they can help you keep your skin looking its best with no need for plastic surgery or other extreme cosmetic procedures.
Call to make an appointment in New York City with us today and say goodbye to smoker’s lines!
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