Tuesday, December 6th, 2022
by Mandy Morsek NP-C
Why do I have “smoker’s lines” if I never smoked? Why do I have a barcode across my top lip? Why does my lipstick “bleed” up onto my top lip? These are some of the questions that I often get when consulting with women from every decade of life to determine what bothers them most about their appearance. Lip lines are one of the first things we notice during a quick glance in the mirror to check our lipstick or just our appearance in general. Unfortunately, lip lines can make a woman appear years older than her actual age.
Why do I have lip lines?
Those pesky little lines above your top lip are caused by a multitude of factors. First off, as we age, we lose collagen, which causes our skin to thin and lose elasticity. The problem with losing elasticity is that when contracting the lip muscles to make the lips pucker, the skin wants to stay contracted and does not want to smooth out once released. Other causes include habits such as repetitive use of straws and cigarette smoking. Lastly, there are some things we just cannot completely prevent, such as sun exposure and the puckering motion of our lips while simply speaking simple words like what, when, and where.
