As I have aged, I have noticed (with great sadness) lines forming on my face. These lines include marionette lines, smile/frown lines, and vertical imprints on my lips.
While those lines hint at the beautiful journey of time and wisdom, let’s face it – we prefer our facial maturity to play out as subtly as possible on our faces.
Given that our skin is our largest organ, I prefer not to resort to fillers. I would prefer to delve into the root causes, and then explore holistic treatment alternatives. After all, if your lips are showing signs of aging, chances are it’s not an isolated occurrence.
Step 1: Know the why’s
Age
According to antiagingvancouver.com, “…(F)rowning lips are not caused by excessive frowning or being angry all the time. Frowning lips usually are a result of age, due to a loss of volume in our cheeks and elasticity in our skin.”
If you notice you suddenly have dimples like I did, this hollowing could be the beginning of marionette lines. Subsequently, I observed my face shape started morphing into a wider/square shape because the volume in my cheeks started falling, leading to the emergence of those dreaded jowls and marionette lines. Most recently my lips started thinning and I became in desperate need of a quality lip plumping tool.
I remember my sister telling me when you hit 40 you have to double your workouts for what worked in your 20s. I find I must double my efforts the older I get as well.
Smoking, Stress, and Straws
Whether it be smokers lines or excessive pursing of the lips, they can cause vertical lines, aka “lipstick lines.” Bottom line is relax your face amd stop the constant muscle contraction! Staying tense makes wrinkles.
Take a moment for yourself by getting a massage, singing, doing somatic exercises, deep breathing, “grounding” and connecting with nature.
Muscle Tension and Building
If you find yourself pursing your lips like Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada, consider your cortisol levels.
If you do this and you don’t realize you’re pursing, you may have low magnesium levels. See how you feel after taking in more magnesium to relax your muscles from within.
Diet and Dehydration
If you drink a lot of alcohol, or have a mineral deficiency, lips (and personally, my hands and feet!) see the signs first. Fried foods, sugar, caffeine, allergies can all make wrinkles more pronounced.
Sun Damage / UV Rays
Protect your youthful lips since wrinkles and dehydration are more pronounced with sun exposure. Nervous about Vitamin D? Me too. Dr. Weil recommends getting 15 minutes of unprotected sun daily, but that’s it. If you don’t want to do that, consider this vitamin d cream first thing in the morning and applying sunscreen (I like this clean, no white cast, mineral sunscreen). It could make a huge difference in getting your immune system regulating while keeping the wrinkles away.
Side Sleeping
If you have one smile line on only one side, or if one side is considerably deeper, smooshing your face may be contributing.
Step 2: Find your tools
Microcurrent and Nanocurrent (Every Other Day)
ZIIP Beauty, one of our partners, just introduced a treatment that caught my attention since my upper lip is starting to thin out. I’ll be honest, I’ve been considering lip fillers or injectable treatments. Thankfully this versatile microcurrent facial tool provides treatment options to achieve plump, youthful and full lips without resorting to needles. And my results are stunning!
If only I had been naturally endowed with ZIIP Lips!
The ZIIP Halo addresses everything! From reducing vertical lip lines and smile lines, to plumping the lips, and lifting and firming that sagging skin everywhere else (check out my full review here).
Because of ZIIP‘s nanocurrent technology, my results showcase an enduring improvement, maintaining a full volume appearance even the day following a treatment.
With the synergy of microcurrent and nanocurrent, we can hone in on those fine lines and wrinkles. If you still want to inject fillers, this is no problem. Just wait 10 days after your injections, chemical peels, or laser treatments before doing a ZIIP treatment.
Below is the Lips Treatment plan I use on the ZIIP app; I’ve noticed fuller and more even lips, less pronounced frown lines and lip wrinkles, a lifted appearance, and ‘just kissed’ color as you can see in my before/after.
Here’s the regimen for that perfect pout
(7 Minutes for 3 Treatments)
The ZIIP Halo has evolved into an indispensable tool I simply can’t do without. I wrote a review of the ZIIP here where you can see how much my skin has changed since adding it into my routine.
Singing (Every day warm ups)
Not only is singing a great de-stressing tool. Vocalists activate the zygomaticus muscle and prevent lip lines in ways that are hard to engage without singing.
More than that, I remember my vocal coach teaching me how to activate the Risorius muscle through warm ups. Even at 73, the lines around her mouth were fewer compared to other women I know in their 70s. My face and body always feel more relaxed and lifted after using my muscles–which improves skin over time as well.
Try this warm up video daily and also add ‘Q-Wex’ with a wide smile on the word ‘wex’ to your routine like I did. I like to warm up in the car.
Red Light Therapy (every day or every other)
If collagen production has slowed and age is the issue at hand, add red light and amber light therapy to reduce the appearance of lip lines. The added circulation will also add even more volume to your lips.
Like the ZIIP Halo that stimulates collagen production and lifting power wherever you use it, red light therapy is extremely versatile. So while it would be cheaper to buy something just for the lip area, like the Revive device, I am a Dermalux fan. Its utility means you can use it anywhere on your body and for so many things, from acne to pain relief. Read why I love red light therapy here.
Step 3: Find Your Products
Frownies (nightly)
A great tool for managing smile lines. These patches act like a splint for your wrinkles, allowing new collagen and elastin to fill up the crevices.
I like this one, which requires their rose spray (better staying power), or this one, which is self-adhesive and reminiscent of a bandaid. I haven’t used this brand yet, but it’s on my radar due to the slim profile.
Exfoliator (weekly)
Skin care around the lips
Chemical peels are superior exfoliants for wrinkles since they are gentle on the skin. I love this gentle Berry Gel Gommage by Arcona and this Gentle Solution, which includes Glycolic Acid by Arcona. For a physical exfoliator, try a rice-based option like this Microfoliant from Dermalogica or Tatcha’s Rice Polish.
On the lips
To get soft lips quickly, exfoliate the top layer of dead skin and then apply lip balm to keep them hydrated.
Although there are a lot of options out there, keep in mind that the layers of skin on your lips are fewer than the rest of your face. I usually just use a washcloth and a little olive oil or butter (yup!) —to smooth out my lips.
If you are applying a strong colored lipstick, perhaps add a small amount of white sugar into the mix. There are also a couple gentle fruit enzyme peels I think are gentle enough like this Resurfacing Lip Peel by Typology (don’t use more than once a week).
SkinMedica’s HA5 Smooth Plump Lip System (daily)
A must-have lip lines treatment to go along with the ZIIP halo. Personally, I dislike lip plumping glosses despite their brief effectiveness; I find them drying, contradicting my aim of preventing lip dryness. This lip system with hyaluronic acid reduces lip lines, increases hydration, and tingles only slightly for a natural ‘just bitten’ look.
In fact it was my cherry on top for youthful lips with the ZIIP treatment plan. It helps with anti aging and makes lips fuller. I always wear it under my lipstick or on its own.
The Perfect Lip Color
Make it a point to find your perfect nude lippie by finding an exact replica of your natural lip coloring. Unsure where to start? Seek assistance at Sephora or Ulta and ask for help.
I love this Nar’s Lip Balm because it keeps my lips moisturized and is easy to apply without a mirror. Even more than Charlotte Tillbury’s cult favorite, Pillowtalk, and Dior’s Lip Oil (looks amazing but it’s sticky). If you love Dior’s Lip Oil but want a slightly less sticky option, YSL’s Candy Glaze is my new go-to for that glossy look.
It’s also an excellent choice to find your perfect shade of bold lipstick in red and pink or purple.
Line Your Lips!
A great lip liner will allow you to color a bit outside the lines for that perfect pout. It also allows you to change the shape of your lips. Here’s a great tutorial to stay on trend for an extra pouty and lifted lip (or this tutorial).
You can make your lips look fuller with fillers or plumping lip gloss. However, I think these tools and products can enhance your beauty in a more gentle way. Let me know what you end up trying!
SPECIAL PRICING FOR TVP READERS!!
ZIIP Halo Microcurrent: 15% off discount – use coupon code VANILLAZIIP off ZIIP HALO and all ZIIP gels (my favorite gel is the silver one due to my sensitive skin) during checkout
Red Light Therapy: I’m kind of obsessed and once I started using different wavelengths and colors, I basically started a tool collection, which you can read about here. Since tools get very expensive, I am starting to ask for discount codes to make it a little more affordable. If you shop the Currentbody Facemasks or Dermalux, use these codes:
Dermalux: $200 off the Dermalux – use code VANILLAFLEX at checkout
Masks: 20% off discount – use code VANILLALED at checkout
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