How to Naturally Reduce Lines around Your Mouth

It's a normal part of aging - developing those unwanted fine lines and stubborn wrinkles. As we get older, the collagen and elastin in our skin naturally begins to break down, and we can start to see some of the first signs of aging around our mouths (along with our eyes and necks too). That's because these areas on our skin are thinner and contain less collagen than other areas.

There are 3 different types of mouth wrinkles - laugh lines, marionette lines, and lipstick lines. Laugh lines are the wrinkles that occur along the sides of your mouth and tend to be more noticeable when you smile or laugh. Marionette lines develop vertically from your mouth to your chin and can create a sagging appearance. Lipstick lines, also known as smoker's lines, develop along your upper lip and on your lips themselves.

Though aging is one of the main reasons why we develop these lines around our mouths, there are also lifestyle factors that can contribute to premature lines and deeper, more pronounced wrinkles:

• smoking
• sun damage
• chronic stress
• genetics
• dehydration
• poor nutrition

As we get older, these lines can become more and more noticeable and can ultimately have us feeling less confident about our skin. But it's not all bad news. Sure, we can't go back in time to when we were 20 years old and start over on our skin, but we can do things now to help reduce the appearance of those pesky fine lines and wrinkles.

Things We Can Do to Help

• Stay hydrated

Staying hydrated helps increase your skin's elasticity and allows it to stay moisturized for a longer amount of time. Now, if you already have fine lines and wrinkles around your mouth, drinking more water isn't necessarily going to make them disappear (unless your skin is extremely dehydrated). But drinking water will help your overall skin's health and help slow down the aging process.

• Stop doing repetitive movements

Contracting the same muscles over and over again can cause the collagen in your skin to break down over time which can result in fine lines and wrinkles. Picture how your lips look when you're using a straw. They pucker up, right? Doing this excessively can actually contribute to the lines and wrinkles around your lips.

• Be consistent with your skincare routine

Think of it like going to the gym. You go to the gym everyday for weeks on end and finally start to see results. But then you stop going, and all that progress that you made goes out the door.

The same thing can happen with your skin, so it's extremely important that you stay consistent with your skincare routine.

• Use sunscreen

In addition to helping protect your skin from sun damage, sunscreen can also help prevent fine lines and wrinkles by protecting your skin from UV rays that can break down the collagen in your skin.

Make sure to wear a sunscreen of at least 30 SPF whenever you're outside, rain or shine.

• Try facial exercises

Facial exercises may help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by strengthening the muscles around your mouth and making your face appear fuller.

Thank you Lulu for the recommendation!

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