Q:

The only place on my face where I have wrinkles is around my lips. I feel that they have a very aging effect on my appearance. Also, I find that my lipstick bleeds into these lines. What do you recommend for this problem?

A:

The skin around the mouth is predisposed to developing lines, often referred to as the “barcode” or “smoker’s lines”, although most of our patients who have these lines have never touched a cigarette. They form due to a combination of heredity, repeated pursing of the lips such as when drinking through a straw or whistling, aging, and sun damage. It’s helpful to avoid pursing of the lips whenever possible, wear sunscreen, and avoid foods that accelerate wrinkle formation, like sugar. To improve these lines, we often use laser resurfacing, dermal filler injections, and a muscle relaxer such as Botox® or Dysport®. RHA RedensityTM is a dermal filler our patients love, that was recently approved by the FDA specifically for the treatment of these lines around the mouth. Many patients need a combination of treatments to see their best results.