Smoker's Lines

Smoker’s lines are a misnomer. Anyone can get them. Smoker’s lines are lines around the mouth and lips. They are more common in smokers as smokers use the mouth muscles to purse their lips and hold a cigarette in place. This causes a repetitive crinkling of the skin, wrinkling the skin from the lips to the surrounding skin. Also as people get older, the volume of the lips shrinks, especially the upper lip. Thin lips and smokers lines are definitely not a good look.

Yet there are many solutions. Volume loss of the lips can be improved with the use of filling agents or fat transfer. Fat transfer can help if the volume loss is great, but in general filling agents made of hyaluronin (complex sugar based molecules) are better for shaping the lip and plumping out the wrinkles in the skin at the same time. It is amazing how enhancing lip volume makes a dramatic appearance to the face. One to two syringes of filler usually works very well, though top ups are necessary to maintain the benefit.

When lines are very deep, inactivation the orbicularis muscle close to the lips can be of benefit. Anti-wrinkle injections, exactly like those used in forehead and on frown lines works well to reduce muscle action and diminish lip wrinkling These injections can be used at the same time as fillers for a complementary effect.

Deeper wrinkles and people wishing for a result that will last many years should look at laser resurfacing. This technique, quite simply, sands the wrinkles away. The skin that regrows quickly over the abraded area is healthier, thicker and more resilient than the skin that has been removed. Expect about seven to nine days downtime with laser for the best results.

Which type of treatment is best? Ask one of the medical professionals at Alia Clinic for their advice as to just what is best for your budget, schedule and problem.