Ways to combat purse-string wrinkles above the upper lip

The first visible sign of aging is the appearance of wrinkles. But who doesn’t want to preserve youth and beauty longer? Every woman’s dream is to look 30 when she’s already 45. It’s to look, not to appear, by putting on tons of makeup. One of the first, after wrinkles around the eyes, to appear are vertical stripes above the upper lip - the so-called purse-string wrinkles. And unfortunately, it’s not so easy to hide them, because the interlocutor’s gaze very often falls on your mouth during communication. Therefore, this problem cannot be left unnoticed, especially since there are many methods to combat it. You just have to make some effort, and very soon your lips will shine with youth and beauty again.

What are the wrinkles above the upper lip called?

Aesthetic cosmetologists distinguish several types of wrinkles around the lips:

• Marionette lines are wrinkles that extend from the corners of the lips down to the chin. We dedicated a whole article to them, where we described why they appear and how to remove them;
• nasolabial folds. These creases stretch from the wings of the nose to the corners of the lips. We also have a detailed and useful article on this topic;
• purse string – vertical wrinkles around the lips.

The name purse-string wrinkles comes from a small pouch, a pouch, in which things used to be stored. This bag was tightened with a drawstring, which caused folds to appear on it, similar to the same wrinkles above the upper lip.

Advantages of the EMC Clinic

To remove wrinkles around the mouth, it is very important to find a good specialist with certification and practice in contouring, understanding of the peculiarities of working with this area and higher medical education. Be careful, all injection techniques can only be performed by a doctor, only he knows to what depth it is necessary (and safe) to inject the drug.

EMC specialists, in addition to good skills in injection contouring, always take into account the individual anatomical features of the patient’s facial structure and recommend the type of correction that will give the patient the best result.

During a personal consultation, the doctor will create a skin care program and help you understand the specifics of various methods of rejuvenation and appearance correction.

Causes of wrinkles above the upper lip

In the mouth area there is very thin skin, there is practically no fat layer, plus high muscle activity. Therefore, wrinkles in this area may appear much earlier than in others. What other causes of these wrinkles are there?

• of course, age. During the aging process, collagen production decreases, as a result of which the skin loses its elasticity and firmness and easily creases into folds and creases;
• genetics. If your parents developed wrinkles early and they are pronounced, then it is very likely that you will have the same. Don’t rush to get upset, this can be prevented and corrected;
• smoking. When smoking, the lips become drawn out and the orbicularis oris muscle becomes tense. The more often and longer they are in this position, the more they spasm. And a muscle spasm is a crease;
• hormonal imbalance. In some diseases, estrogen levels decrease. This leads to premature aging;
• photoaging. Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays can lead to dehydration and further thinning of the skin;
• profession. Purse-string wrinkles appear earlier in people who at work are forced to talk a lot or play wind musical instruments;
• unhealthy diet, sugar abuse;
• disturbances in the functioning of the endocrine system;
• loss of teeth;
• incorrectly selected cosmetics;
• bad habits such as pursing, biting or pulling your lips.

Prevention

The main thing is to monitor your drinking regime: 40 ml of water per 1 kg of weight. Of course, you need a daily correct skin care algorithm in accordance with its type, protection from ultraviolet radiation. Persuading you to quit smoking if you still have such a bad habit is probably unreasonable: the new generation is choosing a healthy lifestyle! But! Nothing is more damaging to healthy skin around your mouth than toxins from cigarette smoke. Plus, you don’t need to constantly chew gum, no more than 5 minutes after eating if necessary.

If you have healthy skin without problems, a preventive consultation with a cosmetologist twice a year is sufficient. He will not miss the critical moment of the first negative changes in the skin and will give appropriate recommendations.

Ways to combat wrinkles above the upper lip

There are many ways to get rid of purse-string wrinkles. They can be removed both in salons and at home, without the help of a specialist.

To smooth out creases above the lip, you need to do the following: normalize microcirculation in tissues, increase skin turgor and elasticity, and balance the work of facial muscles.

Cosmetologists offer salon procedures, guaranteeing 100% results and no complications. Is it really? Let's look at each method in detail.

Cosmetology procedures

Injection method

This is a method of injecting botulinum toxin type A under the skin. The effect is achieved by blocking the facial muscles. The activity of nerve impulses is paralyzed, as a result of which the muscles of the mouth relax. Yes, the wrinkles seem to be “smoothed out,” but what else can you expect? If the injection is done incorrectly, paralysis and asymmetry of the facial muscles, rash, swelling, and drooping eyelids may occur. This is just a small list of complications. Do you think Botox restores volume? Yes, it may seem so at first glance, but in fact, this is an artificially created load on the tissue. Muscles and ligaments will suffer, and this will lead to the fact that the spasmed muscles can no longer hold the tissue, and the face will “float” down. We have already written the revealing truth about “beauty injections” many times, for example, an article about Botox.

Peeling

This procedure was done back in Ancient Egypt. True, there were other materials - wine or lemon juice. Peeling is aimed at cleansing the facial skin using chemicals or hardware methods. As a result, the skin should become younger and smoother.

Now there are a huge variety of different types of peeling:

1. Acid peeling is done by girls after 25 years. It is aimed at cleansing pores and getting rid of dead epithelial cells. Fruit acids are usually used. When acids hit the skin, the connection between the horny scales is weakened, and their exfoliation is accelerated.
2. Milk peeling does not remove deep wrinkles and is used only as a preparatory stage.
3. Glycolic. It can slightly whiten the skin and remove fine wrinkles. After this procedure, you should not be in the sun.
4. Almond. This type is aimed mainly at combating acne and blackheads.
5. Salicylic peeling has a mild effect. It does not remove, but dissolves dead cells. This type of peeling can cope with shallow wrinkles and acne.
6. Retinol. It is recommended for women aged 35 to 50 years. The products contain retinoic acid, which is no different from retinol.
7. Pyruvic. This is a gentle peeling that is recommended for sensitive skin.

Peels are also distinguished by depth and method of exposure:

1. Surface. Exfoliation of the stratum corneum of the epidermis occurs gently and gradually.
2. Median. During this type of peeling, damage to the epidermis reaches the basal layer of the skin or the dermis. Peeling and recovery after the session lasts up to several days.
3. Deep. This is a fairly strong intervention using phenol.

The last two types are painful for the patient because the tissues are quite damaged during the procedure.

It sounds good, but what about the disadvantages? During the procedure, you can learn about intolerance to certain acids or allergies to products. You will know this, of course, only from your own experience. After peeling, you may notice scratches, abrasions, cuts, or even active rashes. Peeling can lead to skin dehydration, herpes or eczema.

If your friends have done this procedure and are happy with the result, then it’s far from a fact that this method will suit you too, because everyone’s skin is different. There is no reason for young girls to have deep peels to make their skin look unnaturally tight, and even more so for women over 45, since the skin is no longer able to recover as actively after injuries.

Laser resurfacing

This procedure is also a type of peeling. It is aimed not only at smoothing out wrinkles, but also at removing scars, acne marks and burns.

How is the procedure done? Laser beams perform deep micropeeling and remove dead cells. Thus, the epidermis is renewed. As with acid peels, skin cells are exfoliated and replaced by new young ones.

You may be lucky and get the desired result for a short time - renewed skin and smoothed out wrinkles. However, what are the risks associated with laser? If blood vessels are damaged during a session, hemorrhages and hematomas are inevitable. Also, after the procedure, blisters with serous or bloody fluid may appear on the skin. These blisters lead to the formation of scars or areas of decreased pigmentation. Not what you expected, huh?

The list of complications is quite long, we will not list them all here.

Exposure to microcurrent

This is a non-invasive way to get rid of wrinkles. Considered safe and painless. Microcurrents, affecting the facial skin, increase blood circulation and lymphatic drainage. This reduces tissue swelling and improves complexion. What causes wrinkles to smooth out? Microcurrents also affect fibroblasts, that is, cells that synthesize collagen and elastin. Thanks to their activity, the skin becomes smoother and more elastic. This is all it should be. Only now, if you read real reviews, you can find few laudatory ones. Basically, girls do not see the effect.

Thermolifting

During the procedure, the cosmetologist heats the skin using light energy (laser, radio wave or infrared light). Thanks to the high frequency of 6 MHz, the radiation reaches the deep layers of the skin (up to 5 mm). When heated, collagen fibers begin to tighten and thicken. Moreover, new collagen fibers replace the already weakened and stretched ones.

Possible complications include burns and tissue atrophy, prolonged redness. Since every body is unique, it may happen that collagen begins to be produced too intensively, and this, in turn, leads to the formation of scars. Another danger lies in the fact that no one knows the depth of penetration of the radiation. This means that it can reach the brain and the consequences here cannot be predicted.

Reinforcement with mesothreads

Mesothreads based on polydioxanone are an absorbable material. The doctor inserts threads under the skin using a special injection needle. Over the course of several months, they dissolve in the body and leave behind collagen fibers that tighten the skin. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia and does not require incisions.

This method may straighten wrinkles a little, but you should not expect any lifting effect, although some cosmetologists claim the opposite. After the procedure, complications may arise at the site of insertion of the threads in the form of hematomas, folds on the skin, the formation of nodules, irregularities and tubercles.

And we have a whole article about mesothreads, where we explained the topic in an accessible way.

Fighting wrinkles at home and folk remedies

You can remove wrinkles at home without exposing your health to the dangers of salon procedures. Below we have discussed several of the most common methods.

Facebuilding and gymnastics

Face building or “pumping up” the facial muscles is a similar technique to what bodybuilders do every day in the gym. And this is completely unsuitable for the face. Why?

Well, let's start with the fact that facial muscles were never designed to be strong - they weren't what people used to run, climb or fight. They already get a lot of workload, even if the rest of their body spends five days a week sitting in the office. After all, we constantly talk, laugh, chew, smile and blink, after all. And all this is endless work of the facial muscles.

And those who, in addition to the whole load, also try to pump up their facial muscles, end up only getting worse. The subcutaneous fat layer of the skin becomes thinner, the muscles spasm and shorten even more, and this all leads to worsening folds and creases.

The facial muscles need to be relaxed, not tense. Gymnastics aimed at relieving muscle tension and spasms will help with this. As a result, the muscular frame of the face straightens, blood flow to the skin is restored and wrinkles are smoothed out.

Lip massage

This massage helps smooth out wrinkles, and if you do it regularly, you can completely forget about their return.

Play video:

1. We pinch the upper lip between our fingers and work on this area, changing hands;
2. Then we move our hands to the areas on the left and right, and repeat;
3. Do the same with your lower lip;
4. Don't forget to pay attention to the corners of your lips. Pout your lips, grab the corners and massage them.
5. Watch the sensations, feel how the tissues under your fingers are becoming softer.

And here is the second part of the video:

Interoral massage:

1. Wash your hands;
2. Place your thumbs under your upper lip and your index fingers on the outside;
3. Start actively massaging with back and forth movements;
4. Then move on to working on the cheeks;
5. Gradually go down and the chin area.

Ice cubes

Surely your grandmother and mother kept ice for their face in the freezer so that they could wipe their face with it? But is this method really useful and safe? People believe that ice (especially if it is water with various nutrients) activates blood circulation, relieves swelling and smoothes out wrinkles. It's a delusion. On the contrary, cold causes blood vessels to narrow, lymphatic drainage worsens, and skin elasticity decreases. As a result, spider veins, enlarged pores and wrinkles appear on the face.

Masks against lip wrinkles

Homemade masks will not increase collagen production or fill in wrinkles. However, there are no side effects from them either, so you can do them.

There are three types of masks:

1. Fruity. They are aimed at exfoliating dead cells.
2. Moisturizing. Often made with cucumber or aloe.
3. Nutritious. They contain oil components (like avocado pulp).

Lifting anti-wrinkle creams

Properly selected skincare products play a huge role in the fight against wrinkles. You should choose creams that contain the following components:

• elastin or collagen;
• peptides;
• hyaluronic acid.

We recommend paying attention to squalane from Beauty365. This is a light sugarcane oil. It not only copes well with wrinkles, but also nourishes the skin well with vitamins. You can apply squalane and do self-massage.

Proper care of the skin around the lips and other preventive measures

Preventing a problem is always easier than dealing with negative consequences. It is unrealistic to completely remove the load from the oral muscles, so prevention in this case is very important. And you should start from the age of 22–25.

What is recommended:

• give up bad habits that cause early skin aging and, if possible, lead a healthy lifestyle;
• learn to control facial expressions (not to give it up completely, but at least not to constantly walk with your lips pressed into a line or pouting, replacing them with a light, natural half-smile);
• do not neglect creams to protect from the sun and frost, use lip balms;
• Be sure to remove makeup before going to bed;
• in cosmetics, pay attention to the absence of preservatives, dyes, flavors, useful ingredients in creams - vitamins A, E, C, group B, natural oils, glycerin, collagen, hyaluronic acid, peptides and amino acids;
• review the diet in favor of a balanced healthy diet, maintain a drinking regime;
• purchase a comfortable orthopedic pillow for sleeping;
• Wash your face in the morning and evening with cool water, use cosmetic ice to maintain skin tone.

A balanced diet that provides the body with all the necessary vitamins and microelements is a very effective prevention of aging and the appearance of wrinkles

Video: general recommendations on how to deal with the problem

Preventing the appearance of wrinkles above the upper lip

1. Exercises. Just 10-15 minutes a day will be enough to maintain youth for many years. The main thing is to do them daily!
2. Nutrition. Make sure your diet is rich in vitamins. Vitamin B12 is especially important, as it has a rejuvenating effect on the skin.
3. Emotional condition. All our negative emotions and stress are reflected on our face. Therefore, try to find harmony with yourself and remove from life what does not bring pleasure.
4. Quitting smoking (if you have such a habit).
5. Properly selected cosmetics.

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How else can you remove or reduce wrinkles around the mouth?

• Quit smoking. Giving up this habit will prevent premature wrinkles around the mouth and will have a beneficial effect on the condition of the entire facial skin.
• Protect skin from the sun. Protection from harmful UV rays is important to prevent age-related changes in this area. The skin here is very sensitive, so the sun has a negative effect on it. A moisturizer with SPF, which should be applied before going outside on a hot day, will prevent negative changes.
• Eat properly. A diet high in refined sugars, saturated fats and empty carbohydrates takes a toll on your appearance. Therefore, it is better to eat foods rich in antioxidants - berries, leafy greens, nuts. Antioxidants fight toxins that destroy cell structure and prevent the formation of wrinkles.
• Do facial exercises. Instead of creating “duck lips” in the mirror, you need to train the muscles located around the mouth. You need to alternately raise the corners of your mouth into a half-smile on one side and the other and try to smile as widely as possible without showing your teeth. These exercises should be repeated up to 10 times a day.
• Wash your face correctly. You should use a mild detergent instead of soap. Strong products dry out the skin and cause wrinkles around the lips.
• Do not drink through a straw. Like a cigarette, a straw forces you to purse your lips to draw in liquid. This causes longitudinal "smoker's lines."

The combination of these methods will help prevent the appearance of wrinkles around the mouth and keep the skin in this area beautiful and youthful. And the specialists of the Center for Aesthetic Medicine will help with this, in their arsenal there are many rejuvenating procedures.