Clinetix: Does your face tell us you’re aging? What do you say?

Our skin starts to age as soon as we are born, but we don’t typically think of it as aging until it starts to show dullness, spots, fine lines, wrinkles, and loose saggy textures. What causes these visible signs of aging is complex and varies according to genetics, lifestyle, and environment.

An area that can show signs of aging subtly or what seems to appear overnight is the area around the lips. 

Clinical Director, Dr Emma Ravichandran BDS.MFDS discusses how this area will change with age and what treatments are available to combat
visible signs of aging.

Collagen makes up 70% of the skin’s proteins, from our twenties levels deplete by about 1% every year! This affects your skin and the overall volume of lips. 

The amount of UV light we are exposed to is another factor. This causes pigmentation and volume loss over time. Smoking can dramatically accelerate the signs of ageing in the lip region especially when repeated pursing movements as you smoke and causes lines over time. Finally, anything that causes excessive inflammation within the tissues – stress, poor diet, not drinking enough water, and external pollution. 

Can We Slow Lip Ageing?

Firstly, we need to know what causes ageing and start thinking about how you can minimise the damage. We need to apply sunscreen, not only on the skin but on the lips themselves. Although this should be done from a young age, it’s never too late to apply daily SPF, as it’s essential for keeping our skin and lips protected from UV damage. We also need to try and reduce
stress in our lives, have a balanced diet with lots of antioxidant-enriched foods, and consider taking collagen supplements. This will give you a good foundation for rebuilding skin collagen! You also need to ensure you’re keeping your skin hydrated to help it function well.

How to Reduce the Appearance of Ageing Lips?

At home, you can do plenty of lip nourishing treatments such as applying masks or balms to ensure you’re keeping them hydrated. You can also seek the advice of a medical practitioner to get access to prescriptive medical treatments, such as alpha hydroxy acids (AHA’s), which can help accelerate the skin turnover. Medically trained and registered aesthetic practitioners will be able to assess and advise on the at-home topical skincare or in-clinic treatments available for you to tighten the skin, replace lost volume and rejuvenate the lip area.

Perioral Anatomy & Treatments

Opposite depicts the area of the lips and around the mouth which shows notable sign of aging and the corresponding treatment.

1. Cupid’s bow flattening – loss of volume and shape
Treatment: Dermal fillers for volume replacement and reshaping

2. Cutaneous upper lip lengthening – the top lip elongates, leading to less tooth show
Treatment: Dermal fillers in combination with skin tightening energy treatments, or a surgical lip lift

3. Volume loss in lip body – flattening or loss of projection and shape in the lip
Treatment: Volumisation using dermal fillers

4. Vermilion border weakness – loss of definition in the lip border
Treatment: Dermal filler into the border of the lip to create a crisper edge

5.Vertical lip rhytids – wrinkles known as barcode or smoker’s lines often caused by smoking, vaping or sun damage
Treatment: Topical or energy- based skin treatments in combination with dermal fillers and botulinum toxin

6. Flattening of the philtrum column – the two vertical pillars between the nose and the lip become flat
Treatment: Dermal filler to restructure

7. Oral commissure – down turning of the lip corners
Treatment: Cheek fillers to lift corners, botulinum toxin to relax the down-pulling muscles and dermal fillers

8. Nasolabial folds – deep lines develop from the nose to mouth
Treatment: Dermal filler for direct filling or cheek fillers to provide a lift

9.Marionette lines – lines that run from the corners of the mouth down to the chin
Treatment: Dermal filler

T: 01698 854221    
clinetix.co.uk