Sooner or later, age takes its toll, and wrinkles begin to appear on the face. The appearance of these signs of the approaching “age of elegance” does not please the woman at all, and she makes significant efforts to prevent the appearance of wrinkles. Or somehow reduce or disguise wrinkles if they have already appeared.
Which wrinkles age a woman's face the most? At first glance, the question is incorrect, because any fold on the skin, whether it appears on the forehead, in the corners of the eyes or in any other area, does not add youth to the image. However, for many women, it is the deep wrinkles around the mouth that become “beacons” indicating the approach of aging.
How to deal with this unpleasant phenomenon, and what to do to prevent the early appearance of wrinkles around the mouth?
Types of wrinkles around the mouth
Before you begin a full-fledged fight against wrinkles around the mouth, you need to find out what type they are. Skin care in this area will largely depend on this.
Purse-string wrinkles
Purse-string wrinkles look like numerous small “rays” diverging in different directions from the line of the upper lip. The appearance of purse-string wrinkles is caused by the habit of pursing and folding the lips into a tube, especially with a small thickness of subcutaneous fatty tissue and age-related changes that have already affected the skin in the oral area. Since smoking involves inhaling smoke, purse-string wrinkles are also called smoker's wrinkles.
Such wrinkles finally form closer to the age of 50, and in women who smoke, much earlier.
Nasolabial folds
Nasolabial folds are longitudinal wrinkles running from the wings of the nose to the corners of the mouth. This type of wrinkles around the lips largely depends on the structure of the face, and in some people it appears already in adolescence. With age, the “nasolabial lips” acquire depth and relief not only due to articulation and facial expressions, but also due to the gravitational descent of soft tissues.
This type of wrinkle is figuratively called “folds of grief.”
Puppet wrinkles
These wrinkles start as wrinkles at the corners of the mouth and then move down to the chin. The creases formed in this way highlight the chin area, giving the person a resemblance to a marionette doll, which led to the name. Marionette lines are static wrinkles formed due to gravitational ptosis and decreased elasticity of the skin and muscles that support the corners of the mouth.
Exercises for preventive gymnastics
What is preventive gymnastics? A special set of procedures, consisting of 4 to 7 exercises, is aimed at strengthening the facial muscles and getting rid of wrinkles around the mouth. Such actions should become a regular part of your morning skin care routine.
Exercises to do to combat signs of aging:
- "Tube". Pull your lips forward like a tube, repeat 20 times;
- "Balloons". Inflate your cheeks with air from the inside, repeat 20 times;
- "Sound O" Open your mouth and say the sound “O”, hold it out for a few seconds, repeat 20 times;
- "Active breathing" Inhale air through your nose and exhale forcefully through your mouth, repeat 10 times;
- Massage. For light massage, you can use a soft toothbrush. Using gentle movements, without pressure, rub your lips first, and then the area around them, do not forget to treat small wrinkles in the corners. Such delicate actions improve blood circulation.
Causes of wrinkles around the mouth
Constant activity of the orbicularis oris muscle is the main cause of the formation of facial wrinkles. A person speaks, eats and expresses emotions, often without thinking that every contraction of a muscle that does not have a rigid connection with the jaw bones leaves an imprint on the skin.
In addition, there are few fatty glands in the area around the lips, and the layer of fatty tissue underneath is very thin, so the skin in the oral area is usually dry and thin. The situation is further aggravated by the fact that the lips are practically defenseless against external influences (UV rays, dust, exhaust gases), and in addition, the skin in this area is sensitive to a natural decrease in fibroblast activity and a deficiency of collagen fibers. As a result, the first persistent wrinkles, still quite weak and almost invisible, begin to appear around the mouth around the age of 40. It is impossible to name the exact age at which wrinkles appear, since it depends on genetics and other external and internal reasons.
Genetics
Genetic inheritance means a lot, not only in the process of wrinkles, but also in other areas of human life. Southern women in particular are known to have drier, dehydrated skin and wrinkles earlier. Residents of European countries have thinner skin, and wrinkles appear on such skin earlier. Women of the Central Russian Plain have denser skin, with a good fat layer, which is why wrinkles appear on such skin later.
Active facial expressions
This is one of the main reasons for the early appearance of wrinkles in any area of muscle activity. With this in mind, women try to control their facial expressions, not wince, squint, and so on. But it is impossible to limit smiles or the conversation. Therefore, sooner or later, wrinkles appear, and the time for anti-aging care comes.
Smoking
Smoking is a scourge of the skin. In addition to the toxic effect on the body as a whole, smoking provokes the premature appearance of a fine network of wrinkles around the lips (purse-string wrinkles). This happens because when you inhale cigarette smoke, muscle activity increases and the supply of oxygen to cells is disrupted. And the skin receives a generous portion of toxins.
Sleeping with your face in your pillow
Sleeping face down on a pillow is a very bad habit, because of which the skin of the face suffered from compression and deterioration of microcirculation all night. And if at a young age morning folds and bruises on the face go away quickly, then with age the folds begin to tend to remain on the face and turn into persistent wrinkles.
Sudden weight loss
The struggle with excess weight may well lead to the appearance of wrinkles. Especially if this struggle is carried out at an intense pace. The skin around the lips is thinner compared to the skin on the cheeks. This means that sudden weight loss can lead to deepening of wrinkles in this area.
Abrupt change in climatic conditions
Dry, cold or, conversely, swelteringly hot climates with excess ultraviolet radiation contribute to a decrease in hyaluronic acid reserves and deplete its adaptive resources. If you have dramatically changed the climate of your host country, take this factor into account and try to change your facial skin care routine accordingly.
Changes in hormonal levels
Hormonal imbalances, such as during menopause, often cause skin aging due to a drop in the level of the female hormone estrogen. And this does not have the best effect on the condition of the skin on which wrinkles appear.
Ways to combat purse-string wrinkles
To achieve an effective result in dealing with this problem, professional cosmetologists recommend using an integrated approach. You can get rid of small, just emerging wrinkles at home using special cosmetics and gymnastics.
To combat more pronounced manifestations of age, it is better to resort to salon hardware and injection procedures, since it is impossible to cope with them on your own.
Lip massage
This procedure is a mandatory addition to lip gymnastics. It helps increase blood circulation and collagen production in the peri-labial space. Regular massage restores beauty and elasticity to the skin. The duration of one session is on average 5 minutes.
The face is pre-cleaned, and lips and hands are generously lubricated with cosmetic oil. Use your fingertips to gently press on the surface of the face, alternating point and circular movements. A nourishing cream is used as skin care after the procedure.
To remove wrinkles above the lips, experts advise doing lip exercises and massage.
Gymnastics for lips
A special set of exercises helps to increase tone, improve blood circulation and elasticity of the skin.
It is recommended to do gymnastics daily.
- Take a deep breath, tilt your head back, stretch out your lips, exhale slowly and return your head to the starting position.
- Stretch your lips, alternately move your upper lip under your lower lip and vice versa.
- Clench your teeth and pull your lower lip down.
- Pull your upper lip forward, being careful not to strain your lower lip.
- Fold your lips into a tube without opening them, alternately make circular movements to the right and left.
- Inhale deeply, exhale alternately through the left and right corners of your mouth, without opening your lips.
- Pull the corners of your lips sharply apart and push them back.
- Take air into your mouth and roll it like a ball from one side to the other, and then in a circle.
Ice cubes
Another effective way of rejuvenation is the use of cosmetic ice. For its preparation, purified water, medicinal herbs, berries and fruits, and food are used. Short-term cooling tones the facial skin, stimulating blood circulation and metabolic processes, as a result of which the skin is strengthened and wrinkles are smoothed out.
Ice is an excellent skin toner.
To prevent and combat age-related changes, it is recommended to use nourishing and moisturizing masks. You can purchase ready-made products or prepare anti-aging mixtures from natural products yourself. The duration of the procedures is determined by the degree of skin aging. So, to combat existing medium or deep folds, such care should be systematic in order to slow down the aging process of the skin.
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Creams with a lifting effect are anti-aging cosmetics designed to restore skin elasticity and give the face clear contours. Modern beauty formulas can solve the problem of deficiency in the body of the main structural proteins - elastin and collagen. These components are the “framework” of the skin, supporting it from the inside.
Correct and timely use of lifting creams can increase the density and elasticity of the tissue.
Anti-aging cosmetics based on firming formulas perform several functions at once:
- stimulates the process of synthesis of elastin and collagen;
- increases the ability of skin cells to quickly regenerate themselves;
- controls skin water balance.
How to remove wrinkles around the mouth?
It must be said right away that it is impossible to completely get rid of wrinkles around the mouth. There are only two ways to combat this phenomenon. The first thing is to start preventing their occurrence as early as possible. And secondly, if wrinkles have already appeared, how to make them less noticeable. Wrinkles around the mouth.
Wrinkles around the mouth become more pronounced with age, so there is a classification of wrinkles, depending on the severity of the aging process:
- small - barely perceptible to the eye and appear when smiling or sad;
- medium - visible to the naked eye, but affects small areas;
- deep - clearly expressed and represent rather massive grooves.
Wrinkles of varying severity require different procedures to eliminate them.
Home remedies such as creams and exercises can be used to correct minor changes.
To get rid of medium wrinkles, in addition to home remedies, you can turn to the services of a salon. In this case, fillers, for example, based on hyaluronic acid, give good results.
To eliminate deep wrinkles, it is better to use radical measures such as a circular facelift. Which method will be optimal depends on the degree of age-related changes and health status. After all, surgical intervention is not always indicated.
Currently, there are many cosmetic procedures to combat wrinkles. These are Botox injections, contour plastic surgery using fillers, bioreinforcement and others. We will focus on those procedures and techniques that can be carried out at home. That is, in those techniques that will help eliminate or make small wrinkles invisible.
Salon treatments
A cosmetologist will tell you how to get rid of facial wrinkles around the mouth. All of the above remedies are good when wrinkles have just begun to appear and are still shallow. But, when age-related changes are already visible to the naked eye, a trip to a cosmetologist is inevitable to preserve the youth of the skin around the mouth. For mature skin, creams and masks do not help well, because they are no longer able to fully compensate for the lack of fat and moisture in the area around the lips. Only a professional will tell you how to remove wrinkles around the mouth; he will select the most suitable method in each individual case.
Chemical peeling
One of the safe procedures is chemical peeling. It activates collagen production by renewing the top layer of skin. This is why laser therapy works on the same principle.
Botox
Botox injections and other “beauty injections” are very popular now. They act differently. Some temporarily block muscle contractions. Others fill wrinkles from the inside thanks to their composition.
Plastic surgery
The last step is a facelift through plastic surgery. With its help, the oval of the face is corrected and signs of aging are removed.
These cosmetic procedures provide a long-lasting effect, but it is still temporary. How often you will have to visit a cosmetologist depends on the correct care of your facial skin after the procedure.
Removing wrinkles at home
At home, nourishing masks, massage, gymnastics and creams are the best help. However, you need to understand that if you have deep wrinkles, it is impossible to achieve quick results.
Lotions
It is advisable to do this simple procedure daily. The lotions are simple to make: cut one of the following products into thin slices and place them on the areas where there are wrinkles. Lie down for about five minutes, then blot the skin around your mouth with a cotton pad.
Suitable for anti-wrinkle lotions:
avocado - rich in unsaturated fatty acids, which smooth out wrinkles;
tomato - contains antioxidants lycopene and beta-carotene, which destroy free radicals and inhibit the aging process;
cucumber - has a good moisturizing effect.
Masks
There are a huge number of recipes for anti-wrinkle masks. Almost all of them can also be used against wrinkles around the mouth. You just need to make sure that the mask does not contain components that can cause an allergic reaction.
Masks must be done at least 2 times a week. At the same time, in order for the nutritional compositions to penetrate deeper, it is necessary to first warm the skin well with a massage.
The composition of the anti-wrinkle mask should include components such as chicken eggs, bee honey, citrus juice, herbal decoctions and infusions, plant extracts, essential and basic vegetable oils - olives, jojoba, almonds, flax seeds, grape seeds, shea, ylang-ylang. ylang, lemon, etc. By combining these components you can always make a mask from available means. Here are the recipes for some masks.
Recipe No. 1. Ingredients: sea buckthorn oil - 2 tbsp, vitamin E - 0.5 tsp. Combine both ingredients, heat the mixture in a water bath, apply it warm to areas with wrinkles. After 30 minutes, rinse off the composition with running water.
Recipe No. 2 . Ingredients: raw egg yolk - 1 pc., honey - 1 tsp, olive oil - 3 drops. Grind the yolk with honey and oil, apply a homogeneous mixture to the skin around the mouth for 15 minutes. You need to wash off the mask with warm water.
Recipe No. 3. Ingredients: raw yeast - 1 tbsp, liquid sour cream - by eye. Pour the yeast with fermented milk product. Wait for them to start working and apply the “live” mixture to the wrinkle area. Wait 15 minutes, then wash your face.
Recipe No. 4. Ingredients: 1 raw egg white, 2 drops of lemon essential oil. Beat the egg whites with a mixer until foamy, add the volatile citrus extract and mix. Gently, in a thin layer, apply the mask to the skin around the mouth. When it dries, rinse off the beauty product with warm water. The mask has a tightening and smoothing effect, but it dries the skin very much, and therefore after the procedure it is necessary to lubricate the problem area with a nourishing cream.
Recipe No. 5 . Ingredients: carrot juice, grapefruit pulp, natural yogurt without fruit filler. Mix the ingredients in a 1:1:1 ratio. The mask exposure time is 15-20 minutes. Rinse off the product with warm water.
Compresses
Anti-wrinkle compresses are made with infusions and decoctions of chamomile, sage, lavender flowers, and vegetable base oils. You can also make compresses based on juices (raspberries, grapes, strawberries, currants).
In any of the mentioned solutions, moisten a three-layer gauze pad and place it on the surface of the problem area. As the material dries, it can be re-wetted and applied to the face. Do this for 20-30 minutes, and then wash your face and massage the wrinkled area with an ice cube.
Exercises for the face (face building)
There are gymnastics designed specifically to eliminate wrinkles in the area adjacent to the lips. These facial exercises, also called face-building, give good results in the fight against wrinkles. However, only on condition that they are performed daily. And they end with a contrast wash and application of a nourishing cream.
Gymnastics against wrinkles in the mouth area consists of techniques aimed at alternately tensing and relaxing the muscles around the mouth, and therefore has a positive effect on the skin in this area.
- Stick your tongue out strongly. Now try to touch your chin with its tip. Stay in this position for a few seconds. Do this exercise up to five times a day.
- Take a deep breath. Fill your mouth with air, puffing out your cheeks. Exhale sharply. Repeat this technique 5-7 times.
- Smile widely, fix this state for 3 seconds and relax.
- Raise your upper lip towards your nose with tension. Then forcefully lower your lower lip to your chin. Perform these actions in turn, holding each position for two seconds.
- Round your lips and make a long O sound for 10 seconds.
- Inhale slowly through your nose, then exhale sharply through your mouth.
- Buy a dozen balloons. Inflate three pieces a day: one in the morning, one in the afternoon and one before bed.
- Draw as much air into your mouth as possible, puffing out your cheeks. Now drive it from one cheek to the other until you get tired.
Video: Exercises for wrinkles in the mouth area
Anti-wrinkle massage
Tongue massage. With the tip of your tongue, slowly walk along the orbicularis oris muscle, exerting resistance with it, without missing a single microsection, and when you reach the corner of your lips, push it forward, as if placing it on the tip of your tongue. This massage perfectly stretches the muscle, straightens it, while toning it at the same time. It can be performed at any time of the day without attracting too much attention.
Interoral massage. It is performed only with disposable gloves and comes down to kneading and softening the muscle through the oral cavity using the fingers. This is done slowly, concentrating on particularly tough areas. This massage does not tolerate fuss and requires at least 20 minutes. The procedure is really effective and very relaxing. Therefore, we recommend performing it in the evening, or just before bed.
Video: Exercises for the orbicularis oris muscle
Using special anti-wrinkle cosmetics
The use of anti-wrinkle creams, in combination with other procedures, gives good results. After 30 years, every woman should use age-appropriate creams, since it is during this period that the first fine wrinkles appear in the area around the mouth and lips. It is advisable to use formulations with a filter that will prevent harmful UV radiation from penetrating the skin.
To combat different types of wrinkles, the following compositions are used:
Nourishing creams with plant extracts . Such compositions are suitable for shallow wrinkles. They usually have an environmentally friendly composition, a minimum of fragrances and preservatives. These creams deeply moisturize the skin and stimulate metabolic processes in cells.
Moisturizing compositions with a lifting effect . They help nourish the skin, have a tightening effect and are used in the presence of medium-depth wrinkles. The composition often includes collagen and elastin stimulants, but when applied superficially to the skin they do not produce a pronounced result.
Creams with hyaluronic acid. Used in the presence of deep wrinkles. Of course, such compositions cannot eliminate age-related changes, but they prevent further loss of moisture from cells.
Traditional methods
Folk remedies that are easy to use at home will also help to effectively get rid of wrinkles above the upper lip and around the mouth. But their results will be noticeable only with regular use.
Recipes for masks that you can make at home:
- Mix honey, cottage cheese and sour cream in equal quantities. Apply to lips and area around mouth for 10 minutes.
- Beat the egg white and apply to the skin, leave until dry. Repeat two more times. Then rinse with water.
- The yolk is mixed with a teaspoon of honey and a quarter teaspoon of vegetable oil. Wash off the product after 10 minutes.
Masks should be done at least twice a week.
Cosmetologists recommend using fatty oils as a stand-alone product. In the evening, you can treat the problem area with one of these oils:
- jojoba;
- shi;
- cocoa;
- peach;
- wheat.
Preventing wrinkles around the mouth
The formation of wrinkles in the oral area cannot be prevented - sooner or later they will appear, but it is possible to minimize them by adhering to the following rules:
- do not smoke or indulge in chewing gum;
- do not reinforce emotions with characteristic lip movements (control facial expressions - do not purse, curl or stretch your lips).
- Avoid stressful situations, rest and relax more often.
- adjust your diet - eat more vegetables and fruits high in vitamins and minerals.
- ensure yourself healthy, full sleep; This luxury, if desired, can be afforded if you refuse to spend many hours stuck in the smartphone screen
- use high-quality cosmetics containing oils, retinoids, peptides, collagen, coenzymes and hyaluronic acid.
- Protect your lip skin from ultraviolet rays by using balms and lipsticks containing UV filters.
What are these wrinkles called?
Expression wrinkles, a halo of small rays surrounding the lips, are called “purse-string wrinkles.” This name is not accidental: wrinkles of this kind are often found in heavy smokers. They can also appear in a non-smoker, but who is accustomed to straining his lips too much. While he is young, wrinkles appear only with some tension in the facial muscles.
Purse-string wrinkles look especially depressing in combination with deep nasolabial folds and creases in the corners of the mouth. The face loses its attractiveness, a mournful, sorrowful expression appears on it, which does not disappear even when the person laughs cheerfully.
Exercise sets
Just as regular exercises in the gym allow you to shape and tone the muscles of the body, exercises to eliminate purse-string wrinkles allow you to strengthen and tone the facial muscles, smooth out the skin covering them and reduce the depth of wrinkles.
When performing daily exercises, the muscle tone in the mouth area is maintained, which allows you to maintain a youthful appearance even at a fairly mature age. Facial exercises can help reduce or slow the appearance of wrinkles around the upper lip and reduce the appearance of nasolabial folds, which extend from the base of the nose along the side of the mouth to the chin. Regular oral exercises also help keep your cheeks toned.
Runge exercises
Santa Maria Runge, author of Facial Gymnastics, says the muscle structure around the mouth is different from other facial muscles. The loss of tone and subsequent wrinkling of the skin above the upper lip is not due to lengthening, as in most facial muscles, but to poor circulation. Over time, this leads to thinning of the skin and the formation of wrinkles.
In order to remove purse-string wrinkles, Runge recommends isometric exercises, which are a kind of strength training.
Stand in front of the mirror in a sitting or standing position, whichever is more comfortable for you, and open your mouth so that there is a gap of 2.5-5 cm between your teeth. Fix in this position and begin to slowly move your upper lip down, while trying not to touch your teeth. Gradually return your lip back to its original position. Repeat 1 time per day, 5 approaches.
Exercises according to Nadeo
According to Marie-Veronica Nadeau, author of Yoga for the Face, specific yoga exercises can help reduce the depth of wrinkles, including the annoying lip line. Place your index fingers at the corners of your mouth to stabilize the muscles. Run your upper lip over your teeth from one corner of your mouth to the other. Then stretch the area above your upper lip with your fingers until it is completely smooth without creases and hold for 5 seconds. The exercise must be repeated 3 more times, but held for up to 10 seconds.
Strengthening the muscles of the mouth and lips
Stand in front of a mirror so you can see the muscles around your mouth involved in this exercise. It should be clarified that this exercise strengthens and tones the muscles of the mouth, but does not prevent the appearance of purse-string wrinkles. Pull your lips out as if drinking from a straw, then exhale the air from it without puffing out your cheeks. You need to exhale for 10 seconds. The exercise should be repeated 10-20 times in the morning and evening.
Exercise "O-I"
This exercise must be done very quickly. Start by pursing your lips as if you are getting ready to kiss someone. At the same time, say “oooooh.” Then smile a lot, as if you are trying to reach your ears with the corners of your mouth and say “awww.” Repeat the exercise 10 times quickly. It is necessary to perform “ooooo-iiiiii” at least 2-3 times a day. After a week, you will feel how your perioral muscles have noticeably strengthened.
Get your nose
Lift your lips and try to move them up towards the tip of your nose. Some girls can't do this, but it's not scary. Hold your lips up for about 5 seconds and then lower them. Repeat the exercise 5-10 times several times a day, and this will make your lips plumper and give additional tone to the muscles around the mouth.
Say cheese
Sit comfortably in front of the mirror, lips should be brought together, but not pressed. Let the upper and lower teeth touch each other. Smile as wide as you can without separating your lips and keeping them together for 5 seconds.
After this, relax and shape your lips as if you are trying to kiss someone. Hold them in this position for another 5 seconds, and then you can completely relax.
To feel the beneficial effects of the exercise, you need to repeat it 10 times, several approaches a day.
Hickey
Poke your lips out slightly, as if preparing for a gentle kiss, and then try to wrap them towards the inside of your mouth, curling them under your teeth. This exercise requires a little practice, because not everyone can repeat it correctly the first time. Keep your lips pursed behind your teeth and draw them inward slightly. Keep your lips in this position for 5 seconds and then relax. The exercise must be repeated 5-10 times.