It’s not the years of laughing and frowning that leave you with wrinkles at the corners of your mouth, but the gradual erosion of tissue beneath the skin, explains dermatologist Mary Lupo, MD, in Oprah’s magazine, “O.” Although habitual expressions can contribute to wrinkles around your mouth, age and sun damage are the primary culprits. The best treatment for your mouth wrinkles depends on whether you have just a few creases or very deep wrinkles.
If You Have a Few Wrinkles
Step 1
Apply broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF-15 or higher every day to prevent further tissue damage.
Step 2
Ask your dermatologist to prescribe a strong retinol cream and apply it every night to the area around your wrinkles. Retinol speeds up cell turnover and stimulates collagen growth, so it makes wrinkles less noticeable and helps fill in missing tissue.
Step 3
Schedule an appointment with your dermatologist to talk about getting hyaluronic acid injections. These fillers plump up the area beneath your skin to smooth out wrinkles around your mouth.
If You Have Serious Creases
Step 1
Apply broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF-15 or higher every day. If you already have deep wrinkles, additional sun damage will exacerbate the problem.
Step 2
Schedule a laser resurfacing treatment session with your dermatologist. According to Dr. Lupo, laser resurfacing is one of the best ways to dramatically improve the appearance of deep lines around your mouth because it actually rebuilds collagen beneath your skin. Keep in mind that laser treatments can be painful and have a week’s recovery time, and you may have to wait six months to see results.
Step 3
Use a retinol-based cream at night to promote collagen growth and maintain your wrinkle reduction.
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