Keeping Your Mouth Beautiful

By Devon Monache


It smiles, laughs, sings, speaks words of love, and puckers for a kiss. Over time, all this action has an impact.

The area around the mouth is where most women begin to notice lines and wrinkles. Just like on the rest of the face, the skin in this area folds and bends as we use it. Sunblock, visors and hats help, however the lower portion of the face usually still suffers greater damage from the sun. Wrinkles are inevitable with all these factors.

Unfortunately, when people look at us, their eyes focus on two things: our eyes and mouth. Wrinkles can appear worse when wearing colourful lipstick, because it attracts more attention to the mouth. For many, wrinkles and textural changes begin to extend out from the mouth onto the chin and middle parts of the cheeks and with collagen loss, the skin begins to sag, contributing to a less firm jawline, or even jowls.

That's the bad news. Fortunately, there are some things to do about it.

Traditionally, cosmetic practitioners have had less tools to deal with problem areas around the mouth. Surgical procedures like face lifts do not fix flaws in skin near the lips, and even when done properly, there is a sharp contrast to the otherwise tight facial skin. Small Botox treatments can help alleviate strong pursed lips, but won't take away those wrinkles that look like they were carved in.

Our bodies produce less collagen as we age. Unfortunately, given accumulated years of sun and environmental damage, our rate of collagen breakdown rapidly increases. That's what ultimately leads to laxity and wrinkles. Over time, we do lose volume in our lips. Reducing sun damage, hydrating and nourishing our bodies, supplementing with omega-3s and antioxidants are all a start. Fortunately, subtle amounts of filler can help restore natural contours, and gently smooth some fine lines.

Science suggests that a woman's perceived age may be influenced as much by the volume of her lips as by the amount of wrinkles she has. Lip volume begins to decrease once we are in our mid-30s. Most patients want to know how to achieve voluminous, natural lips without going overboard.

"Duck face" is a common worry, and we agree nobody should have this look! Filler can be added in increments to create a natural line around the mouth, if the injector has experience.

The biggest problem at times, is knowing what your limits are. Small lips can only be changed so much.

It's not just about filling the lips. One needs to consider the entire face and understand the balance of the lips as it pertains to the rest of the face. Not all injectors have an artistic eye or understand the anatomy of the face. Finding an experienced, artistically talented injector is key.




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