Do your lips look differently to you now than when you were younger? Your eyes are not deceiving you. This post discusses how to anti-age lips with tips on lip care routine including filling, plumping and exfoliating lips and alternative lipstick application.
I vividly remember my mother when she was in her early 60s raising up a metaphorical crystal ball of aging to me. She pointed out 2 things that I had to look forward to: sparse eyelashes (more on that in another post) and thin lips.
Over the years, I grew to understand-anecdotally at least-that my mother was not alone in her feelings; aging lips cause many women immense consternation. Lips are small in facial real estate but larger than life in our mind, spirit and mirror. My theory is that aging lips glaringly showcase our (perceived) diminishment of femininity and desirability. It’s akin to men’s perspective on baldness. And who wants that.
Now that I am closer to my mother’s age back when, my perspective has shifted a bit. I am no longer filled with as much dread. Granted, no fountain of youth has yet been discovered. However, there have been some advances in the last 30 years and product choices that can transform our lip care routine and stave off some of the effects of its aging.
I’d like to talk about a few of the options. But first things first.
What Happens When Lips Age and Why
Everyone’s lip shape at any age is a bit different; some people are born with naturally fuller lips and conversely thinner lips. With that said, lips in our younger years are at their fullest. It may surprise you to learn that our lips have full fat pads in them (just like our faces) up until sometime in our mid to late 20s. Those pads hold up the structure of the lip quite well giving them a full(er) appearance.
The volume of those fat pads directly correlates with our body’s collagen production. Collagen is the main structural protein that provides the support for those fat pads (as well as all skin and connective tissue in our bodies). Collagen and our fat pad volume declines slowly after 30 and then accelerates dramatically around menopause/50ish.
The result after 50? Thin lips, dry lips and wrinkles around the lips. Our transformation tips address these effects.
5 TIPS TO ANTI-AGE AND IMPROVE YOUR LIP CARE ROUTINE
#1 Lip Filler
If your lips have become thinner and it bothers you, lip filler is a great option because it works well, quickly and can last up to about 2 years. Not only does it add volume but with the proper application can even add symmetry when there previously was none. Finally, as an added bonus, that added volume can eliminate some of the vertical lines around the mouth.
Hyaluronic acid is what most fillers are made of (brand names of Juvederm and Restylane). It’s fairly benign and safe. Hyaluronic acid is in a lot of skincare product to plump the skin and we can even ingest it in the form of vitamins/supplements designed expressly for skin, hair, nails.
When considering this option, there are caveats:
- A critical component to a successful filler outcome is the technique of the person who wields the syringe. Go to someone who comes recommended and practices a more natural aesthetic vs. an overdone bee stung type of look (unless that is what you like). Overdone is less forgiving the older we get.
- The procedure is not painless. While you are given a numbing cream on the lips prior, the lips are still a very sensitive area of the body.
- It’s not inexpensive. To give you an idea, it averages ~$300-$500 but will depend on the amount of product used and where you live geographically.
- If you don’t like the look, it is possible to get it removed.
#2 Lip Plumper
Lip plumpers are the temporary alternative to lip filler. They are applied to the lips externally much like you would lip gloss.
Cinnamon, cloves and cayenne pepper are the active ingredients in these plumpers and serve to irritate the lips and increase the bloodflow. As a result, the lips enlarge a bit, become a bit flushed and pinker giving the desired effect.
I’ve used these and some work better than others, and as you can imagine, the lips have a tendency to sting and get heated. Reapplication is necessary after a couple of hours. It is good though for a special night out.
Below are a couple of suggested products:
#3 Two-Step Lip Care Routine
Include 2 steps in your lip care routine to get the maximum effect. They include:
Step 1: Lip Moisturizer
Maintain and increase the hydration to your lips (and the volume) with products that provide a barrier. The products do not have to be expensive. In fact, IMO, Aquaphor is really the gold standard in this area. It contains occlusives that form a protective barrier as well as emollients and humectants that soften and moisturize.
Other options and brands could include Vaseline, Nivea, Burts Bees and the list goes on.
Honorable mention in my book is Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask. It has a wonderful smell and flavor to it and contrary to the name of the product, can be used both night and day. It is effective.
As with any lip care routine, what becomes important is the consistency by which you do this-every day morning and night.
Step 2: Lip Exfoliation
Your lips’ moisture (and plumpness!) can improve by adding in an exfoliation step prior to moisturizing once or twice a week. This means getting rid of the dry flakes and exposing the new skin underneath. There are a few different ways to do this.
- There are lip exfoliators from many different brands. Curiously, what is most important in an exfoliator is the container it comes in. Exfoliators come in pot, liquid or stick. I’ve tried many brands and containers and everything being equal, my conclusion is that product in pots is more effective. This is probably because there’s too much emollient and not enough abrasion in stick or liquid products. If you are looking for a suggestion, try: Fresh Sugar Lip Polish
- The quick old-fashioned way that won’t break the bank: take a damp washcloth or soft unused toothbrush and gently rub or brush your lips to deflake them. Moisturize (step 1) after. This really does work but as I have experienced it can be a little too easy to be harsh with your lips. Be gentle! Aging lips are thinning lips and more sensitive.
- The Kitchen recipe: you can create your own lip scrub with products in the kitchen. An easy one is to combine equal parts sugar (acts an abrasive) and honey or coconut oil (softens the lips). There are a number of online sites that have recipes for this if this is something that interests you.
#4 Lip Care Nutrients
This might be very obvious to all but worth a mention. Believe it or not, eating right with collagen rich foods (think veggies, fruit, bone broth), drinking plenty of water, and sleeping adequately are all very beneficial and will contribute to staving off increased acceleration of aging to your body and lips.
Something to also consider is supplementing with vitamins that expressly address skin, hair and nails. I use Nature’s Bounty with extra Biotin but there are many on the market.
Why not just ingest a collagen supplement? While there are a lot on the market, they have not yet been proven to work so the jury is still out on that.
#5 Lipstick Application for Fuller Lips
Lipstick and its application can roll back a few years off of your lips. If you have thinner lips and want them to appear a bit larger but natural, apply lip color with a lip liner vs. a lipstick. This means lining the outside of your lips first and then filling them in with the same lip liner. You don’t have to “overline” or draw on the outside of your lips for this to be effective. Just be sure to truly draw on the very edge of your lips (and not diminish what you have), and it will be quite natural looking.
If you choose to color your lips with a lip liner, two things become very important: The first is the emollience of your lip liner. You will want a liner that is soft. Many lip liners tend to be on the drier side which will dry up your lips and counteract what you are trying to achieve. For this, I recommend Lancome’s Le Lipstique
The second is your lip liner color. Choose a color very close to your natural lip shade but one shade darker or lighter. Top off with a moisturizer and even a clear gloss. That gloss will give your lips a more reflective quality and perceived size to your lips.
In Conclusion
Thank you for reading this post! I hope it has been educational and perhaps even a bit inspirational. After all, I do believe it’s time to embrace our lips and reclaim our femininity!
And while we are at it, let’s throw out my mother’s crystal ball once and for all.
This post has included tips around anti-aging lip care routine, lip moisturizing, lip exfoliation, lip fillers and more.
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