Why Are My Lips Getting Thinner with Age?

You’re probably more familiar with your own face than anyone else is. This can be true even when you tend to rush through your morning and nighttime routines and when you have facial characteristics that you’d prefer to overlook. It’s only natural that the glimpses we do catch, whether in the mirror or through pictures we see of ourselves, provide us with a baseline and roadmap. When things start to change, we can’t help but notice. One of those things that can change over time is the appearance of our lips. This change begins slowly and subtly in our twenties, when the body slows down its production of collagen, elastin, hyaluronic acid, and other vital chemicals. Inevitably, without a strong tissue regeneration process happening year after year, the resiliency of our skin diminishes. But is this all there is to it? Are we destined to have thin, deflated lips as we reach middle-age and beyond? We think not. 

What Causes Lip Thinning?

Beyond the natural aging process, we can see several additional factors that contribute to lip thinning. These include:

• Sun exposure. We know to wear sunscreen and most parents now apply sunscreen to themselves and their children starting at a young age. This wasn’t the case forty and fifty years ago. While we may be better at applying sunscreen, we may be lagging behind in the use of SPF lip balm. It must be understood that UV light degrades collagen in all skin that it touches and also that UV damage can cause skin cancer even on the lips. Tip: Apply sunscreen daily!
• Smoking.  People know that smoking can cause lip lines around the mouth because the habit involves puckering around a cigarette or other product. There’s more. Smoking also breaks down collagen in the skin and it prevents the skin from receiving oxygen and nutrients through efficient circulation. Tip: Don’t smoke!
• Genetics. Our genes influence how we age. There’s no way around this. When you see how your family members are aging, you have some idea of your aging process, too. That said, you can mitigate this facto to some extent by taking excellent care of your health and skin. Tip: Control what you can!

What Can be Done about Thinning Lips?

There are a few ways that thin, deflated lips can be helped. These include:

• Stay hydrated. The body relies on adequate hydration (obtained by drinking half your body weight in water every day) to plump and repair the skin. 
• Get enough sleep. This isn’t good for your lips only but for your whole body. Studies show that 7 or more hours of sleep a night is vital to the tissue repair process. 
• Skip the plumping devices. Don’t let Tik Tok make you buy it! Lip plumping devices might work in the short term but may also degrade the collagen strands that give the lips their form. 

Treatment for Thin Lips

The above tips are excellent and can do a lot of good, but what if your lips are thin now and you want them to look dramatically different? Come see us! Injectables can help alter the shape of the lips quickly and safely. The caveat is that you need to see an experienced, licensed professional with a strong track record using approved products. Thin lips can be reshaped using Botox, dermal fillers, or even fat, for longer-lasting results. If you’re ready to see younger-looking lips, contact us today at 702.684.5502. We’re happy to schedule a visit for you at our Las Vegas or Henderson, NV office.