With age, many, peering at their reflection in the mirror, note a deterioration in the condition of the skin and the appearance of a network of wrinkles. Purse-string wrinkles that occur above the upper lip are the most worrisome. They immediately age and distort the face, giving it a grumpy and irritated expression.
Purse-string wrinkles got their name for their resemblance to a tobacco pouch. Outwardly, they resemble vertical folds of fabric tied with cord. They are popularly called the “barcode of old age” and smoker’s wrinkles.
Reasons for appearance
There is a circular muscle around the mouth. It keeps our lips in a natural position.
Muscles are known to tense and relax. So, for example, if you blow out a match, the muscle around your mouth tenses a little; when you sleep, the muscle is in a relaxed position. That is, the circular muscle is mobile.
In people with active facial expressions, purse-string wrinkles appear at a fairly young age.
- Those who actively work the orbicularis muscle in the mouth area are more prone to the early appearance of such wrinkles: glassblowers, musicians who play wind instruments, those who like to whistle something under their breath or take selfies with duck lips. And what can we say about those women who smoke?
- Also, the appearance of an age-related “barcode” above the lip is associated with hormonal changes in our body. Unlike other muscles on the face, the orbicularis muscle is attached not to bone, but to subcutaneous tissue. As we age, the dermis loses its elasticity and the muscles around the mouth begin to weaken. All this leads to the formation of deep folds above the lip.
- Most often, these changes occur before menopause. Therefore, the appearance of purse-string wrinkles above the lip is considered one of the signs of menopause. The women's website sympaty.net spoke in more detail about this period in women in the article Should I be afraid of HRT?
That is, the main reasons for the formation of wrinkles around the mouth include active facial expressions and age-related changes.
Associated factors that cause folds to appear above the lip are:
- smoking;
- playing wind instruments;
- genetic predisposition;
- sudden weight loss;
- excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation;
- hormonal imbalance, etc.
Correcting wrinkles in this area is not entirely easy, since the area around the mouth where they are located is very sensitive. However, in the arsenal of modern cosmetologists there are enough methods that help remove purse-string wrinkles.
Other methods to combat wrinkles
You can remove purse-string wrinkles above the upper lip at home with the help of special exercises. Just keep in mind that all of them are not aimed at tensing the muscles of the mouth, but at relaxing them.
African sponges
- Place your index fingers above your upper lip;
- place the larger ones under the bottom;
- press on your lips so as to press them together with the muscles to your teeth;
- the front part of the lips should protrude;
- keep them in this position for 40-60 seconds;
- let go;
- then repeat 5 more times.
This manipulation is performed daily, preferably in a sitting, comfortable position.
Cork
And this simple manipulation is carried out specifically so that the muscles of the mouth relax as much as possible and remain in this position for a certain time.
- To complete this you will need a champagne cork;
- place it in your mouth;
- press one end against your teeth, the second path will remain outside;
- use your fingers to straighten your lips so that you feel comfortable;
- completely relax your mouth muscles;
- You can be in this position as long as you want, there are no time limits.
This interesting exercise can be done while working at the computer, standing in a traffic jam, or during meditation.
Horizontal stretch
- Place your index finger and thumb at the corners of your upper lip;
- spread them in opposite directions as far as possible;
- hold for a few seconds, then release.
A similar manipulation is performed with the lower lip. Repeat 7 times.
Interesting: How to remove nasolabial folds
Duck lips
- Place your fingers in the center of both lips;
- squeeze them tighter and pull them forward;
- hold your lips in a duck position for about 25 seconds.
- release abruptly.
As in the previous case, the exercise is repeated 7-8 times.
In addition to gymnastics, masks, for example, with the addition of mumiyo or cucumber pulp, will help solve the problem of wrinkles on the face. Masks with edible gelatin or olive oil are also good. And one more thing: do not neglect acupressure and rubbing the skin with ice cubes from a herbal decoction.
Purse-string wrinkles above the upper lip are not a death sentence. You can remove them with the help of a specialist or at home, as we have told you in detail. And which method you prefer, choose for yourself.
Write in the comments: How do you fight wrinkles?
Popular techniques
There are different ways to get rid of wrinkles above the lip.
Fillers
The most effective way to correct wrinkles is to inject something under the skin into this area. Therefore, subcutaneous injections – beauty injections – are very popular among those who like to correct and smooth the skin on their face with the help of medical cosmetics.
Fillers – dermal fillers – are injected under the skin above the lip. They lift the skin and smooth out wrinkles. Here's what the reviews say about it:
- Fighting wrinkles around the mouth naturally is a useless and pointless waste of money. This will not fix the problem. I don’t believe in exercises for wrinkles either. I went to the clinic, they corrected me with Botox injections with the same composition that removes crow's feet. Great procedure. No wrinkles! By the way, fillers are cheaper than applying creams. Elena.
- Injected 0.8 ml of hyaluronic acid into the upper border of the lips. Herself. There are no more wrinkles. Let them throw slippers at me, but paying crazy money for 1 injection is nonsense. No negative consequences. Marina.
- I was injected with diluted Botox. He helped correct and remove the first wrinkles above the lip. I'm happy with the result. Julia.
We would, of course, not recommend correcting purse-string wrinkles at home using Botox injections. Why take such a risk?
It is better to seek help from a specialist, and it is recommended to look for him based on reviews on forums where real people discuss the problem of how to remove or get rid of purse-string wrinkles above the lip.
Lipofilling
Also pay attention to a correction procedure such as lipofilling. The essence of the procedure is that not chemicals are injected into the problem area under the skin, but the patient’s own fat. It is collected in certain areas (for example, in the groin area), cleaned and injected above the lip.
What is the advantage of such a procedure? The fact is that the patient is not allergic to his own fat.
The disadvantages are that the fat is absorbed and may be unevenly distributed under the skin. Feedback about this procedure:
- I went to the clinic and knew that I would remove purse-string wrinkles and wrinkles under the eyes with the help of lipofilling. They “pumped out” 18 mg of fat from me, cleaned it, and, under local anesthesia, inserted it under the skin through small incisions on my face. Let me make a reservation right away: no stitches were placed on my face. The incisions were sealed with a special plaster, which I removed after a couple of days. No swelling or bruising. Tolerable. I'm pleased with the result. Alyona.
Bioraming
Another method that is practiced to correct wrinkles above the lip is bioramming. The bottom line is that the area above the lip and the upper border of the lip itself is stitched with special absorbable threads that will hold the area around the mouth and prevent the muscles from relaxing. How to make a frame for the lips - support.
These threads last up to 2 years. Those who decided to undergo this procedure were, in principle, satisfied with the result.
They only note that the rehabilitation was very painful and long.
We talked about injections and bioramming, because these methods are good for removing purse-string folds that have appeared. That is, they can be considered the most effective methods in combating this problem.
Massage
You can also remove purse-string wrinkles around the lips through a light massage with a toothbrush previously dipped in water. Perform circular or patting movements without strong pressure from the corners of the lips.
You should not massage the skin with your fingers like ironing - this promotes even greater stretching of the muscles and, as a result, deformation of the thinned dermis.
Nelly Mezerya (Cosmetologist):
Massage with a toothbrush is strictly contraindicated for people with chronic inflammatory diseases of the oral mucosa: gingivitis, stomatitis.
Peelings and resurfacing
For those who are categorically against such intervention, more gentle methods of getting rid of purse-string wrinkles are used.
Purse-string wrinkles can be removed with the top layer of keratinized skin. Cosmetologists advise taking this step only with deep wrinkles. After all, in fact, correction of purse-string wrinkles with laser resurfacing or chemical peeling is a kind of facial burn. The skin takes weeks to recover after such procedures. Reviews often mention that small squares from the laser remain on the face for a long time. In addition, the skin flakes off.
To achieve the desired effect, you will need to undergo several procedures over several months. But you won’t get the same result as from injections or bioramming from peeling.
Now let's focus on laser resurfacing.
Laser resurfacing
Laser facial cleansing can remove small wrinkles around the mouth. Although this procedure does not give the same result as filling the subcutaneous space with fillers, there are also reviews about laser resurfacing of purse-string wrinkles above the upper lip.
- The device was brought to my face. It was very painful above the lip, as the skin there is sensitive. After the procedure, my face burned like after a steam room. An hour later. The doctor’s advice is not to wash your face with water for 10 days, wipe the area above the lip with chlorhexidine and apply Bepanten. The redness and peeling lasted for several days. Added moisturizer. The fine wrinkles above the lip have hardly disappeared. After 3 months I repeated the procedure. Skin condition is much better. Wrinkles after the second procedure almost disappeared. Ada.
Botulinum toxin injections
This procedure is an injection method of combating purse-string wrinkles with Botox. Its action is aimed at immobilizing and relaxing the orbicularis muscle, which helps restore the skin and smooth out wrinkles.
The effect of the procedure is noticeable immediately. However, the maximum result is assessed only after 3-5 days, when the swelling subsides. Wrinkles disappear for 6-12 months, then they appear again.
Botulinum toxin injections are indicated:
- with age-related skin changes;
- when the corners of the mouth droop;
- after dental procedures, prolonged smoking or exposure to other factors;
- causing premature formation of folds above the upper lip.
As for contraindications, they can be conditionally divided into several groups - direct and relative. The first, in which the use of botulinum toxin preparations is strictly prohibited.
These include:
- hypersensitivity to the components of the drug;
- mental disorders;
- alcohol addiction;
- infectious skin lesions in the area of intended administration of the drug.
Relative contraindications are conditions in which the use of Botox is limited (the procedure is postponed for some time):
- taking antibiotics;
- oncology;
- viral diseases in the acute stage;
- increased body temperature;
- lesions of the facial nerves;
- high blood pressure;
- open sores and wounds on the skin.
Botulinum toxin is a substance safe for the human body. But if it is administered incorrectly, side effects may occur:
- asymmetry of the facial muscles;
- the effect of a frozen mask instead of a face;
- decreased sensitivity.
Biorevitalization is a cosmetic procedure that is carried out in several ways - non-injection and injection. During it, hyaluronic acid is used, which helps fill the intercellular space and moisturize the cells, due to which the face becomes smoother and the skin rejuvenates.
Non-injection biorevitalization is carried out using laser equipment, which ensures the penetration of the active substance into the deeper layers of the skin. This method is the safest, in contrast to the injection of hyaluronic acid. However, its effect is so pronounced.
The main indications for the procedure:
- mimic and purse-string wrinkles;
- swelling;
- decreased elasticity of the skin around the eyes.
It is strictly forbidden to resort to biorevitalization if you have:
- hypersensitivity to the drug;
- pregnancy and lactation;
- hyper- and hypothyroidism;
- tuberculosis;
- epilepsy;
- the presence of wounds and ulcers on the skin;
- mental disorders.
If all conditions for the procedure are followed by a specialist, the occurrence of side effects is minimized. After the injections, slight redness and swelling remain, which disappear after 2-3 days. The effect of this procedure lasts up to six months.
Prevention of the formation of purse-string wrinkles
Like other areas of the face with sensitive skin, the area above the upper lip requires close attention, especially as you age. The following will help to enhance the effectiveness of cosmetic procedures and delay a visit to a plastic surgeon as much as possible:
- regular use of age-appropriate, good quality cosmetics containing hyaluronic acid, collagen, vitamins, coenzymes, retinoids and other active ingredients;
- to give up smoking;
- control over facial expressions of the peri-labial zone;
- regular contrast compresses, masks or ice cube massage;
- performing articulatory gymnastics and self-massage.
Experts' opinion
The opinions of experts regarding the optimal ways to get rid of purse-string wrinkles do not always agree.
Nelly Mezerya (Cosmetologist):
To correct wrinkles in the perioral area, it is advisable to use several methods. A good effect can be observed with a consistent combination of peelings, mesotherapy and contouring. Since the procedures are quite expensive, it is necessary to take preventive measures as early as possible. This is especially true for smoking patients.
However, cosmetologists unanimously note how complex the procedure is.
