Introduction to Vertical Lip Lines
Fine lines and wrinkles can develop over time from repetitive movements and can go from the vermilion border (the area between the lip and the face at the edge of the lip) outwards, either down towards the chin or up towards the nose.
Vertical lip lines are commonly called smokers lines, lipstick lines or barcode lines, and they can be a source of self consciousness as we begin to notice them with age. Ageing brings collagen loss and a decline in skin elasticity, as the proteins that keep skin firm and plump break down. As they do, the skin becomes looser and fine lines around the mouth deepen into permanent creases.
Treating them with lip fillers in London is one of the more straightforward things we do, because the lines are shallow and the correction is small.
Smokers lines: you do not have to be a smoker
Smokers lines and vertical lip lines are the same thing. The name is misleading, and it is the most common worry we hear from patients who have never smoked in their lives.
The lines form because the skin of the perioral area is thin, has very few oil glands and a weaker skin barrier than the rest of the face, and sits over a muscle that purses constantly. Facial expressions do most of the work: talking, eating, drinking and smiling all crease the same small patch of skin thousands of times a day. Combine that with the natural decline in collagen from your mid-twenties onwards, and lines around the mouth appear whether or not you have ever held a cigarette.
Smoking does accelerate it, for two reasons rather than one. Nicotine narrows the blood vessels supplying the skin, so it repairs itself more slowly. And drawing on a cigarette purses the lips in exactly the way that creases the skin. But that same pursing happens when you drink through a straw or from a bottle, and UV exposure damages elastin regardless of whether you smoke.
Perioral lines, to give them their clinical name, are a normal feature of facial ageing. If you have never smoked and you have them, nothing has gone wrong. Whatever the cause, it is the same skin concern, and it responds to lip filler treatment in London in exactly the same way.
Lip Treatments for Smokers Lines
At our lip clinic PHI Clinic in London we use hyaluronic acid dermal fillers made by Juvéderm to improve the appearance of vertical lip lines. Injectable fillers can be tailored to individual concerns, and across the Juvéderm Vycross range the product choice will reflect those concerns.
Lip filler works by adding volume beneath the skin to smooth out the appearance of wrinkles on the surface. Across the dermal filler range the thickness of the gel can be adapted, whether the aim is to change lip shape and volume as well, or simply to soften the lines above them.
Vertical Lip Lines transformations
Is Botox or filler better for smokers lines?
Usually filler, and often both.
Filler for smokers lines works on the line itself, adding a small amount of product beneath it so the crease sits flush with the skin around it. It is the more direct answer to a line that is already there, and in the hands of an experienced injector it will not change the shape of your lip.
Botox works on the muscle that creates the line. A small dose relaxes the pursing action of the orbicularis oris, which softens the lines and slows the rate at which they deepen. A lip flip in London uses the same principle.
For deep wrinkles that are already set into the skin, filler does more. For early lines, or to stop deeper ones returning as quickly, the two are often combined. Which applies to you is a question for a consultation rather than a website.
If you are wondering whether treatment for vertical lip lines is right for you, book a no obligation consultation with our London lip clinic and we will pair you with one of our practitioners for a tailored treatment plan.
Causes of Vertical Lip Lines
As the lips are one of the most expressive parts of the face, one of the main causes of upper lip lines is repetitive facial movement. The mouth is a delicate area of skin, and coupled with the natural ageing process of slowing collagen production, that movement turns fine lines into vertical wrinkles over time. Volume loss in the lip itself adds to the effect, because as the lip thins the skin above it has less to sit on.
Whilst many people think about the chemicals going into their body from smoking, fewer consider the external effects that can be seen by the human eye. Smoking speeds the process up by actively destroying collagen and reducing blood flow to the top layer of skin, as well as causing a repeated pursing of the lips.
Drinking through a straw or straight from a bottle has the same mechanical effect. Repeated sun exposure is another cause of lines around the mouth, as UV radiation damages elastin production in the skin.
Whatever the cause, lip fillers at our Harley Street clinic treat the result the same way.
Which of our cosmetic treatments suits you depends on how deep the lines are and how the skin around them is holding up. An aesthetic consultation is where that gets decided, and where we can tell you honestly what will and will not rejuvenate the area. Natural rejuvenation here means softening the lines rather than erasing them, which is a distinction worth understanding before you book rather than afterwards.
Safe and effective treatment
Your safety is our top priority and making our patients feel welcomed and reassured when entering PHI Clinic. To ensure maximum standard of patient care, all of our treatments are only ever carried out by our experienced and highly qualified team, who receive regular in-house and external training from industry experts.
At PHI Clinic we do not offer same day treatment as initial consultation to ensure patients have time to reflect on their bespoke treatment plan before choosing to proceed.
Your dermal filler practitioners
Location
PHI Clinic
102 Harley Street,
London,
W1G 7JB,
United Kingdom
Tel: 02070345999
Opening Hours
Monday & Tuesday - 9:30am to 6:00pm
Wednesday & Thursday - 9:30am to 8:00pm
Friday - 9:30am to 5:00pm
Saturday - 11:30am to 12:30pm
Sunday - Closed
Opening times can change, if your appointment is outside of these times please contact the clinic for confirmation.
Frequently asked questions
Hyaluronic acid, a sugar molecule that occurs naturally in the skin and binds water to keep it plump. At PHI we use Juvéderm fillers, and the product chosen depends on the depth of what is being treated, from deeper facial creases through to fine lines above the lip.
- Smokers lines and vertical lip lines
- Deeper creases around the mouth
- Loss of volume and collagen in the lip area and elsewhere on the face
Repetitive movement is the main cause. Talking, smiling, drinking through a straw and smoking all purse the lips in the same way. On top of that, collagen and elastin decline from your mid-twenties onwards, and UV exposure speeds that decline up. Alcohol contributes indirectly, through dehydration and disrupted sleep, rather than through any direct effect on the lines themselves.
No cream will remove a line that has already formed. Retinoids and daily sun protection genuinely slow the rate at which new lines appear and improve the quality of the skin around the mouth, which is worth doing at any age. But once a crease is set into the skin it needs something placed beneath it, or a treatment that stimulates new collagen. Any cream sold as reversing lip lines is overstating what it can do.
Deeper lines usually need filler placed directly beneath the crease rather than anything topical. Long-standing lines may need more than one session, and are sometimes combined with skin resurfacing to improve the texture around them. The depth of the line and the quality of the surrounding skin both affect what will work, which is what a consultation establishes.
Dermal fillers start from £400 at PHI, and a new patient consultation with a cosmetic doctor is from £125. The final cost depends on how much product is needed, which is agreed at consultation before anything goes ahead.