Perioral lines

Perioral wrinkles, also known as lipstick lines, smoker’s lines or trivially « barcode », are small vertical lines that form around the lips, and often the upper white lip. Generally speaking, they are very hard to conceal.

These wrinkles can affect the lip area and the lips themselves. With time, it can become difficult to wear lipstick without it bleeding into the wrinkles making them seem darker and deeper than they are.

From the age of 20, we produce approximately 1% less collagen each year. As the production of collagen and also elastin decreases, the skin weakens, thins, and becomes less elastic, leading to the aging of the lip contour.

The fine lines around the lips are generally caused by aging and sun exposure and the deep wrinkles are accentuated by muscle hyperactivity. Fine lines can develop around the mouth by drinking through a straw, whistling, pursing your lips in annoyance, or even exaggerating a « heart-shaped » mouth in selfies. An expressive face is by nature more susceptible to the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Perioral wrinkles are particularly noticeable in smokers, not only due to the premature aging of the skin caused by smoking but also the movement when holding the cigarette between the lips.