Lip Wrinkles: Can You Blame Straws and Water Bottles?

When it comes to facial lines and wrinkles, you probably know that the aging process and UV exposure are the biggest culprits. Unfortunately, seemingly harmless habits like using straws and drinking from water bottles can also contribute to the problem. These are believed to cause lines and wrinkles, especially on the area around the mouth  (Lip Wrinkles).

The deal with straw drinking

Sipping drinks from a straw is not a damaging habit and should not cause wrinkles. Regular straw drinking, however, causes you to purse your lips repeatedly. Contracting the same muscles over and over again can break down the collagen over time. This can lead to creases and fine lines, which may later turn into deep wrinkles.

You don’t necessarily have to avoid straws to avoid or prevent wrinkles. You can still sip from a straw from time to time, but make sure not to do it every single day or throughout the day. You shouldn’t also purse your lips most of the time, as this causes repeated movements around the mouth. 

The issue with water bottles

Drinking water from sports bottle is a convenient way to stay hydrated. The sad part is the shape of the water bottle itself can cause you to repeatedly purse your lips when drinking. Doing this regularly contracts the muscles around your mouth, which can cause the lines to appear and make your lips thinner over time

To avoid continuous pursing of the mouth, it is best to drink from a cup, glass, or mug whenever you can. You can still drink from water bottles occasionally, but don’t make it a daily habit.

Repeated facial expressions and other factors

The lines and wrinkles around your mouth are formed the same way as other facial wrinkles. Repetitive muscle movements is a big contributor, as the constant muscle motion and stimulation around the mouth can encourage the breakdown of collagen and elastin fibers more rapidly.

Other factors that can contribute to wrinkle formation include:

• Smoking
• Genetics
• Natural aging process
• Sun exposure and dehydration

Treating lip lines and wrinkles

You can keep your pout looking younger by avoiding repetitive facial expressions and other wrinkle contributors. You can also consider using topical treatments like lip line creams with antioxidants and peptides. If you, however, want to smooth lines and wrinkles, injectables are the better option.

Botulinum toxin (Botox)

Popularly known as Botox, Botulinum toxin is a US FDA-cleared injectable for treating dynamic wrinkles. It can help reduce the appearance of smoker’s lines or upper lip wrinkles and frown lines. You can also turn to Botox to treat crow’s feet (wrinkles in the corner of the eyes) and forehead lines. 

It temporarily blocks the signal from a nerve to a muscle to relax and soften the wrinkles. The whole procedure is quick and may take less than 30 minutes. It also involves the use of topical anesthetic cream to make the treatment tolerable and more comfortable.

You may need to wait for about two weeks to see the full results. This can last for three to six months or longer with repeated treatments. Just make sure to look for a skilled and experienced injector with a ‘conservative’ approach in administering the injectable.

Dermal fillers (Lip fillers)

These safe injectable treatments can help restore lost volume and skin’s elasticity. Fillers can improve the appearance of wrinkles and replace volume loss in the face. Here at Cutis Laser Clinics, we use fillers made with hyaluronic acid or HA (Juvederm) and calcium-based microspheres (Radiesse).

• HA-based fillers or Juvederm can improve fine lines, eye bags, and nasolabial fold. Juvederm can also plump up the lips, add volume in the cheeks, define the chin, and increase the height of the nose bridge.
• Calcium-based fillers or Radiesse can replenish lost volume over time, as well as improve facial lines. It can also add volume to the cheeks, and fill the lips and nasolabial folds. It is also works as “bio-stimulator” that can stimulate your body to produce collagen over time.

Unlike Botox, the results with fillers can be seen almost immediately. They also last longer, between 9 and 18 months, but this depends on the types of fillers used.

Schedule a consultation

Don’t make straw and water bottle drinking a daily habit. You shouldn’t also hesitate to consider Botox and fillers if your lines and wrinkles bother you. To find out if you’re a good candidate for these injectables, contact Cutis Medical Laser Clinics today and schedule a consultation with our aesthetic doctors in Singapore.