Sometimes the thing we expect the least can do significant damage. Take drinking through straws, for example. You wouldn’t think that using straws would lead to wrinkles around your mouth. I mean, you’ve probably been drinking from straws since you were a kid and never thought twice about what they’re doing to the skin around your mouth. According to Dr. Heather Woolery-Lloyd, (www.huffpost.com), the founder of Specific Beauty, “…repeated straw drinking causes people to purse their lips and can create wrinkles from the repetitive muscle motion. Much like frowning causes wrinkles on the upper face.” But she does point out that, “In general, drinking through a straw should not cause wrinkles. However, any repetitive movement can increase the risk of wrinkles.”

So what exactly does she mean? How often does a person have to drink from straws to see significant wrinkling of the skin around the mouth? According to Dr. Heather Woolery-Lloyd, getting significant mouth wrinkles from using straws is uncommon. However, if the person using straws is prone to lip and mouth wrinkling, it may be problematic. They should probably avoid straws altogether.

The reason straws may lead to wrinkles is that when you suck through a straw, you end up pursing your lips. This repetitive muscle motion breaks down the collagen around your mouth, causing creases to form in your skin. If you’re susceptible to wrinkles and use straws for drinking, the constant puckering of the lips allows lines to develop. 

When you were young, your lips were tight, smooth, and plump — filled with collagen. As you age, you lose volume, and your lips get thinner. Increased contraction of the muscles around the mouth (obicularis oris) leads to the development of wrinkles. Mouth wrinkles affect women more than men and seem to affect women with lighter skin than those with dark pigmentation. Genetics can play a role, as well as a poor lifestyle. Smoking, frequent sun exposure, and an unhealthy diet can make a person more susceptible to wrinkles. 

So is there anything we can do to help with mouth wrinkles? One way is to use laser treatments. Fractional CO2 lasers work effectively to smooth out wrinkles and reduce lines. Injectables, which are small amounts of Botox injected into the upper lip area, relaxes the obicularis oris muscles. This helps to prevent the skin from scrunching up. Fillers are another method, and Hyaluronic acid fillers such as Belotero, Juvederm, or Restylane help ease the look of wrinkled skin. Using a good sunscreen during the day can help as well. 

If you have wrinkles and fine lines around your mouth, you will want to use SilcSkin’s Multi-Area Pads to plump up the skin, reducing the appearance of creased skin and wrinkles. The Multi-Area pad is a specially contoured medical-grade silicone pad placed over the wrinkled area. Over time, the silicone works to increase the skin’s moisture, thereby increasing the collagen production, which reduces the appearance of wrinkles. Right now, the Multi-Area Pads are available on SilcSkin.com for 20% off! And includes FREE shipping!