Everyone hates those wrinkles that radiate around the lips. And they only seem to get worse with age. What can be done? These simple steps will help to prevent these lines and can reduce their visibility.

1. Stay out of the sun.  It's well-know that sun damage causes wrinkles. Wear at least a 30 SPF sunblock and a hat when you're spending any time outside.

2. Don't smoke.  There are many good reasons to avoid smoke or to stop smoking.  Lip wrinkle prevention is another compelling argument to not smoke.

3. Use a medical-grade skin care regimen.  Ask your dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon about topical skin care products that can help with your particular skin type.  Tretinoin and L-ascorbic acid can both help with wrinkles by boosting collagen conent in your skin. 

4. Laser wrinkle treatments and chemical peels. These will create controlled injuries in the skin that stimulate new skin growth that tends to look smoother and more youthful. Lasers like Fraxel, ActiveFX, and DeepFX have been well established as excellent wrinkle treatments.  Traditional dermabrasion (not microdermabrasion) can also work well for lines around the lips, but it has a higher risk of hypopigmentation, when the skin loses it's color and looks porcelain white. 

5. Botox. A small amount of this popular muscle-relaxing protein can be injected into the muscles around the lips.  Just enough Botox or Dysport will reduce the lines that are caused by pursing your lips without changing the function of the lip muscles.  

6. Dermal fillers. The most popular injectable wrinkle fillers are made from hyaluronic acid gel, a substance naturally found in your body.  This gel can be used to fill under the wrinkles to lift them up and make them less noticable.  Juvederm, Restylane, and Perlane are among the most used HA fillers in the U.S. 

7. Combination treatments. Any or all of the above will help to reduce those pesky lip lines.  You can talk to one of the doctors at Allure Medical Spa in Michigan for a free consultation if you want to see what can be done for the lines around your lips.