You expect your skin to change with age, but you may not have expected your lips to thin.
Most of the time we are focused on fine lines around the eyes, wrinkles on the forehead and the marionette lines from our nose to our mouth.
But one day we’re going to put on our lipstick and… what happened? Or maybe we see a photo of ourselves and are surprised that our lips are almost gone!
Why does this happen? And what can we do about it?
Why does aging cause thinning lips?
Several changes occur in the skin that can make it look smaller and thinner.
Loss of collagen and elastin
Collagen and elastin are proteins that give the skin structure and elasticity. Thanks to these proteins, the skin retains its shape and bounces back after we make our facial expressions.
As we age, the body’s production of these proteins naturally decreases, leading to loss of shape and firmness of the lips. The process begins in your 20s and then accelerates in your 40s, 50s and beyond.
Dehydration
Older skin has more difficulty retaining moisture. It produces less of its natural oil (sebum) and also loses more to the air, usually due to a damaged skin barrier that can no longer hold it.
Lips have a much thinner outer layer of skin compared to other parts of the body, which means they are much more prone to moisture loss. Dehydrated lips not only look thinner, but are also dry and cracked.
Redistribution of fat
If you find that you can no longer stand on cement for as long as you used to because your heels hurt, you are experiencing fat redistribution!
As we get older, the fat pads we used to have – including on our heels and on our lips – begin to diminish and shift. Soon there is much less cushion on your heels, so you feel that floor down to your bone. The same thing happens with your lips: Those plump fat cells that used to give them volume shrink and shift, leading to a thinner appearance.
Muscle activity
We use our lips to talk, eat, kiss, smile and sometimes play musical instruments. All of these activities can lead to the development of fine lines and wrinkles around the lips, which can draw more attention to their reduced fullness.
Genetics
We all have different shaped lips depending on our genes. Some people have naturally fuller lips than others, but no matter where you start, your lips will likely thin out and lose volume as you age. If you were born with thinner lips, you are more likely to notice the change.
Does it matter if I have thinning lips?
Thinner lips won’t hurt, although dry lips will. Keeping your lips moisturized and healthy can prevent cracking, flaking, and bleeding and reduce the risk of infection.
Maybe you don’t like how your thinner lips look. Full lips are generally seen in our culture as a sign of vitality and youth, while thinning lips can indicate age and fragility. Thin lips can also create an unbalanced appearance to your face, causing a loss of definition in the lower half.
Solutions for Thinning Lips: How to Make Them Look Plump and Beautiful
We can’t stop the aging process, but we can take steps to maintain healthy lips that look fuller. Try these seven tips.
1. Hydrate
The skin on your lips is thinner and more sensitive than that of the rest of your face, making it more vulnerable to dryness and cracking. To keep your lips moisturized, it is essential to keep them looking plump.
Use a high-quality lip balm to retain moisture and prevent water loss. We recommend our Repairing Lip Balm. It instantly softens dry, rough and chapped skin and creates a soothing barrier to lock in moisture. With natural antioxidants it also helps protect against harmful external influences. Fat-soluble vitamins and medicinal plant terpenoids promote skin regeneration while promoting wound healing.
Apply daily as needed to gradually restore softness and fullness to the lips.
2. Protect your lips
We can’t stop time, but we can make sure we don’t speed it up. Stop smoking if you already do: smoking accelerates the aging of and around the lips. Then protect your lips against harmful UV rays with a broad-spectrum sunscreen.
Then do your best to control internal inflammation. Eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly, manage your stress and use our CV Skinlabs products as they are all designed to help reduce inflammation in the skin.
3. Exfoliate
Just as you regularly exfoliate your face to remove old, dead cells and reveal new, younger cells, you should do the same on your lips. It not only improves the texture of your lips, but also stimulates blood circulation, making the lips look more vibrant.
Gently brush your lips with a lip scrub or soft toothbrush. Be careful and don’t be too harsh. Then follow with our Restorative Skin Balm. Repeat this once or twice a week, depending on your lips.
Our pro tip: Mix the repairing skin balm (which contains nourishing oils) with a teaspoon of sugar and oil to form a scrub and then gently scrub the lips. Then apply a swipe of Restorative Skin Balm to leave skin looking plump, soft and healthy.
4. Try lip masks
Overnight lip masks provide intense hydration and nutrients while you sleep. Ingredients such as honey, coconut oil and glycerin create a protective barrier that prevents moisture loss. You’ll wake up with softer and fuller lips, while also helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines and cracks.
Us Restorative skin balm can be used as a lip mask overnight; just apply it more heavily than usual before going to bed. It contains natural moisturizing, healing, collagen-boosting ingredients for the lips.
5. Try a lip extender
There are many volumizing lip serums or ‘lip plumpers’ on the market these days. Feel free to experiment to see which one works for you. Many contain ingredients such as capsaicin (from chili peppers) or menthol that create a mild tingling sensation and cause the lips to swell slightly. Others focus on hydration and use hyaluronic acid and glycerin to help lips retain more moisture so they look fuller.
Some contain volumizing agents designed to promote collagen production while temporarily increasing the size of the lips. Some have light-reflecting particles that create an optical illusion of fullness.
Always read the label so you know what is in your products. To be on the safe side, choose those with moisturizing ingredients or volumizing ingredients from natural sources.
Us Restorative skin balm contains all natural ingredients, including castor oil, which helps stimulate blood circulation and gives the lips a natural and subtle plumping effect.
Remark: Avoid lip plumping devices such as hyaluronic acid pens and suction devices. They can accelerate the breakdown of collagen.
6. Use makeup techniques
Makeup can dramatically improve the appearance of your lips. Use a lip liner slightly outside your natural lip line to create the illusion of more volume. Start by outlining the outer corners first and then move inward. It also helps to lightly fill the lips with the liner to keep the shape of your lips consistent so that you don’t notice any obvious lip lines.
Once you’re done, use a cotton swab or your finger to gently blend and blend the outline you’ve created. Finally, add your lip color. Keep in mind that lighter colors generally make lips appear larger, while darker colors create a more defined look that can make them appear smaller.
A glossy lipstick reflects light, making lips look fuller, while matte finishes can emphasize dryness and thinness. Add a little highlighter to the cupid’s bow to accentuate the pout even more.
7. Eat well
A balanced diet rich in essential nutrients supports skin health from within. Omega-3 fatty acids found in nuts, seeds and oily fish maintain skin elasticity and hydration. Vitamins C and E are crucial for collagen production and skin repair. Fruits, vegetables and leafy greens contain antioxidants that fight environmental damage, which can accelerate aging. Water-rich foods like cucumbers and melons increase the water level in your skin.
Avoid foods high in fat, salt and sugar, as these can be dehydrating and contribute to inflammation.
Have you noticed that your lips are getting thinner as you get older?
Featured image by Tima Miroshnichenko via Pexels.
