There is a common, circulating rumor that says those tiny vertical wrinkles that more mature women get on their lips are called "lipstick lines" because, "you get them by wearing lipstick."

More than likely, this is false. The big contributor to lipstick lines is the simple, or rather complex, process of aging. Being more specific, these wrinkles show up after years of facial activity, which causes the breakdown of collagen (an elastic, connective tissue found all over the body) in the mouth and facial area. Collagen serves to plump the lips and help them retain their shape whenever the lip muscles move. As we get older, this collagen breakdown causes our lips to lose elasticity, and the skin retains the tell-tale wrinkles of our most common movements.

This particularly applies to people who smoke. Smokers have a daily habit of pursing their lips around cigarettes. When a person keeps up this habit for years, his or her lips have taken the "pucker" position several thousand more times than those who abstain from smoking; hence, smokers are most commonly associated with lip wrinkles. This process is worsened by the free radicals that smoking exposes your body to, which have their own role participating in collagen and other cellular deterioration.

In spite of the connection between smoking and lipstick lines, don`t be quick to label somebody by their lip wrinkles; and don`t be alarmed if you develop lip wrinkles when you`ve never touched a cigarette. These lines can appear on anybody.

Remedies and Prevention

With that brief explanation of where lip wrinkles come from, it isn`t too difficult to connect with the first suggestion to prevent them: avoid stressing your lips. One way to reduce your risk (besides quitting smoking) is opting to have your next drink without a straw. If you notice any other habits that cause you to purse your lips excessively, make a note to avoid these movements. As to not puckering up for a kiss... What good is a life without lip wrinkles if there are no simple pleasures?

To combat free radicals, take up a few good antioxidants, available in tea, fruit, vegetable, grain, oil, cocoa, supplement, topical, and many other forms. Always look into supplements and topicals before buying to reduce the chance of adverse or placebo effects. As always, plenty of water and sleep go without saying.

If you already have lip wrinkles, you`ve probably noticed that lipstick likes to seep or bleed up into them. This can be solved by putting a barrier around the lipstick via lip liner, using a lip-setting cream, or replacing lipstick entirely with lip liner.

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