Wrinkles around the mouth are a natural part of the skin's journey, showing up as vertical lines above the lips, smile lines extending from the nose to the corners, or deeper creases from the mouth to the chin. While you can't completely erase them, combining smart daily habits with targeted skincare can soften their appearance and slow down new lines from forming. The key is understanding what your skin needs most and staying consistent with gentle, effective care.

What Causes Wrinkles Around the Mouth?

Lines around the mouth develop when the skin loses its natural cushioning over time. Starting in your early thirties, collagen production naturally decreases about one percent each year. This protein keeps skin plump and bouncy, so when levels drop, the areas with the thinnest skin show changes first. The mouth area has less underlying fat compared to the cheeks, making these lines more visible.

Your daily expressions play a role, too. Every time you smile, talk, or purse your lips, the muscles beneath create temporary grooves in the skin. When skin is young and elastic, it bounces back perfectly. As elasticity decreases with time, those grooves become more permanent, settling into visible creases around the mouth.

Sun exposure accelerates this process significantly. UV rays break down collagen and elastin fibers that keep skin firm. The lip area produces less melanin than other facial skin, offering less natural protection from sun damage. This makes mouth wrinkles particularly responsive to daily sun protection habits.

Can You Actually Reduce Lines Around the Mouth?

Yes, but setting realistic expectations matters. Fine lines and moderate wrinkles around the mouth can soften with consistent care. Deeper creases respond better to a combination approach using both at-home products and professional treatments. The most visible improvements come from prevention, protecting the skin you have now, and supporting your skin's natural repair processes.

Think of it as working with your skin rather than against time. Your skin continues renewing itself throughout life, producing new cells and repairing daily wear. When you support this natural process with hydration, sun protection, and barrier-strengthening ingredients, skin looks healthier, and lines appear less pronounced.

For the wellness-focused approach, daily habits create the foundation. Staying hydrated helps skin maintain its natural plumpness. Sleeping on your back prevents pillow creases that can deepen overnight. Avoiding repetitive motions like drinking through straws reduces the puckering that creates vertical lip lines.

How To Prevent Creases Around the Mouth From Getting Deeper

Prevention is where you have the most control over how to get rid of wrinkles around the mouth. Sun protection stands as the single most effective preventive step. Mineral sunscreen creates a physical barrier that reflects UV rays before they reach skin cells. Unlike chemical sunscreens that absorb into the skin, mineral formulas with zinc oxide sit on the surface, making them gentler for the delicate mouth area.

Total Protection No-Show Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 offers broad-spectrum coverage that defends against UVA and UVB rays, plus blue light from screens and environmental pollution. Its weightless texture blends completely sheer without a white cast, making reapplication throughout the day feel effortless rather than heavy.

Supporting your skin barrier strengthens how skin retains moisture and protects itself from environmental stress. When the barrier functions optimally, skin appears smoother and more resilient. The mouth area naturally has a weaker barrier compared to other facial zones because it has fewer oil glands and a thinner protective layer. This means it loses moisture faster and needs extra barrier support.

Barrier Pro Essential Moisturizer works beyond basic hydration by balancing the skin's microbiome and preparing it to better defend itself. The tri-molecular hyaluronic acid provides hydration at multiple skin depths, while the skin stays ready to adapt to indoor and outdoor light exposure. This helps maintain that smooth, supple appearance that makes lines around the mouth less noticeable.

What Works Best For Mouth Wrinkles: Daily Care Habits

Your morning and evening routines set the stage for how to eliminate wrinkles around the mouth over time. Starting with a gentle cleanser removes daily buildup without stripping natural oils. Pat skin dry rather than rubbing to avoid tugging delicate tissue.

For those with sensitive skin or visible redness around the mouth area, calming ingredients help create an even canvas. All Calm Multi-Correction Serum soothes irritation while improving hydration and smoothing texture. When skin feels comfortable and balanced, you're more likely to stay consistent with your routine, and consistency is what creates visible change.

Layer products from thinnest to thickest texture. Serums go first, followed by moisturizer, then sunscreen in the morning. This order helps each product absorb properly and do its job effectively. Give each layer a moment to settle before adding the next.

Facial massage can support circulation and help products absorb better. Using gentle pressure, sweep fingertips from the center of your face outward and upward. This takes just two minutes but feels luxurious and reminds you to care for this expressive area of your face.

How Professional Treatments Help With Lines Around the Mouth

When at-home care reaches its limit, professional treatments offer additional support for how to get rid of creases around the mouth. These options work by either adding volume, stimulating your skin's own collagen production, or resurfacing the top layers to reveal smoother skin underneath.

Dermal fillers can restore volume loss by plumping the skin from within. Hyaluronic acid-based fillers attract and hold water molecules, creating a fuller appearance that softens deep smile lines and marionette lines. Results typically last several months before gradually absorbing back into the body.

Neuromodulators like Botox work differently by relaxing the muscles that create expression lines. When used carefully around the mouth, they can soften vertical lines above the lips while maintaining natural movement. The key is working with an experienced provider who understands facial anatomy.

Laser resurfacing treatments trigger controlled healing that stimulates new collagen growth. Microneedling creates tiny channels that activate your skin's repair response, leading to firmer, smoother texture over time. Chemical peels remove damaged surface layers to reveal fresher skin with a more even appearance.

These professional options complement your daily skincare rather than replacing it. Protecting your skin with mineral sunscreen and maintaining barrier health helps any professional treatment results last longer and look more natural.

Moving Forward With Confidence

Understanding how to get rid of wrinkles around the mouth means recognizing that perfect skin isn't the goal; healthy, well-cared-for skin is. The lines that form around your mouth tell the story of smiles, conversations, and expressions that make you uniquely you. Taking care of them isn't about erasing your story but about helping your skin feel comfortable and look its best.

Small, consistent steps create the most lasting change. Applying sunscreen daily, supporting your skin barrier, and treating your skin gently all work together. Some days you'll be perfect with your routine, other days less so, and that's completely normal. What matters is returning to those habits that make your skin feel good.

Your skin continues changing throughout life, and your care routine can adapt along with it. Pay attention to what makes your skin feel soft, smooth, and comfortable. When you find products and habits that work, you're building a sustainable approach to caring for mouth wrinkles that supports your skin for years to come.

Ready to start supporting your skin around the mouth area? Browse our complete aging collection for products designed to work together, protecting and perfecting your skin with every use.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do wrinkles around the mouth typically start appearing? 

Most people notice the first fine lines around their mouth area in their early to mid-thirties. These lines become more visible during the forties and may deepen further with time, though everyone's timeline varies based on genetics, sun exposure, and lifestyle habits.

How long does it take to see improvement in mouth wrinkles? 

With consistent daily care using sunscreen and barrier-supporting moisturizers, you may notice a softer texture and improved hydration within four to six weeks. More significant changes in line depth typically become visible after three months of dedicated routine adherence.

Can you get rid of deep lines around the mouth without professional treatments?

Very deep creases around the mouth respond best to a combination of at-home care and professional treatments. Daily skincare can prevent them from deepening further and improve overall skin quality, but existing deep lines often need additional support from fillers, lasers, or other in-office procedures.

What's the difference between smile lines and marionette lines? 

Smile lines, also called nasolabial folds, run from the sides of your nose down to the corners of your mouth. Marionette lines extend vertically from the corners of your mouth down toward your chin, sometimes creating a downturned appearance. Both types respond to barrier support and sun protection.

Are vertical lines above the lip different from other mouth wrinkles? 

Yes, vertical lip lines (sometimes called lipstick lines) form specifically on and around the lips themselves, often from repeated pursing motions. They benefit especially from mineral sun protection since the lip area has less natural melanin defense against UV damage.