These are also called pleated skirts, smoking lines or bar code. The different names for the wrinkles in the upper lip already indicate that despite being small, these lines can still be perceived as very distracting.
Cause
The cause of these wrinkles is a combination of the action of the sphincter muscle around the mouth as well as the condition of the skin. When the skin is supple and resilient, the creases created when the lips are pursed will disappear immediately. Skin aging and (sun) damage reduces suppleness and wrinkles in the upper lip will remain visible.
Botox treatment of upper lip lines
Injections of botulinum toxin (Botox) make the sphincter muscle around the mouth less powerful and thus will soften lip lines. Of course, caution is necessary with a muscle so necessary to speech, so the dose will have to remain very low.
Fillers against upper lip lines
Injecting fillers (Restylane) in minimal amounts into the skin of the upper lip will make it firmer and more resilient. Especially when the skin has experienced sun damage, this is a logical and effective treatment. The amounts of Restylane needed to create firmness are so small that it is possible to treat lip lines without thickening the lip itself.
PRP treatment of upper lip lines
Injection of the skin’s own blood plasma with platelets will, by improving blood circulation, encourage the skin to produce new collagen and elastin, among other things. This will make upper lip lines less visible
Treatment
The upper lip is a sensitive part of the face. Therefore, for most patients, we recommend numbing them with Emla cream or local anesthetic injections. The latter are not painful because the lip is easily anesthetized from the inside.