Smile Lines: When Can They Appear and What To Do

Smiling is usually a positive thing, but you may not want to smile anymore when you start to develop more noticeable lines around your mouth. Smile lines or laugh lines are a natural part of aging. 

As you get older, your skin changes and loses its youthful appearance. You have less of what's needed in your skin's makeup to give you a naturally smooth and even look. There are also things you may be doing to accelerate the aging process making your smile lines worse. 

Thankfully, there are steps you can take to cover up your smile lines. You can also do things to prevent them from happening early and treat them when they do occur. 

When Do You Get Smile Lines? 

When you get smile lines can depend on many different factors, but typically they start to appear in your 20s and 30s. When you’re young, you can see your smile lines when you're actively smiling, but they disappear when you relax your face. As you age, these lines become more prominent, so you can see them even when you're not laughing or smiling.

Your smile lines become noticeable no matter what you're doing because of your skin's collagen production and elasticity fading over time. As your skin loses these two things, it gets thinner, and gravity comes into play, pulling your skin down. This creates sagging. You also lose fat in your face as you age, so your skin doesn't look as plump and taut. The fat can fill in your lines, and without it, your skin doesn't appear as smooth. 

The more you do a facial expression, the more likely you are to develop fine lines and wrinkles in that area. There are things you can do to hold off the signs of aging, but eventually, everyone's skin will develop fine lines and wrinkles. At some point, embracing growing older is the way to go, but small procedures and proper care can give you the confidence you desire. 

How To Prevent Smile Lines 

There are several things to keep in mind when trying to prevent smile lines. The first thing to note is the environmental factors that may have a negative impact on your skin. 

Too much sun exposure is one of the leading causes of premature aging. To prevent this from happening to you, always try to protect your skin when leaving the house. If you are going to be out in the sun for an extended period of time, consider wearing a hat as an extra layer of protection. 

When the sun makes contact with unprotected skin, it can lead to DNA changes at a cellular level. This damage can happen even if you don't get a sunburn. UV rays can affect the surface of your skin and the deeper layers as well. It can take years before this damage comes to the surface. You may notice lots of sunspots on older skin, and some of these probably occurred when the person was much younger. 

Something else to consider to stop the development of smile lines is to make sure you’re staying hydrated and getting enough sleep. These two sound simple enough, but if you're not drinking enough water and getting an adequate amount of sleep, you could be causing harm to more than just your skin. 

There's a reason it's called beauty sleep. Your skin repairs itself overnight and produces collagen. So if you're not getting enough sleep, your skin can look dull and sag prematurely. You can also develop more fine lines and wrinkles. 

Lastly, drinking enough water will also keep your skin hydrated. Proper water intake will help your skin stay plump and improves its elasticity. It will also help to rid your body of toxins that may have a negative impact on your skin if they're not flushed out. 

How To Cover Smile Lines With Makeup 

Makeup can be a quick fix to covering your smile lines and taking attention away from them. 

Primer 

Before primer, apply a moisturizer to your skin to add hydration. When you have smile lines, primer can help smooth your wrinkles out before you apply makeup. Primer can also add even more moisture to the skin, which will keep the foundation from settling in your lines. 

Apply Foundation 

Once your primer is set, apply your foundation, like HIDE Premium Foundation. You don't want to apply a lot of product because the excess will settle into your fine lines and wrinkles. HIDE foundation is lightweight and buildable, so you can get excellent coverage without looking cakey.

Apply Concealer 

Next, apply a liquid concealer since other types of concealers can be too drying. Try HIDE Premium Concealer, which is great for covering imperfections. Like foundation, only apply a small amount since the extra product will collect in your smile lines. Use a damp makeup sponge to press the concealer over your smile lines and the other areas you need coverage.

Divert Attention Away 

Apply the rest of your makeup, but think about ways you can divert attention away from your smile lines. For example, a fun eye look or bold lip can make your wrinkles less noticeable. Don't go too over the top because it can become an overpowering look if you're not careful. 

Professional Help 

If you want a more permanent option to fix your smile lines, you can get professional help. 

Botox can be a great preventative treatment that can stop smile lines from becoming too prominent. Botox works by injecting a solution that freezes and relaxes the muscles. You won't want to paralyze the muscles completely, but a small amount of botox can make a big difference. 

You can get botox anywhere in your face, but having it around your mouth will soften the appearance of smile lines. The effects of botox typically last three to six months, so you will need to get multiple procedures a year to keep up with it. Most people are good candidates for Botox.

If you already have prominent smile lines, fillers may be a better option for you than Botox. Unlike Botox, fillers are not going to freeze your muscles, although they will fill in your fine lines and wrinkles. The filler is applied directly to the wrinkles that run from your nose to the sides of your mouth. The filler gives you plumper-looking skin by not only filling your wrinkles but also adding volume overall that's lost during the aging process. 

One benefit from filler is that you will see the results right away. Additionally, if you don't like the way it looks, it is reversible. The doctor can inject hyaluronidase to neutralize the effects of the filler. However, if you are happy with what you see, the results last six months to a year. 

In Summary 

Smile lines are a natural result of living life, smiling, and making facial expressions. There are many ways to prevent getting smile lines prematurely. You should always try to wear SPF when you're going to be in the sun and make sure you're drinking enough water. 

Since not everyone appreciates these creases, there are many treatment options. However, if you want to see quick results, use HIDE products that are designed to help cover anything!

 

Sources:

How to Reduce Smile Lines without Surgery | Utopia Med Spa

Photoaging (Sun Damage): Fact Sheets | Yale Medicine

 How to Smooth Away Laugh Lines With or Without Surgery | Health Cleveland Clinic