Ingredient Guides
9 min read
How to Soften the Look of Lip Lines
Why vertical lines form on and above the upper lip, the habits that can deepen them, a lip and mouth-area routine, and what to expect from topicals.
Key Takeaways
Visible lip lines are vertical creases on the lips and the skin above the upper lip. Cleveland Clinic says they “usually develop around your 40s,” earlier with smoking or a lot of sun exposure.
They’re driven by the muscle around the mouth, which “becomes more active with time,” along with natural collagen and elastin loss, sun, smoking, and repeated pursing.
A topical has limits here, and Cleveland Clinic notes that even in-office treatments “reduce or temporarily improve” lip wrinkles. A routine may help them look softer and keep them from looking deeper.
The lips and the skin above them need different care: a non-irritating balm with sun protection on the lips, and a gentle Retinoid, moisturizer, and sunscreen above them.
Habits show up in this area. Smoking, sipping through a straw, and lip-pursing are all on Cleveland Clinic’s list of contributors.
The Short Answer
Lip lines don’t respond quickly to home care, but a steady routine may help them look softer. Wear sunscreen above the lip and a lip balm with sun protection every day, keep the lips moisturized, use a gentle Retinoid on the skin above the lip at night, and avoid smoking and habitual lip-pursing. Cleveland Clinic lists sun protection, lip balm, a topical antioxidant like Vitamin C, and quitting smoking among the ways to “lessen their severity.”
Two Kinds of Lines, Two Zones
Cleveland Clinic describes lip lines as “vertical wrinkles that develop along and above your upper lip.” They’re also called smoker’s lines or lipstick lines, and clinicians call them perioral wrinkles. They aren’t the same as smile lines (the folds from the nose to the mouth corners) or marionette lines (from the mouth corners toward the chin).
It helps to look at two zones separately:
On the lips: Fine vertical lines across the lips themselves. These often look worse when lips are dry or chapped.
Above the upper lip: Lines that run from the lip border up toward the nose. Cleveland Clinic notes that even surgical options may not reduce lines above the lips as well as lines on them, which suggests these are the harder ones to change.
Cleveland Clinic also says lip lines can look more pronounced if you wear lipstick. Many people first notice them when color starts to feather into the lines.
How Severe Are They?
Cleveland Clinic describes a simple rating scale that clinicians use:
Severity | What it looks like | What’s realistic at home |
|---|---|---|
Mild | Shallow lines | Hydration and a Retinoid may help them look noticeably softer |
Moderate | Deeper lines | A routine may help the skin around them look smoother; lines stay visible |
Severe | Thick creases | Home care helps the skin look healthier; in-office options are worth discussing |
Why Lip Lines Form
Cleveland Clinic says the underlying cause is “activity of the muscle around the mouth, which becomes more active with time.” When you purse your lips, that muscle folds the skin above it. As skin ages, it can stop springing back from those folds as easily. Cleveland Clinic adds that “As you age, you naturally lose collagen and elastin,” the proteins that help keep skin looking supple and smooth.
Other contributors Cleveland Clinic lists:
Smoking
Sun exposure
Genetics, if close relatives have pronounced lip lines
Repetitive movements, such as pursing your lips or sipping through a straw
Excessive alcohol
Not enough sleep
Mayo Clinic explains the expression part this way: With squinting, smiling, and frowning, “tiny grooves form beneath the surface of the skin,” and as skin “loses its flexibility,” those grooves become features of the face. The AAD puts it plainly: If you contract the same muscles for many years, those lines can become lasting features.
Why Smoking Shows Up Here First
Smoking hits this area twice. There’s the repeated pursing around a cigarette, and there’s the effect on skin itself. Mayo Clinic says smoking harms the fibers in skin and can lead to sagging and wrinkles, and Cleveland Clinic notes you may see lip lines earlier if you smoke.
What Topicals Can and Can’t Do
A topical can’t change the movement behind lip lines, and it has limits on age-related collagen loss. What it may do is help the skin on and above the lip look smoother, better hydrated, and less lined.
For the Lips
Dry lips make lip lines look deeper. The AAD’s guidance on dry, chapped lips recommends lip products with ingredients, such as Castor Seed Oil, Ceramides, Dimethicone, Hemp Seed Oil, Mineral Oil, Petrolatum, Shea Butter, and the mineral sunscreen ingredients Titanium Dioxide or Zinc Oxide. It also suggests fragrance-free, hypoallergenic products.
The AAD lists ingredients to skip while lips are dry, including camphor, eucalyptus, menthol, fragrance, and cinnamon, citrus, mint, or peppermint flavoring. It’s direct about the tingle: Burning or stinging isn’t a sign a product is working: “You’re actually irritating your lips.”
For the Skin Above the Lip
This is facial skin, and it responds to the same ingredients as the rest of the face. Go slowly near the corners of the mouth.
A Retinoid: Mayo Clinic notes Retinol may help with the look of wrinkles and discoloration, and that irritation often eases with time. The AAD’s advice is to pick the gentlest formula you can find, use it on alternate nights at first, and keep it to nighttime. Keep it off the lips themselves. Our guide to serums for wrinkles compares Retinoid formulas by strength.
A moisturizer: Mayo Clinic says moisturizers can make lines less visible for a while by plumping the skin. A cream with Ceramides can help the area feel less tight; our ceramide moisturizer guide has options.
An antioxidant: Cleveland Clinic includes a daily topical Antioxidant like Vitamin C in its lip-line advice.
Sunscreen: Cleveland Clinic recommends daily sunscreen, and this area is easy to miss. Take it right up to the lip border.
Peptides appear in many lip and mouth-area formulas too. A 2025 review of tretinoin trials points out that much of the peptide research involves small groups of participants, so think of them as a supporting step. If you’re curious, our peptide skincare roundup breaks down the usual ingredients.
A Lip-Line Routine, Step by Step
Morning
Cleanse gently: Wash with a gentle cleanser and lukewarm water, and pat dry.
Apply Vitamin C if you use one: Pat a small amount onto the skin above the lip, avoiding the lips themselves.
Moisturize: Carry your face moisturizer down over the upper lip and chin.
Sunscreen to the lip border: Apply broad-spectrum sunscreen above the lip, then a non-irritating lip balm with sun protection on the lips. The AAD advises reapplying lip balm every two hours outdoors.
Evening
Cleanse and remove lip color: Take off lipstick fully and wash gently.
Apply a Retinoid above the lip: Start two or three nights a week, then build toward every other night if your skin is comfortable. Stop if it stings or peels.
Moisturize over it: A cream over the Retinoid can help with dryness.
Seal the lips: Apply a thick ointment, such as white petroleum jelly, before bed. The AAD says ointment “seals in water longer than waxes or oils.”
Habits That May Help Keep Lines From Looking Deeper
Don’t smoke: Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic both name smoking as a contributor to lines.
Skip the straw when you can: Cleveland Clinic lists sipping through a straw as a repetitive movement behind lip lines.
Notice pursing: Lip-pursing while concentrating, reading, or on screens is easy to catch once you look for it.
Stop licking your lips: The AAD explains that as saliva evaporates, lips get drier.
Run a humidifier at night: This may help, especially if you breathe through your mouth, per the AAD.
Sleep and alcohol: Cleveland Clinic lists both among the contributors to lip lines.
Choosing a Lip Balm When Lines Are the Concern
A lip balm is the one product most people already own, so it’s worth choosing on purpose. A short checklist, drawn from the AAD’s lip guidance:
It feels comfortable: If a balm burns, stings, or tingles, the AAD says to switch to one that doesn’t.
It has a daytime version with sun protection: Look for Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide, and reapply outdoors.
It skips common irritants: Flavorings, menthol, camphor, and fragrance are on the AAD’s avoid list for dry lips.
It has a thicker nighttime partner: An ointment for bed seals in water longer than a wax-based stick.
Keep one by the bed and one in your bag. The AAD suggests applying lip balm several times a day and before bed.
How Long Lip Care Takes to Show
Lips that look dry often look smoother within a couple of weeks of consistent balm use. The AAD says most people with chapped lips should see noticeable improvement in two to three weeks. Lines above the lip change more slowly. Retinoid results tend to build over months of consistent use, and they vary from person to person.
When to Get Lip Lines or Dry Lips Checked
See a board-certified dermatologist if your lips stay dry and scaly despite two to three weeks of good care. The AAD notes that an allergy, a yeast infection, or actinic cheilitis, “a precancerous condition that turns one or both lips dry and scaly,” can mimic ordinary dryness.
A dermatologist is also the right person to talk to if lines above the lip bother you and home care isn’t enough. Cleveland Clinic lists in-office options, including chemical peels, laser skin treatments, dermabrasion, and microneedling. A cream and a procedure do different jobs, and a dermatologist can tell you which fits the severity of your lines.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get rid of lip lines?
At-home care works within limits, though it may soften how they look. Protect the area with sunscreen and a lip balm with sun protection every day, keep the lips moisturized, use a gentle Retinoid above the lip at night, and avoid smoking and frequent lip-pursing. For deeper lines, a board-certified dermatologist can explain in-office options.
What causes vertical lines above the upper lip?
Cleveland Clinic says the underlying cause is the muscle around the mouth, which becomes more active over time. Natural collagen and elastin loss, sun exposure, smoking, genetics, and repeated pursing can all make the lines appear sooner or deeper.
Does drinking through a straw cause lip lines?
It can contribute. Cleveland Clinic lists sipping through a straw among the repetitive movements behind lip lines, alongside lip-pursing.
Can I use Retinol around my mouth?
Yes, on the skin above the lip, with care. Start with a low-strength formula every other night, keep it off the lips themselves, and moisturize over it. Stop if the area stings, burns, or peels, and go slowly near the corners of the mouth.
Why does my lipstick bleed into the lines?
Lipstick can settle into the creases and make them look more pronounced, which Cleveland Clinic notes. Keeping the lips moisturized and the skin above them smooth-looking may help color stay put.