That’s the Beauty of it!

Zoe Diana Draelos, MD

I once saw a birthday card that joked, “you know you are getting old when you have to line outside your lips to see them.” As funny as this may be, unfortunately there is some truth to the notion that lips change with age. As with many other body parts, thick, full, smooth, soft lips can be a thing of the past, unless cared for properly. Lips are basically skin. But, they are transition skin between the nonmoist skin of the face and the moist skin of the mouth. For this reason, their ability to withstand environmental insults is less than other body areas.

The lips are moisturized by tiny oil glands. These glands can be seen by pulling the skin of the lips tight and looking for small yellow bumps. With advancing age, these oil glands do not function optimally. Lipsticks and lip balm that contain petrolatum, dimethicone, and glycerin can help hold water in the lips, but unfortunately cannot prevent further signs of aging.

The effects of aging of the lips, which includes scaling, precancerous lesions, and even skin cancer, can be minimized through the use of lipsticks that contain sunscreens. This sun protection should be broad spectrum, containing both UVA and UVB blocking ingredients.

Other changes that occur as the lips age include less fullness, due to the loss of subcutaneous fat within the lips, and less lip redness, due to effects of sun damage. A more youthful lip appearance can be achieved through the use of lip cosmetics that can restore color, lubricate, provide sun protection, and deliver anti-aging ingredients.