Your Lips - Aging and Wrinkles

Your lips serve a variety of functions, from aiding in the process of speech to being the opening in which you take in food and liquids. They also are known to be an erogenous zone on the female anatomy as well as an all-around sensory organ.

The skin of the lips are comprised of three to five layers of cells and are much thinner than other areas of the skin, which is comprised of sixteen layers. The reason that some people’s lips appear thin while other individuals appear to have thicker lips is due to the amount of melanocytes that is present in the lip cells.

These small cells produce the melanin pigment and in people with light color skin, there are less of these present than in people who have a darker complexion.

The darker skinned people appear to have fuller lips due to this coloration process. The red color that the lips have is due to the fact that because the lip cells contain less of these melanocytes than other skin cells do, the blood vessels appear right through the skin.

Your lips also register your facial expressions, and lines and wrinkles will commonly form around them. This is due to the fact that as we age, our body decreases in production of collagen and elastin, and the skin loses its tone and elasticity. The skin of the lips is already ultrathin in comparison to other skin cells and becomes even thinner as less collagen is available. Our skin also tends to dry as we age, leaving our lips susceptible to drying and chapping.

Luckily, the signs of aging around the lips are one of the easiest to reverse. The use of moisturizers and other over-the-counter skin care products can help diminish these lines in mild cases. In more serious ones, you may opt to undergo lip augmentation, a type of cosmetic surgery that restores the oils and fats in the lip cells. This process often includes injections that can result in your lips looking healthier and fuller.

Your lips are an important part of your body. It is also one of the facial features that many people are attracted to. By doing what you can to diminish the lines that are formed here, you can do wonders for your own sense of self esteem and beauty.