Your Lips Thin Over Time — Here’s How to Prevent and Encourage Volume!
Lips thin and lose volume over time. It is a natural part of the aging process and can be attributed to natural reductions in and under the skin. First, collagen loss is a major factor. Collagen is one of the structural proteins in the skin that keeps things plump, firm and strong. At some point in our 20s, our skin doesn’t produce enough collagen to replace what’s been lost—and so our natural supply begins to dwindle. In addition, the fat pads under our lips lose volume over time (this happens elsewhere on the face too – the fat under the skin shrinks and decreases over time.) Finally, the skin also doesn’t produce as many moisturizers and lipids (such as ceramides and hyaluronic acid). This means the skin becomes more prone to dryness and fine lines and doesn’t look as supple as it once did.
These changes may be inevitable with age, but there are solutions. In fact, there are many tools and habits that can help restore shape and fullness. Here, three things you should start doing now if you’re experiencing loss of volume.
Keep them hydrated.
The best habit to adopt is to have a high-quality lip balm handy. Keeping skin hydrated is one of the most effective ways to support it as you age. The best lip balms leave your skin feeling soothed for hours (however: reapplying throughout the day is normal – especially if you drink hot liquids, eat spicy foods or lick your lips).
It’s important to find an option that uses a blend of moisturizing and emollient ingredients so they accomplish three things: attract moisture, condition the barrier, and provide lip protection.
In Soma’s lip balm, we’ve blended together shea butter, cocoa butter, hyaluronic acid, volumizing collagen and many other high-quality ingredients that will not only provide long-lasting hydration, but can also improve skin health.
Support & protect the skin.
The truth is, you can try all the new treatments, but if you don’t protect your skin on a daily basis, it doesn’t really mean much.
While keeping skin hydrated and nourished is a vital part of this, it’s not the only thing to keep in mind. Sun protection is an often forgotten step for the lip area. Unprotected UV rays are a major factor in collagen loss—accounting for up to 80% of visible facial aging. Always protect lips with SPF when spending time outdoors.
The Soma Mastic 30SPF lip balm offers hydration and protection with a mild aroma of mastic and cocoa.
Inflammation and oxidative stress are other factors that contribute to premature aging, as they can deplete collagen, hygroscopics and lipids. These are trickier to treat, as many things can cause your lips to become inflamed—but in general, it’s good practice to use antioxidant-rich and soothing ingredients topically. You should also be gentle with the area and avoid overly harsh ingredients. Lips are sensitive with thin skin and when you use very strong ingredients, it can cause irritation.
The hard truth is that skin loses collagen, fat and other vital components over time. This loss contributes to fine lines, loss of volume and dryness. This goes for the overall face, eyes and yes, lips. However, there are important ways to support the area every day, such as using a high-quality lip balm, protecting it from UV rays and being gentle on sensitive skin.
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