Smile lines, the ones that run from the nose to the corners of your mouth, may indicate that the life you have led so far has been filled with joy, but a wrinkled face can also make you look older than you really are. Fortunately, there are many techniques that can help you reduce or eliminate expression lines. You can use an exfoliating product, see an aesthetic doctor, or do some facial gymnastics to tone your cheek muscles. For the best possible results, you should also adopt new habits that are healthier and beneficial for the skin and the whole body, such as eating a balanced diet, drinking more water and exercising regularly.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Using Cosmetic Skin Products
Step 1. Apply a moisturizer every day
When the skin of the face is well hydrated, wrinkles and expression lines appear less evident, including those surrounding the mouth. The ideal is to use a collagen cream to make the skin appear more plump and plump by restructuring it in depth.
Step 2. Exfoliate your skin at regular intervals
Doing the scrub is used to remove dead cells on the surface of the skin bringing to light the younger and new ones of the underlying layers. Smile lines will automatically appear less noticeable. Buy an exfoliating product suitable for your skin type, moisten your face with warm water, then apply it with a face cleansing cloth in circular motions. At the end, rinse the skin again with warm water.
Step 3. If you prefer, you can make a homemade scrub with coconut oil and brown sugar
You can use different recipes and ingredients to create a DIY exfoliating product, but brown sugar and coconut oil are a classic winning combination. Mix two tablespoons of brown sugar and two tablespoons of coconut oil, then apply the scrub to your face in small circular motions. After a few minutes, rinse your skin with warm water.
The exfoliating properties of sugar combined with the moisturizing properties of coconut oil will give new vigor to the skin; in the long run, the wrinkles of the smile will appear attenuated
Step 4. Protect your skin from the sun every day
Harmful sunlight can cause new wrinkles to appear on the face and intensify existing ones. You should use sunscreen on a regular basis, spend more time in the shade, and wear a hat to protect your skin and reduce wrinkles around the mouth. For daily use, choose a cream with an SPF (sun protection factor) of no less than 15, while when you intend to spend a lot of time outdoors, for example on the days when you go to the beach or organize a picnic, the SPF should not be less than 30.
If you prefer, you can use a foundation with SPF to protect your skin while concealing wrinkles and facial imperfections
Step 5. Mask smile lines with a primer or "blur cream"
The latter is a latest generation product that must be applied before makeup with the aim of making the skin perfectly smooth and homogeneous. If you want to have a flawless complexion while waiting for the other methods of eliminating wrinkles to take effect, you can use a primer or a blur cream to fill in the wrinkles and smooth the skin around the mouth. After applying the sunscreen, but before the foundation or powder, spread the primer or blur cream all over your face, then help the product spread and fill in fine lines by massaging it into the skin with your fingers.
Step 6. Combat smile wrinkles with cosmetic fillers
It is a gel formulated to give turgidity and fullness to the subcutaneous tissues in order to correct imperfections due to aging such as wrinkles and hollows. Ask a cosmetic doctor for advice on choosing a safe product to help smooth out the wrinkles around the mouth. The fillers are injected slowly and in very small doses in the points where it is needed. The treatment can last from 15 to 60 minutes, depending on the quantity.
- You must know that the effect guaranteed by the fillers is only temporary. Once injected, the gel is absorbed by the skin generally within 4-9 months, so it is necessary to repeat the treatment periodically.
- The cost of each injection can be very high, certainly more than 300 euros.
Step 7. Contact your primary care physician
In addition to fillers, there are many other cosmetic treatments that can help you eliminate or lessen the wrinkles around the mouth. Wrinkle, retinol, laser and botulinum creams can make the skin smoother and more toned. Consult your doctor to find out if you can use one or more of these remedies to eliminate smile lines for a long time.
Method 2 of 3: Training the Facial Muscles
Step 1. Exercise your facial muscles by resisting with your fingers while smiling
Facial yoga can make you look younger in a completely natural way by toning your face muscles and reducing wrinkles. To begin, hook the corners of the mouth with the first phalanx of the index fingers, then gently stretch the lips towards the ears while simultaneously trying to bring the two corners of the lips closer to the center of the mouth to resist the force applied by the fingers. The whole movement should take about 10-15 seconds. Repeat 10-25 times, preferably every day.
Step 2. Tone your cheek muscles by holding your breath after filling them with air
This is an effective exercise for strengthening the cheek muscles and smoothing the skin. Inflate your cheeks as you take a deep breath, then hold your breath. Move the air from cheek to cheek, then exhale and repeat.
Step 3. Smile while keeping your teeth together
Having a nice open smile can help reduce wrinkles around the mouth by strengthening the muscles of a large part of the face. Brace your teeth together and smile as openly as you can. Stay in that position for 10 seconds, then relax your cheeks. Repeat 10-20 times a day.
Step 4. Push your cheeks up
Use your hands to stretch facial muscles and smooth out fine lines and fine lines. Place your palms diagonally across your cheeks with your fingers resting on the sides of your head. Press them against your face, then pull the corners of your mouth until part of your teeth are visible. Hold for 30 seconds, then release and repeat three more times.
Method 3 of 3: Adopt a Healthier Lifestyle
Step 1. Drink lots of water
It is one of the best ways to naturally moisturize the skin and reduce wrinkles and fine lines. Start drinking more every day, for example by replacing coffee and carbonated or sugary drinks with a nice glass of water. Caffeine and sugars dehydrate the body rather than hydrate it, aggravating the condition of wrinkles.
Step 2. Exercise regularly
Exercise can help you reduce and eliminate facial wrinkles by promoting more blood flow through the skin. When the skin is well perfused, it is able to effectively produce the oils that keep it nourished and hydrated. In addition, there is a faster cell turnover. Do aerobic exercise several times a week, for example by going for a run, walking in the mountains, dancing or swimming in the sea or pool.
Step 3. Eat lots of antioxidant-rich foods
They are natural substances full of vitamins that can promote the production of collagen and elastin in the skin, reducing small wrinkles or expression lines. Some examples of foods that contain a good number of antioxidants are berries and vegetables, such as blackberries, blueberries, tomatoes and broccoli, but also green tea.
Step 4. Get more omega-3 fatty acids
They can help make smile lines disappear because they fight inflammation and improve skin health naturally. Examples of foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids are: tuna, salmon, walnuts, flax seeds and chia seeds.
One serving of fish, two tablespoons of flax seeds, one tablespoon of chia seeds, 60 g of walnuts or 150 g of soy beans are enough to meet your daily requirement of these fatty acids which are so important for the body's health
Step 5. Stop smoking
The chemicals present in most cigarettes and tobacco products can destroy the collagen and elastin contained in the skin, promoting the formation of new wrinkles and the aggravation of existing ones. If you are a smoker, try to quit as soon as possible to trigger the opposite effect.
Advice
- Before consulting a doctor or cosmetic surgeon, visit a beauty salon and ask what treatments or products can help you eliminate smile lines. After thoroughly analyzing the imperfections of your skin, the beautician will be able to give you specific advice for your situation.
- If you have skin problems or are following dermatological treatment, consult your doctor before applying any product to the face.
