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This Common Habit Will Cause Fine Lines & Wrinkles Around The Mouth

Author:

Hannah Frye

June 03, 2023

Assistant Beauty & Health Editor

By Hannah Frye

Assistant Beauty & Health Editor

Hannah Frye is the Assistant Beauty Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism and a minor in women’s, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written across lifestyle sections including health, wellness, sustainability, personal development, and more.

Image by BONNINSTUDIO / Stocksy

June 03, 2023

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Your topical skin care routine can totally impact the longevity of your skin, but so do your general daily habits. What you eat, how much sleep you get (plus the quality of those hours), and your stress levels are equally as essential to maintaining healthy skin as you age.

Even subtle habits can make a huge difference in the resilience of your complexion. To come, one habit that derms themselves try to avoid—and why you should, too.

How drinking from a straw can cause fine lines

As board-certified dermatologist Mina Amin, M.D., FAAD said in a recent TikTok video, drinking out of a straw can increase your chances of developing fine lines around the mouth.

“The repetitive use of a straw can lead you to have these extra lines,” Amin says. “Over time, you’ll start to form these lines at rest,” she adds. Meaning even when you’re not drinking out of the straw, the fine lines will stick around.

These lines are often called “smokers lines” as both drinking out of a straw and smoking involve constantly puckering your lips, creating similar effects on the skin. (Although, smoking also exposes your skin to free radicals, which can accelerate the process even further.)

That doesn't mean you must never drink from a straw ever again—on occasion, it’s not going to make much of a difference. But if you’re someone who uses a reusable water bottle bottle with a straw all day every day, then it may be worth noting.

How to support skin longevity

Regardless if you’re ready to give up your straw habit, you should know that there are other ways to support tight, resilient skin around the mouth (and beyond). Below, a few quick tips:

Take a collagen supplement: As you age, your collagen production naturally starts to decline, which can lead to fine lines and wrinkles. To support this critical skin function, take a collagen supplement daily. Not every product is worth your dollar, so start with this curated list from a nutrition Ph.D.
Drench your skin in moisture: Dry skin will look more wrinkled, so do your best to keep up with topical hydration from serums, moisturizers, and face oils. And, of course, lip balm.
Protect your skin from the sun: If you aren’t doing it already, commit to daily sun care. This means wearing SPF every single day (and reapplying midday if you’re in the sun) and limiting your extended sun exposure—in other words, no excessive sun bathing. You may also want to invest in an SPF lip balm, which you can find here.

The takeaway

Repeatedly drinking from a straw can increase your chance of lip lines. To limit these etchings, consider drinking from the rim and support your skin health with topical products, collagen-rich foods or supplements, and proper sun care. Want more healthy aging skin tips? Check out this guide.