Touches to a portrait: how to get rid of purse-string wrinkles

Do you know why small wrinkles above the upper lip are called “purse-string”?

Because in appearance they resemble small folds from a tobacco pouch - a bag tied at the top with a cord in which tobacco was stored. We also came across other names for these wrinkles above the lip: smoker’s wrinkles, age barcode and “duck butt”. So what do you think? No matter how funny they are called, they age a woman’s face, and therefore many are looking for ways to remove purse-string wrinkles.

The women's site “Beautiful and Successful” knows how to solve this problem, and will be happy to share popular methods with our readers.

Reasons for appearance

There is a circular muscle around the mouth. It keeps our lips in a natural position.

Muscles are known to tense and relax. So, for example, if you blow out a match, the muscle around your mouth tenses a little; when you sleep, the muscle is in a relaxed position. That is, the circular muscle is mobile.

In people with active facial expressions, purse-string wrinkles appear at a fairly young age.

Those who actively work the orbicularis muscle in the mouth area are more prone to the early appearance of such wrinkles: glassblowers, musicians who play wind instruments, those who like to whistle something under their breath or take selfies with duck lips. And what can we say about those women who smoke?
Also, the appearance of an age-related “barcode” above the lip is associated with hormonal changes in our body. Unlike other muscles on the face, the orbicularis muscle is attached not to bone, but to subcutaneous tissue. As we age, the dermis loses its elasticity and the muscles around the mouth begin to weaken. All this leads to the formation of deep folds above the lip.
Most often, these changes occur before menopause. Therefore, the appearance of purse-string wrinkles above the lip is considered one of the signs of menopause. The women's website sympaty.net spoke in more detail about this period in women in the article Should I be afraid of HRT?

That is, the main reasons for the formation of wrinkles around the mouth include active facial expressions and age-related changes.

Associated factors that cause folds to appear above the lip are:

smoking;
playing wind instruments;
genetic predisposition;
sudden weight loss;
excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation;
hormonal imbalance, etc.

Correcting wrinkles in this area is not entirely easy, since the area around the mouth where they are located is very sensitive. However, in the arsenal of modern cosmetologists there are enough methods that help remove purse-string wrinkles.

Correction of purse-string wrinkles around the lips by a cosmetologist.

Botox and Dysport against wrinkles above the upper lip

This is what acts on the main cause of purse-string wrinkles - hyperactivity of the orbicularis oris muscle. To relax this muscle and prevent it from folding the skin of the upper lip and wrinkles, we inject Botox into the lips.

Of all lip injections, this is the easiest, fastest, most effective and inexpensive. In general, this is a favorite procedure, including for myself. There are few injections (2 or 4), not deep - there are no bruises.

Yes, there are some nuances that the cosmetologist should discuss with you in detail, but the effect for the majority is excellent. The lip barely relaxes, and the folding of the skin stops. If there haven’t been wrinkles yet, they won’t exist. If they are already there, then of course they will not disappear instantly - the skin needs some time to build up a normal collagen framework in places of fractures, but this will definitely happen. After all, the skin is alive, it repairs itself, you just need to stop breaking it all the time. The shallower the wrinkles are at the time you start using Botox, the faster they will disappear, so it makes sense to start the method earlier.

For shallow purse-string wrinkles above the upper lip, Botox or Dysport alone is often enough to get rid of them.

Possible problems with Botox and Dysport on the lips

Temporary difficulties when using botulinum toxins can arise from excessive relaxation of the lip. Our microdoses, of course, do not reach the point where the lip becomes completely suspended. But there may be some uncertainty - “are the lips in place” in the first weeks. This can interfere with people in “speech” professions. It’s better for them to get Botox on their lips for the first time before going on vacation to understand how they feel and decide how comfortable they can work. 2-3 weeks is usually enough for adaptation. According to our many years of observation, approximately 15% of patients who have tried Botox in the upper lip once do not want to repeat the experience - they feel uncomfortable. The rest either do not feel discomfort at all, or stop noticing new sensations after a few days.

It's more complicated with the lower lip. If the sagging on the upper lip is usually only a sensation of the patient himself, and nothing is visible to others, then on the lower lip there may be a visible distortion of the lip. It is usually noticeable when smiling, but sometimes also when articulating. Of course, everything goes away, as always with botulinum toxins, but you somehow have to endure several unpleasant weeks. Therefore, to eliminate purse-string wrinkles on the lower lip, Botox and Dysport are used much less frequently.

Fillers against purse-string wrinkles around the lips

This is our second favorite method to remove wrinkles around the lips.

Hyaluronic fillers make it possible to compact the deep layers of the skin of the upper lip, creating an elastic cushion under the places of constant folding that absorbs the load on the skin. If the wrinkles already exist and are deep, the gel can be placed exactly under them - lifting the bottom of the wrinkle and making it not so deep and noticeable. But the classic filling of purse-string wrinkles with filler is rarely used, because wrinkles are too small. More often, “reinforcement” or “blanching” techniques are used, evenly placing hyaluronic acid in the upper lip.

This works especially well if the second mechanism for the formation of purse-string wrinkles above the upper lip has been added - soft tissue atrophy. Hyaluronic acid restores the lost volume of lip tissue, and the skin straightens and tightens as before. The result - reduction of wrinkles - is visible immediately.

Dense fillers for the upper lip are not very suitable, since the wrinkles here are always NOT deep, and in order to correct them, the filler must be inserted superficially. But with the superficial introduction of a dense gel, it is easy to get overcorrection - convex injection marks, or the Tyndall effect - when the gel shows a slightly bluish tint through the skin.

incorrect correction of wrinkles with filler

To avoid such “beauty”, we often use soft fillers using a special technique. Belotero Soft is ideal.

But during active facial expressions, a soft filler can become wrinkled before enough collagen has grown in the skin of the lip. Therefore, if facial expressions are very active, it is better to inject fillers in the second stage after Botox - after 2 weeks. If facial expressions are not very good, then you can inject hyaluronic acid yourself, without botulinum toxins.

Keep in mind that it is not always possible to avoid bruising with this technique, so you should not do the procedure on the eve of an important event.

There can be no sagging, so the method is suitable for eliminating wrinkles on both the upper and lower lips.

Mesothreads, Aptos-nano - we reinforce the pouch

This method is aimed at increasing the strength of the skin of the upper lip - its reinforcement . The threads are inserted parallel to the red border in the lower half of the space between it and the nose. First, the elasticity of the threads interferes with the folding of the lips, and then this is done by the collagen framework that grows on them. Usually, in one procedure, 5 threads are installed on the right and left; 1-2 threads will not have much of an effect.

The method is very effective, but it very much depends on what threads were used and what technique was used. Most of the disappointed reviews are due to the fact that they chose the WRONG threads and installed them incorrectly.

What is better - Botox or mesothread?

Like Botox and Dysport, mesothreads do not immediately eliminate visible wrinkles, but help skin cells “heal” them.

Disadvantages of threads compared to Botox:

There are more injections (10) and they are deeper, so anesthesia is very desirable. It’s good if the cosmetologist knows how to inject ultracaine, anesthetic cream is not enough for many - the place is very sensitive.
Bruises often.
More expensive. The procedures are generally not expensive in cosmetology, but still.

Popular techniques

There are different ways to get rid of wrinkles above the lip.

Fillers

The most effective way to correct wrinkles is to inject something under the skin into this area. Therefore, subcutaneous injections – beauty injections – are very popular among those who like to correct and smooth the skin on their face with the help of medical cosmetics.

Fillers – dermal fillers – are injected under the skin above the lip. They lift the skin and smooth out wrinkles. Here's what the reviews say about it:

Fighting wrinkles around the mouth naturally is a useless and pointless waste of money. This will not fix the problem. I don’t believe in exercises for wrinkles either. I went to the clinic, they corrected me with Botox injections with the same composition that removes crow's feet. Great procedure. No wrinkles! By the way, fillers are cheaper than applying creams. Elena.
Injected 0.8 ml of hyaluronic acid into the upper border of the lips. Herself. There are no more wrinkles. Let them throw slippers at me, but paying crazy money for 1 injection is nonsense. No negative consequences. Marina.
I was injected with diluted Botox. He helped correct and remove the first wrinkles above the lip. I'm happy with the result. Julia.

We would, of course, not recommend correcting purse-string wrinkles at home using Botox injections. Why take such a risk?

It is better to seek help from a specialist, and it is recommended to look for him based on reviews on forums where real people discuss the problem of how to remove or get rid of purse-string wrinkles above the lip.

Lipofilling

Also pay attention to a correction procedure such as lipofilling. The essence of the procedure is that not chemicals are injected into the problem area under the skin, but the patient’s own fat. It is collected in certain areas (for example, in the groin area), cleaned and injected above the lip.

What is the advantage of such a procedure? The fact is that the patient is not allergic to his own fat.

The disadvantages are that the fat is absorbed and may be unevenly distributed under the skin. Feedback about this procedure:

I went to the clinic and knew that I would remove purse-string wrinkles and wrinkles under the eyes with the help of lipofilling. They “pumped out” 18 mg of fat from me, cleaned it, and, under local anesthesia, inserted it under the skin through small incisions on my face. Let me make a reservation right away: no stitches were placed on my face. The incisions were sealed with a special plaster, which I removed after a couple of days. No swelling or bruising. Tolerable. I'm pleased with the result. Alyona.

Bioraming

Another method that is practiced to correct wrinkles above the lip is bioramming. The bottom line is that the area above the lip and the upper border of the lip itself is stitched with special absorbable threads that will hold the area around the mouth and prevent the muscles from relaxing. How to make a frame for the lips - support.

These threads last up to 2 years. Those who decided to undergo this procedure were, in principle, satisfied with the result.

They only note that the rehabilitation was very painful and long.

We talked about injections and bioramming, because these methods are good for removing purse-string folds that have appeared. That is, they can be considered the most effective methods in combating this problem.

Cosmetological manipulations

Seeing a cosmetologist will help you get rid of purse-string wrinkles above the upper lip even after 40 years. We will now tell you what procedures he can offer you.

Laser resurfacing . One of the most effective procedures to date. Its essence lies in the fact that in the place where longitudinal wrinkles have formed, a laser beam passes through, which literally burns out all the irregularities. As a result of this, active restoration and regeneration of damaged areas begins, which leads to the formation of young tissue without irregularities.
Botulinum toxin injections . Botox is a fairly common method of combating wrinkles. Moreover, it is relatively inexpensive. The essence of this procedure is that problem areas are injected with botulinum neurotoxin, which successfully blocks nerve impulses, as a result of which the facial muscles relax and smooth out. However, the effect of these injections is noticeable only for six months, after which the procedure must be repeated. Analogues of Botox are also the drugs “Xeomin” and “Dysport”.

Fillers . Another very popular method of combating wrinkles. And very effective. Its essence is that in the cosmetologist's office you are injected subcutaneously with fillers, which act as a filler and smooth out even the deepest wrinkles. Moreover, unlike Botox, the effect of this drug can last up to 2 years.
Mesothreads . Essentially, this is an increase in the strength of the lip skin frame. Mesothreads are specially processed fibers that are installed under the skin between the nose and lips using injections to eliminate wrinkles. Unlike fillers, they do not change the thickness of the upper lip in any way, which is ideal for patients who do not even want to hear about augmentation. Over time, after about 6-8 months, the threads dissolve, but are replaced by collagen fibers, which continue to maintain skin elasticity. The effect of mesothreads lasts up to 3 years.
Biorevitalization . This procedure can be either injection or non-injection. It is based on the introduction of hyaluronic acid, which fills the intercellular space and helps “revitalize” the skin. Biorevitalization without injections is the safest method of filling wrinkles, but its effect lasts only up to 6 months.

When choosing procedures to get rid of purse-string wrinkles, do not forget to thoroughly study their pros and cons. For example, mesothreads are the most expensive of the products presented, and their main advantage is the duration of the effect. But Botox has a targeted effect and is considered less traumatic, but it has a lot of side effects.

Interesting: Getting rid of wrinkles on the forehead: effective ways

Peelings and resurfacing

For those who are categorically against such intervention, more gentle methods of getting rid of purse-string wrinkles are used.

Purse-string wrinkles can be removed with the top layer of keratinized skin. Cosmetologists advise taking this step only with deep wrinkles. After all, in fact, correction of purse-string wrinkles with laser resurfacing or chemical peeling is a kind of facial burn. The skin takes weeks to recover after such procedures. Reviews often mention that small squares from the laser remain on the face for a long time. In addition, the skin flakes off.

To achieve the desired effect, you will need to undergo several procedures over several months. But you won’t get the same result as from injections or bioramming from peeling.

Now let's focus on laser resurfacing.

Laser resurfacing

Laser facial cleansing can remove small wrinkles around the mouth. Although this procedure does not give the same result as filling the subcutaneous space with fillers, there are also reviews about laser resurfacing of purse-string wrinkles above the upper lip.

The device was brought to my face. It was very painful above the lip, as the skin there is sensitive. After the procedure, my face burned like after a steam room. An hour later. The doctor’s advice is not to wash your face with water for 10 days, wipe the area above the lip with chlorhexidine and apply Bepanten. The redness and peeling lasted for several days. Added moisturizer. The fine wrinkles above the lip have hardly disappeared. After 3 months I repeated the procedure. Skin condition is much better. Wrinkles after the second procedure almost disappeared. Ada.

Should you go to a plastic surgeon?

At the age of 45-50 years and older, when wrinkles above the upper lip turn from small superficial ones to deep and persistent ones, the most effective way to get rid of them is surgical lifting.

Of course, for the sake of purse-string folds alone, it is not advisable to carry out such a complex operation; more serious indications are needed - complex age-related problems with the skin of the face, or at least the lower third of it.

The effect will be impressive (experts talk about 10-15 years of rejuvenation), but it is important to understand that we are talking about a very serious intervention - with general anesthesia, long-term rehabilitation, contraindications and possible side effects, so it is necessary to prepare for it with all responsibility.