While filler is commonly used to address concerns related to the lips, Botox is necessary to treat more complex issues such as vertical lips lines that result from movement as opposed to simple volume loss.
While dermal fillers are often the 'go to' treatment for deeper lines, marionette lines botox is also an effective option. Botox can be used to relax the muscles which pull down the corners of your mouth and accentuate the appearance of marionette lines.
Botox temporarily relaxes the part of the muscle over the upper lip, causing the lip to roll slightly upward so it appears more voluminous and defined. This muscle relaxation can also help smooth vertical lines around the lips.
Laser resurfacing
Lasers remove dead skin cells, help stimulate new collagen, improves skin texture and creates a tightening effect. The recommended treatment for upper lip line removal is the Erbium Laser.
Lip lines are vertical wrinkles that develop along and above your upper lip. Lip lines are part of the natural aging process. But habits such as smoking and sun exposure can create deeper lip wrinkles. Cosmetic treatments, including fillers, can reduce lip lines and help you look younger.
Smoker lines can be treated by using precise administration of Botox®* injections into the fine dynamic facial muscles around the mouth. These anti-wrinkle injections can be used to prevent lines from developing/deepening, or to soften existing lines.
Many practitioners use dermal fillers to reverse smokers' lines and restore a plump, smooth, and hydrated look to the lips and mouth area. FDA-approved hyaluronic acid fillers like Restylane and Juvederm are designed to treat fine lines around the lips and restore a smooth appearance.
Hyaluronic acid fillers are typically the best treatment option for fine lines above your lip. They offer smooth, natural-looking results, yet can easily be dissolved if needed for any reason. Hyaluronic acid fillers for smoker's lines tend to last around six months before a maintenance treatment may be needed.
Filler – Volbella® and Restylane Refyne®
New fillers such as Volbella® and Restylane refyne® are specifically designed to provide this support in areas with significant movement such as the mouth. Filler is placed directly in the lip lines and underneath them to return the support that was present in youth.
Generally, about 10 units of botox is necessary for this area. Both upper and lower lip lines can be effectively treated. Botox is a simple office procedure taking about 10 minutes with minimal pain and downtime. Botox takes about 5 days to work and lasts up to 4 months in this area.
How Many Units of Botox for Smokers Lines? Generally, around 8-20 units of Botox are used to address smoker lines. Around 1-3 units of Botox is used per injection spot, which totals to generally around 15 units.
The effects of Botox last about 3-4 months. By comparison, lip filler may last up to a year or longer, and surgery can give you lasting results.
Dermal fillers offer the most effective non-surgical method for treating smokers' lines and it usually only requires a very small volume of the product injected into precise locations along the vermilion border (lip line) to correct the appearance of smokers' lines.
Most cosmetic providers can administer around 4 to 6 units of Botox for reducing the appearance of smokers lines. Unlike the common treatment areas like forehead lines and crow's feet that typically need more Botox injections, the upper lip area requires only small amounts of the injectable to be effective.
Injectable Fillers
Superficial smoker's lines can easily—and instantly—be smoothed out with a hyaluronic acid-based filler such as Juvéderm Volbella or Restylane Silk. These injectables are the thinnest in their respective families, which makes them ideal for fine lines and areas with thin skin.
The appearance of smokers' lips can be reduced by undergoing non-surgical treatments such as anti-wrinkle injections, dermal fillers, laser resurfacing, dermabrasion, microneedling, and platelet-rich plasma therapy. The ideal treatment for smokers lips will depend on the severity of wrinkling and your desired results.
While the lifespan of dermal fillers can vary considerably between patients, depending on the product, your lifestyle and unique metabolism, Juvederm is the longest-lasting temporary lip filler with results visible for up to a year. Restylane comes in at a close second, with results lasting between 6-10 months.
What is the best filler for vertical lip lines? The two best dermal fillers for the lips are Restylane Kysse and Juvederm Volbella. Restylane Kysse was FDA approved in 2020 for use in the United States on the lips to improve lip texture and volume, and to treat lipstick lines.
The most effective and longest lasting treatment to turn back the clock around the mouth is the use of a fractional CO2 laser. In the hand of a skilled physician with an aesthetic sense, this laser works effectively to smooth out wrinkles and reduce lines.
As a normal part of aging, the upper lip thins, flattens, and can appear to fold over the teeth, leading to the appearance that the upper lip is kind of disappearing! Lips get their shape partly from collagen, and as we age, we produce less of this collagen, and the lips start to lose their plumpness.
Injections of lip fillers performed by a trained medical practitioner can improve the appearance of fine lines of the lips. By applying lip fillers in micro amounts around the outside of the lines can significantly reduce the appearance of lip lines by reducing the movement of the muscles.
FDA-approved hyaluronic acid fillers like Juvederm, Volbella, and Restylane Silk help eliminate smoker's lines by hydrating the lips from the inside out and encouraging your body's natural collagen production.