Lip lines are often thought to be an inevitable consequence of aging. It's true that if you live long enough, you're bound to develop a few lip lines. But the lip lines most people see in the mirror don’t need to be as pronounced as they are or appear as early as they do. 

They’re there because of something the person is doing, something they’re eating or some precautions they’re not taking to protect their lips. Below we’re going to examine lip lines inside and provide a number of ways to effectively deal with them.

6 Foods to Eat and Avoid to Help Get Rid of Lip Lines 

You are what you eat. Here are 6 foods that will either help you fend off the development of lip lines or will contribute to their development and should be avoided. 

1. Eat Fatty Fish - By "fatty," we mean those that provide generous amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. These fight inflammation, enhance your body's ability to fight off toxins and make your lips more resistant to UV rays (though not 100%, remember that). It’s advisable to eat fatty fish such as tuna, salmon, and sardines  instead of just eating one type.
2. Eat Walnuts - Walnuts are another great source for those omega-3 fatty acids we should all love and respect. But this doesn’t mean you have to sit there and eat walnuts by the handful out of a bag or canister. Instead, find ways to integrate them into your diet by sprinkling crushed walnuts on your salad or mixing your favorite salad dressing with walnut oil.
3. Eat Leafy Green Vegetables - Your mom was always after you to eat your veggies and she was right. Leafy greens are full of antioxidants, which are another group of compounds you want on your side next to omega-3 fatty acids. Antioxidants are our best and only defense against the scourge of cell-destroying free radicals that can undermine the integrity of our skin and encourage lip lines.
4. Eat Legumes - Legumes such as lentils and beans are rich in something called "phytonutrients." These help stabilize hormone levels and promote collagen production. Both of those factors contribute to the fight against weakened skin, which can lead to lip lines and wrinkles.
5. Don’t Eat Bacon - Unless you’re on the keto diet and need the saturated fat in bacon, it should be off your list of acceptable foods. That's because the saturated fat in bacon can produce inflammation that undermines the integrity of your skin, including your lips. And while you’re at it, take a pass on cold cuts and other processed meats as well. The nitrates in those foods increase oxidative stress, which weakens the integrity of your skin.
6. Don’t Drink Alcohol - While a glass of wine now and then might actually be beneficial, we’re talking about Friday and Saturday nights out where you tend to overindulge a bit. Drinking leads to dehydration, which is one reason you wake up with those nasty headaches the day after. And dehydration, of course, also leads to wrinkled skin and lip lines. 

“I want my lips to glow. You know?” - Naomi Campbell

Why Do I Have Lines on My Lips? 

You have lip lines because you’re getting older and unknowingly eating and drinking things that promote them. But those aren’t the only things that contribute to the development of lip lines. People’s behavior also tends to hasten the process. Those behaviors include: 

• Drinking from a straw - Every time you pucker your lips aggressively to drink from a straw, you encourage the development of lip lines. Scrunching your lips up in such a way has the same effect on them that smiling does to the skin around your mouth and eyes. 
• Exposure to the sun - Most people these days are well aware of the need to use sunscreen when they go out. But most ignore their lips when they cover the rest of their skin. Make sure that when you're slathering on the sunscreen, you also use a lip balm with a generous SPF. 
• Smoking - Smoking actually helps destroy your lips in two ways. First, all that puckering you need to do to take a drag off your cigarette creates lip lines. Second, smoking starves your skin (including your lips) of oxygen and nutrients, which makes them susceptible to lip lines. 
• Whistling - Whistling is something of a lost art these days. Still, if you're someone who likes to whistle while you work, you're unwittingly promoting the development of lip lines.

How to Get Rid of Lip Lines Quickly? 

Getting rid of lip lines quickly isn’t easy. The lines on your lips took time to develop and they’ll take at least a little bit of time to get rid of. The home remedies, clinical treatments, and OTC products we’re about to take a look at will all help.

Best Clinical Treatments for Lip Lines 

• Neuromodulators - Neuromodulators is a fancy way of saying Botox and Dysport. While some will be put off by the fact that neuromodulators essentially paralyze the tissue they come in contact with, others will revel in the plumping and elimination of lip lines. Botox et al are considered effective (if short-lived) ways to smooth out lip lines that are not deep-seated. Those with more serious lip lines will want to consider... 

• Fillers - Fillers are compounds injected into the lip itself that act to promote collagen production. Since collagen can take a while for your body to generate this isn’t a treatment that's going to produce overnight results. If that's what you're after, there are various gels that can be injected into the lips that will plump them up instantly and reduce lip lines. Though this kind of solution can sometimes lead to numb lips. 

• PRP - There's a lot of buzz surrounding platelet-rich plasma or PRP. Essentially, this type of treatment stimulates the production of collagen. When used as a follow-up to Botox or Dysport, it can produce longer-lasting effects than Botox alone. 

“A lot of millennials come in for lip injections and say they want to ‘look natural,’ but then they show me pictures of lips that are way overfilled.” - Karyn Grossman, cosmetic dermatologist

How do I Get Rid of Lip Lines Without Surgery? 

To get rid of lip lines without surgery, try a home remedy or use a product like Silicone Fusion™, Collagen-Infused Lip Serum. Just remember, the best way to deal with lip lines is not to eat or act in a way that promotes their development.

5 Best Home Remedies for Removing Lip Lines 

• Coconut Oil - Coconut oil contains a ton of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) that help repair damaged skin and nourish lips. Like most homemade remedies for lip lines, this one is incredibly simple. Just rub a bit of coconut oil on your lips before you turn in at night. The fatty acids will go to work, healing your lips while you sleep. Works better for some people than others. 

• Olive Oil - Olive oil is a legitimate superfood that boasts an impressive array of health benefits too numerous to list here. Among its many benefits is the ability to heal chapped lips and smooth out some of your less serious lip lines. As with coconut oil, simply apply a bit directly to your lips before going to sleep. You can also rub some onto the skin around your lips to address any lines you have there. 

• Grape Seed Extract - Free radicals are the enemy of a youthful appearance. They work non-stop behind the scenes undermining the health of your cells, including skin and lip cells. Free radicals themselves have only one real enemy: antioxidants. Grape seed extract is rich in antioxidants that will take on the free radicals in your lips and help restore them to their youthful smoothness and plumpness. Just don’t expect it to work overnight. 

• Cinnamon - Who knew cinnamon had the ability to plump up your lips and smooth out lip wrinkles? Well, now you do. But don’t just smear a bunch of cinnamon powder onto your dry lip lines. Instead, mix it with olive or coconut oil and then apply it. You'll get twice the bang for your buck as both ingredients work to restore your lips to their naturally beautiful state.

• Honey - There’s no secret to how honey works. It helps your lips retain moisture, which prevents them from drying out. Keeping your lips nice and moist also helps them plump up, which smooths out any lip wrinkles. To ramp up its effect, mash some banana and mix it with honey and then apply the resulting paste. Leave it on for 10 minutes before wiping it off and applying one of the products we’re about to take a look at.

Best Products to Help With Lip Lines

Claralips Collagen-Infused Lip Serum by Dermaclara Beauty $24 

Dermaclara Beauty anti-wrinkle products are scientifically developed and subjected to rigorous 3rd party testing by testing giant BioScreen. BioScreen has determined that Dermaclara anti-wrinkle products visibly improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

We love how simple and effective this claralips product is and we love the fast, noticeable difference it provides. 

Pros

• Contains nourishing shea butter
• Enhances hydration and plumps lips
• Improves circulation and delivers vital nutrients

Cons 

• Only available online

Nivea Lip Care Lip Effect Q10 Plus $4 

Nivea Lip Care Lip Effect provides an array of ingredients designed to plump up your lips and smooth out lip lines. Chief among them is Coenzyme Q10, which is known to have strong antioxidant effects. It's joined by shea butter, which helps lips retain moisture and calendula oil which plays a role in skin healing and appearance. 

Pros 

• Helps your lips look and feel better
• Very affordable

Cons 

• Softness fades quickly

Ojon Rare Harvest Tawaka Rejuvenating Lip Kit $48 

This rejuvenating system produces a very luxuriant surface feeling and does an outstanding job healing dry, cracked lips. This is a two-step process that leads off with a dose of white clay that polishes the lips. That’s followed by Ojon Lip Care Treatment with shea and cocoa butter, ojon oil, and hibiscus. 

Pros 

• Enhances the moisture content of your lips
• Ideal for pre-lipstick prep

Cons 

• Not the best for lip plumping

Where Can I Buy Products to Get Rid of Lip Lines? 

The above-profiled products can be obtained via most every major online retailer of beauty products, including industry giant Sephora and hundreds of lesser-known websites. Most can also be purchased on Amazon. 

However, our top choice, claralips, can only be purchased from the official Dermaclara Beauty website. There you’ll get the best price and can rest assured you’re getting the genuine article. 

Just a word of caution: you need to be careful when purchasing beauty products from Amazon since not everyone selling them is an authorized reseller.

Why's that important? Because if you buy from just anyone, you increase the odds of getting 5-year-old stuff a person found when cleaning out their medicine cabinet. This is not Amazon’s fault, but it’s something you need to be aware of.

Top Expert Tips on How to Smoothen Your Lips 

Experts are in agreement that the best way to address lip lines is to take a multi-pronged approach. Rub some olive or coconut oil on your lips at night. Use claralips by Dermaclara Beauty during the day to retain moisture and enhance collagen production. Drink plenty of water and always have your lips shielded behind a lip balm with generous UV protection. 

In addition, if you are serious about preventing the onset of lip lines, you need to be careful about what you eat and be conscious of behaviors that promote their growth. Behaviors such as drinking from straws and smoking.

Keep in mind too that the longer you wait to address the problem, the more difficult it will be to return your lips to something resembling their pre-lined state. 

Experts also stress that if you're in your 20’s or 30’s, you shouldn't be looking at Botox or other clinical approaches. Though plastic surgeon Sam Rizk of New York City isn’t completely averse to PRP injections for younger people. He says he uses “PRP injections (to) stimulate new collagen formation."