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Guest Writer Karen Lombardo
Smile lines appear when we are happy and, as a byproduct, produce a set of wrinkles; however, we do not need smile lines to be happy. In fact, most menopausal women want to diminish the appearance of facial wrinkles, including smile lines.
What are smile lines?
Smile lines often called laugh lines, are wrinkles that develop on both sides of your mouth. Smile wrinkles can also be found around your eyes. These wrinkles are also known as crow’s feet.
Deep smile lines can form creases caused by age, dehydration, smoking, weight gain, and loss of collagen. The smile lines are like other skin changes due to aging and menopause. Around menopause, and even in perimenopause, we quickly lose collagen—the basic building block of our skin. In fact, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, we lose 30% of collagen during the first five years of menopause.
The repetitive expressions you’ve been making all your life (smiling, frowning, laughing) leave lines on your skin that now stay put after you’re done with the expression. You will likely see in your reflection one day crow’s feet, marionette lines, and forehead wrinkles…time leaves its mark in a different pattern on every face. Simultaneously, we lose sebum, the natural substance we create that helps keep skin lubricated. As it lessens with each passing menopausal month, skin becomes drier, and wrinkles are even more prominent.
Does everyone have smile lines?
The question is, “Does everyone smile?” Yes, of course, but the appearance of smile lines varies considerably based on the person, their health, and in some cases, genetics. Sun exposure also plays a role in smile lines on your face.
In an article on Time.com, Dr. Anthony Rossi asks that we not blame our smiles. “Rossi calls the biological changes that hurt your skin’s rebound abilities “intrinsic aging.” These include breakdowns to the underlying structure of your skin due to factors like fat loss and muscle atrophy. Rossi says your genetic makeup also affects how your hide holds up to years of smiling. “We know different ethnicities age differently,” he says, adding that your skin’s natural melanin concentrations and oil production also play a role in how quickly your smile groves will start to leave their mark. Unfortunately, many of those variables are out of your hands.How to get rid of smile lines
The question of how to fix smile lines is often answered with surgical or injectable solutions. While they can be effective, they really are a Band-Aid and must be repeated to keep the wrinkles at bay.
The best procedure for reducing smile lines and achieving long-term change is to create a smile line treatment regimen that works best for you. By the time we reach menopause, the damage to our skin has already been set. Lack of sunscreen, perhaps smoking, and dehydration have taken a toll on our skin.
You can mitigate and, in some cases, get rid of smile lines naturally. A smile line treatment regimen is accessible and achievable.
So, are we all destined to be wrinkly? Not necessarily.
Facial massage can be effective if practiced regularly and in conjunction with other skin regiment treatments. The lines will not entirely disappear, but exercise and massage will keep the muscles taut like other body parts. The Caire hand-polished stone Face Ritual Roller effortlessly soothes and depuffs while improving the benefits of the Caire anti-aging Serum (or other treatment) application, penetration, and effectiveness. Not only does it feel like an individual facial massage that helps you feel relaxed and calm, but it can
Serums such as Caire’s Theorem Serum Boost stimulate Hyaluronic Acid (HA) production (HA = Fountain of Youth key skin molecule). Our spectrum of HA's quickly works to help make skin (and eyes) behave and look younger through healthier skin that builds itself back up. An all-in-one anti-aging firming, lifting, hydrating serum for the face, around the eyes, and mouth.
How can I prevent smile lines?
Let’s think outside the box and explore a few exercises to help prevent smile lines.
Nasal lines and facial exercise. Nasal lines, or nasolabial folds, are the lines on your face from the side of your nose to the corners of your mouth. According to Medical News Today, a person has muscles on the face that are rarely worked out. The muscle targeted in the first exercise is one of them. Used to control puckering and help close the mouth, the orbicularis oris muscles are essential in helping prevent and reduce the appearance of laugh lines. To target these muscles:
Face Yoga for smile lines!
Yes, you read this correctly, Face yoga! explains, “Face Yoga exercises can smooth out laugh lines (also called smile lines) and prevent them from deepening. Face Yoga helps wrinkles around the mouth by pushing the lines out from the inside and simultaneously lifting the cheek muscles. Laughing and smiling is a natural part of life (and we would never encourage a straight face to avoid laugh or smile lines), but the good news is, you don’t have to choose.”
Love the skin you are in!
Smiles are contagious. Sharing a smile with someone can affect them in ways you may not know. But that does not mean we welcome aging lines such as smile lines. Love yourself and your skin and take care of both. Visit the Caire Beauty shop and learn about Skincare for Grownups. (Did that make you smile?)
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