Has aging caught you by surprise?
For some women, it can be a gradual process of a few wrinkles here and there.
But for others (especially smokers), nearly every close examination in the mirror can reveal yet another wrinkle or unwanted sign of aging, even more so once you get to a certain age!
The Most Common Signs of Unwanted Skin Damage and Aging
(Especially Among Smokers)
One common skin concern among smokers—and even non-smokers—are 'Smokers' Lines'. Officially, they're called Vertical Lip Lines or Lip Wrinkles. Yet there are plenty of vivid words to describe them, including the metaphorically apt 'Barcode Lines'.
That these may occur due to the repetitive facial movements in the act of smoking or vaping may not astound you. But you're in for a surprise to know that these lines can STILL appear despite you not ever having taken up the habit!
And it makes sense given the constant lip movements we all do...
—blowing air kisses to our friends
—sucking our favorite drinks through a straw
—even pouting for that perfect Instagram selfie
... that go on to form deeper-than-usual creases above the lips, especially over a span of time.
What's happening under the surface is that all these movements are stretching the delicate skin above the upper lip. The more the stretching the less it is able to bounce back to its naturally-smooth, flawless shape.The skin then collapses into tiny wrinkles that can look like barcodes. Doubly so as you get older.
Now, don’t worry if a tiny part of you wants to restrict all those perfectly-natural ways of expression. In fact, feel free to smile, laugh, and yes, even pout to your heart’s content!
But if you’re a smoker and happen to care about your appearance—then you need to pay closer attention to what we’re about to tell you.
You see, smoking speeds up the aging process as it deprives the skin of nutrients and oxygen. And when that becomes chronic the result is uneven skin tone, a duller complexion, and increasingly dry, rough-to-the-touch skin;not discounting other, more insidious effects.
Even if you don’t smoke, it is possible for you to have these specific aging concerns. On why that is, well—
Consider the environmental stressors your skin is exposed to every single day...
Or the decades of all those sneaky little skincare mistakes finally catching up to you...
And not to mention how after 40, when collagen and elastin—key proteins to do with the skin’s suppleness, firmness, & elasticity—begin to dwindle.
So, here is when it becomes all the more important to revise your entire outlook on skincare. And if you’re wondering how to go about that, well—we’ve got you covered!
Starting with...