It’s no secret that smoking is a health hazard. It can lead to cancer, heart problems, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorders such as emphysema. However, smoking can also affect the appearance of the face. It can dry out the skin and cause lines and wrinkles, making the smoker look tired and aged. This is particularly noticeable around the mouth, vertical fine lines that make the mouth look thinner. These lines make the patient appear to be angry and older. However, there are some cosmetic techniques that Dr. Vincent Marin can use to help reduce the appearance of “smoker’s lines” around the mouth.
How Do Smoker’s Lines Form?
Nicotine, which is the active ingredient in cigarettes, dries out the skin and increases collagen loss around the mouth. Collagen is a protein that the body produces naturally. It can be thought of as the glue that holds the human body together. It fills out the skin over the skeletal structure, giving the face a rounder, fuller appearance. As the body ages, it loses collagen, leading to a more hollowed out, worn appearance. Nicotine will accelerate this collagen loss.
How Can Smoker’s Lines Be Treated?
The most common way to treat smoker’s lines around the mouth is with a dermal filler such as Restylane or JUVÉDERM, both of which contain hyaluronic acid to add volume to the skin. Dermal fillers are designed to plump up the skin in areas where the body’s natural collagen has been lost.
Technique
The dermal filler is injected into targeted locations around the mouth. The actual procedure generally takes no more than half an hour and can be done with just local anesthetic for patients worried about pain.
Side effects
The side effects of dermal fillers are relatively mild. The most common is swelling or bruising at the injection sites. Most of this should subside within a week following the procedure. Use of ice, cold compresses, and taking the herb Arnica montana will reduce bruising and swelling.
Risks
The most significant risk from the procedure will be excessive bleeding at the injection sites. Smokers are at particular risk for excessive bleeding. While the best course of action is to quit for good starting two to three weeks before the surgery, doctors recommend avoiding the use of tobacco products for at least two weeks before and after treatment.
Recovery and results
Results should be noticeable within a few days following the procedure. The area around the mouth will look fuller, with a diminished appearance of lines and wrinkles. Patients should be able to resume normal activities immediately following the procedure.
Dermal fillers may provide an optimal solution to erase those smoker’s lines from around the mouth. The experienced staff at Marin Aesthetics can help reduce the appearance of smoker’s lines and other facial wrinkling types.
Contact us today to learn about the surgical and non-surgical treatment options that are best suited to your needs.
*The content in this blog is developed to spread the awareness towards plastic surgery. Our blog is not intended to serve as a replacement for an actual in-office consultation with Dr. Marin. As such, the information within this blog reflects the unique cases of our individual patients.
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