What is the best treatment for my smoker/barcode lines? The lines appeared this year (hello 50!). (photos)

Hello, Thank you for your question. Based on your goals, you may want to consider a
dermal filler. Injected dermal filler focus on restoring volume and
rejuvenating the look of your features.

I recommend you book a consultation with a
qualified injector, to ensure you're a good candidate for this procedure

Fillers are going to be the best procedure for you smoker's lines. Schedule a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon or cosmetic dermatologist in your area (link below) to discuss your options. Best, Dr. Nazarian

Thank you for your question in regards to Botox. Fillers work great to help fill-in creases and smooth out fine lines. Using hyaluronic acid base fillers, such as Juvederm are recommended. They are HA based fillers that can be reversed if the results are not as expected. Laser resurfacing or micro needling are additional treatments to help soften the appearance of the lines around your mouth as well. To be sure what is best for you, see two or more board-certified providers in your area for a complete evaluation to make sure you are a good candidate and that it is safe for you to have treatment.I hope this helps.

Thank you for your question. You would be better served by using Restylane Silk with an experienced injector. In the hands of an experienced injector, you can get a nice softening of the fine lines without any lumpiness. In addition, if you combine this with a laser ablation treatment, and this would further help improve the fine lines.

Dear AttackMom, These lip lines are due to sun damage etching wrinkles into this mobile part of your face.Botox can help the dynamic component of those lines. But you need procedures to help the skin to impact the static component of those lines.Fillers like restylane Silk could be helpful.I myself had had great results using ablative lasers to rebuild the skin in this area.Hope this was helpful.

In my opinion, the best treatment for vertical lines on the upper lip is laser resurfacing.  As you have seen, Botox can help to some degree by relaxing the muscles in the area but the laser will directly affect the skin and improve the lines.  

For your smoker lines you could try Belotero for the fine line and some Botox or Xeomin to relax the muscles so that the puckering is decreased. You might also consider laser resurfacing treatments such as Laser Genesis, which can help reduce the depth of the lines as well. Hope this helps.

Dear Attackmom,I use a combination of Restylane Silk with a TCA peel of the upper lip.  This provides a nice results.  If it is not enough, I will suggest an upper lip Dermabrasion.  You won't have to live with this!!All the best,Dr. Michelle Yagoda

This is a frequently asked concern by my patients and can be a challenging issue to fix.  Often a triple approach offers the most satisfying results.  This includes addressing the dynamic muscles that cause the lines with botulinum toxin, skin resurfacing (fraxel, laser, or chemical peeling), and lastly using a superficial filler such as Belotero to further efface them.  Once treated, to preserve the improvement Botox and filler maintenance is periodically needed.  Even more important is to alter your activities to avoid the recurrence of these lines.  They are not only seen in smokers, but in patients that drink from straws or water bottles frequently because of the pursing of the lips during these activities.  Hope this helps.  Best regards.

A filler such as Belotero or Restylane can give nice improvement of these lines, but the results are temporary (about six months in this area).  Botox in small amounts is helpful as well because it will reduce the muscle activity which causes these lines.  Other options would include CO2 laser resurfacing and deeper chemical peels for more long-lasting results.  I would suggest that you see an experienced cosmetic dermatologist or plastic surgeon.