Smiles are beautiful. Looking at someone with a big, bright smile on their face can really just brighten up our day too, hai na? But with smiles come smile lines and most of us like to stay wrinkle-free. Smile lines aren’t a sign of ageing but more of a sign of smiles and happiness but I’m sure all of you have so many questions about them. What are they? Why do they appear and what to do about them? So, this World Smile Day, I decided to answer all your questions about smile lines! Read on to know all about smiles and smile lines!

What Are Smile Lines?

Smile lines or laugh lines are the verticle wrinkles that develop around the sides of our nose, eyes and the curve of our mouth. It’s the creasing of our skin around our smile. Apart from being extremely common, these lines are more visible when we flaunt our big, bright smiles.

What Causes Laugh Lines?

To put it in simple words, smile lines are caused by several factors including lifestyle choices, genetics and ageing. Lack of collagen leads to loss of elasticity in our skin and leads to laugh lines. Smoking, sun damage and deyhdrated skin can also be the cause of laugh lines.

Can Young People Also Have Smile Lines?

While smile lines have a lot to do with skin ageing, it’s common for people to have them from a young age too. These creases form due to other factors like weight gain, weight loss and dental problems as well. After all, we all smile!

Are Smile Lines Permanent? Can We Prevent Laugh Lines?

Laugh lines are a part and parcel of our lives. They’re just another type of wrinkle and come with time and age. Smile lines are in some sense permanent. There are ways to reduce them and delay the process of skin ageing but there is no way to permanently prevent them. With age, smile lines also become permanent unless you opt for surgical procedures.

How To Smoothen Smile Lines?

Lifestyle changes, home remedies and surgical and cosmetic procedures can help with smoothening smile lines. Making some lifestyle changes like quitting smoking and following a proper skincare routine can aid in reducing smile lines and smoothening your skin and delay the process of skin ageing. You can also discuss it with a dermatologist and begin some over-the-counter treatment options.

Can You Get Rid Of Laugh Lines Naturally?

You can introduce the right products like retinol, vitamin C, glycolic acid, salicylic acid and other skin-hydrating ingredients as well as collagen-producing ingredients to your skincare regime to reduce laugh lines. You can also use chemical exfoliants or peeling exfoliants to smoothen your skin and reduce the visible laugh lines.

How Long Does It Take To Reduce Smile Lines?

There’s no fixed timeline when it comes to reducing smile lines. It depends on the remedy and your skin type and quality. Cosmetic procedures can take 3 to 6 months to show results whereas natural remedies can take much longer.

What Are The Cosmetic Treatment Options For Smile Lines? Are These Safe?

There are several cosmetic treatment options for reducing smile lines and it’s best to pick one after a detailed discussion with your dermatologist. You can get injectable fillers, botox injections or surgery to remove the smile lines from your face. There are laser options also available for treating your laugh lines. These treatments have some minor side effects like pain, swelling, redness and rashes but these treatments can take a long time to heal and sometimes even lead to infection, scarring and skin discolouration. Moreover, these treatments can be rather expensive. Collagen induction therapy is also another cosmetic option for treating laugh lines. This treatment is also known as micro-needling or skin needling and can have minor side effects like bruising, redness or discolouration when your skin is healing.

Are There Exercises To Get Rid Of Smile Lines?

Yes, of course. Facial yoga and facial exercises are a great way to reduce smile lines. While it may not completely remove laugh lines, it can delay and reduce their appearance. You can exercise the facial muscles around your eyes, mouth and nose to reduce smile lines and tighten your skin.

Do Smile Lines Go Away With Weight Loss?

Not really. Significant weight gain or weight loss can actually be a contributing cause of the appearance of smile lines as it affects skin elasticity. Any significant change in your weight can actually make your smile lines more prominent and noticeable.

Can Retinol Reduce Smile Lines?

One major reason for the appearance of smile lines is skin ageing. Retinol can repair skin damage and promote collagen production thereby reducing smile lines and improving the elasticity of your skin.

How To Fix Smile Lines With Makeup?

Smile lines often cause creasing of makeup which makes them more prominent. In order to hide your smile lines with makeup, you have to follow some skin prep and makeup tips. Start by ensuring that your moisturise your skin properly. Using a good skin primer around your nose and mouth and eyeshadow primer around your eyes can aid in keeping your makeup in place and hiding laugh lines. You can apply a lip balm as well if you don’t have a primer. When covering your smile lines with concealer and foundation, make sure it doesn’t get cakey. Blend it properly using your fingers or stretch your skin when blending with a makeup blender. Don’t forget to set your makeup with some translucent powder and setting spray.

In conclusion, I have just one thing to say. While we’re all for cosmetic choice but smile or laugh lines don’t make you any less beautiful. So, feel free to own your flaws!

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