How to prevent and treat ‘barcode lines’ around the mouth
We used to call the vertical lines above the upper lip “smoker’s lines” because you get them from puckering your lips repeatedly over time. Now that fewer people smoke, we call them “barcode lines” because they resemble the vertical lines of a barcode sticker.
No matter what you call them, these lines can be frustrating to treat because the skin in the lip area is very delicate. Here are my best tips that I share with my patients:
What causes lines around the mouth?
Repetitive movements like making facial expressions, drinking through a straw, or smoking or vaping can accelerate skin aging and cause fine lines like barcode lines to form.
Combine this with natural aging — when our skin makes less collagen and elastin — and lines and wrinkles become even more prominent. Additionally, the skin around the mouth is thinner than in other areas, so it is particularly susceptible to aging.
How to treat barcode lines
Fortunately, there are a few skin care tricks to treat and even prevent barcode lines and other mouth-area wrinkles from forming.
One important thing to note, however, is that the lips do not have a protective stratum corneum and do not produce protective sebum (oil). Therefore, anything you apply to them can lead to dryness, flaking and chapping.
When applying the recommended wrinkle treatments below, only apply them to skin between your nose and upper lip, or the “mustache” area. Do not cross the lip line.
If you are going to use these treatments before bed, apply Vaseline, Aquaphor,or a lip hydrator to protect your lips from any product that might get onto your pillowcase and rub onto your lips overnight.
What skin care to use for lines around the mouth
▪ Retinoids can be effective in this area, but they can really dry your lips. Be very careful not to get retinoids on the pink part of your lips.
▪ Plated exosome serum. I have used this on the pink part of my lips and it increases cell division so much that they get scaly. Do not apply this product on the pink part of your lips.
▪ An anti-aging eye cream. If you already have an anti-aging eye cream, it can double as an anti-aging treatment for the mustache area.
Which procedures can treat barcode lines
Dermal fillers are the best option for treating these lines. A thin hyaluronic acid (HA) filler like Belotero or Restylane Kysse can be very effective.
Less effective options for barcode lines include
▪ Botulinum toxin injections like Botox. While they make the lines look better, they can give you an unnatural smile.
▪ Microneedling. This hurts a lot and requires multiple treatments and does not work as well as dermal fillers.
▪ Ablative lasers. These have a lot of down time and do not work as well as dermal fillers.
Bottom line
Retinoids, new exosome anti-aging creams, and anti-aging eye creams can all be effective treatments for barcode lips lines. Many people do not realize that they can use their regular anti-aging eye cream around the mouth.
For more skincare news and advice, follow @SkinTypeSolutions on social media, or browse the Skin Type Solutions library. If you have a question for Dr. Baumann, come talk to her on Reddit at r/skintypesolutions. She’s on sabbatical until 2025 and not seeing patients.