Lips Thin With Age: Why It Happens & What To Do About It

As we age, our skin changes. This is simply a natural part of life—we all get older, and our bodies change because of it. One area this happens that people frequently notice is the lips: With time, they lose volume and become thinner. 

Now, not everyone finds this to be a major concern (some people simply don't notice a change, in the same way some never get forehead wrinkles or under-eye bags; all our faces are different and respond differently). However, if you notice that this is a problem for you, there are steps you can take to help enhance your lips. 

Lips thin for the same reason our skin sags or we lose suppleness: collagen loss. "Collagen literally holds us together—it makes up 30% of the body's protein and 70% of the skin's protein," functional medicine practitioner Robert Rountree, M.D., tells us. "The No. 1 cause of skin aging is the loss of collagen." When we lose this precious collagen, our skin's structural integrity declines and our overall volume diminishes. Essentially, our lips deflate with time. 

And unfortunately, this process starts earlier than you might expect: Your 20s (yep and yikes!), and continues at about a 1% loss every year after1. "Our bodies always balance collagen production and degradation," board-certified dermatologist Gary Goldenberg, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. "When we are young, our bodies produce more collagen than we break down. That balance tips the wrong way with age since tissue regeneration decreases." 

Bummer, no? Well, the even worse news is that in addition to age, collagen can decline for a number of other not-so-great reasons. These include but are not limited to the following: 

If you are concerned this is happening to you, there are plenty of ways you can help the area, resulting in plumper, healthier lips: 

This is a purely preventive, but proactive measures are just as important as reactive. Considering we can't stop time, and therefore aging, the best we can do is to make sure we're not accelerating it. First up, stop smoking if you currently are: It's one of the best things you can do for your skin. From there, use a safe, physical SPF on the area when outdoors. 

"Don't forget sun protection," says Shawna Jones, PA-C, aesthetic nurse practitioner. "Protecting your lips from the sun is just as important as protecting your face. Look for products that have a physical sunblock [titanium dioxide and zinc oxide]. Some also contain other moisturizing actives, like hyaluronic acid, to hydrate and smooth the lips." 

And do your best to manage internal inflammation. This is easier said than done as inflammation comes at us from many sources, but try de-stressing techniques, eat a balanced diet, and do not irritate or damage the area. 

Hearing "lip plumpers" may take you back to the stinging, tingling variety of your youth, but the modern interactions are delightfully sophisticated and easy to use. Check out our favorite lip plumpers here. 

Drink up! There's a reason skin care experts and derms alike encourage you to hydrate properly: Drinking the recommended doses of water literally thickens your dermal layer4. Thicker skin means plumper skin—which means a better pout. 

These are not plumpers in the sense that they are stimulating your lips in an effort to enhance their appearance immediately; instead, they are masks, oils, and balms loaded with good-for-skin ingredients to help tend to the delicate area. Just as you apply an eye cream when you start worrying about crow's feet or a vitamin C serum if you are worried about age spots, you can invest in a good lip treatment to help the area out.