If you haven’t got a Stanley Cup or at least a dupe by now, then where have you been? Over the past few years, millions around the globe have taken to drinking from the viral flasks in a bid to drink more water—the one flaw? The straws can apparently give you wrinkles.
But like creams, retinol serums, and beauty picks that promise to prevent wrinkles, there is one product blowing up in the skincare market that aims to combat wrinkles caused by sipping beverages—anti-wrinkle straws.
Do they actually work though? We’ve spoken to Dr. Akis Ntonos, founder of Aion Aesthetics in NYC and partner of Certainly Health, who has explained whether this innovative product actually helps with anti-aging and what you can do to help prevent wrinkles.
Can straws actually cause wrinkles around the mouth?
Many people opt for drinking out of straws in order to protect their teeth from staining or damage from drinks such as coffee or fizzy drinks; however, regular use does have the ability to contribute to wrinkles in the face. It works in the same way frown lines form on the face—repetitive movement to the same spot to drink from the straw can eventually lead to creasing in your skin.
The muscle that you are engaging is called the orbicularis oris, and it’s the same muscle that we use to whistle or blow a kiss and is also the same lip puckering motion that leads smokers to develop what is known as smokers lines around the mouth.
How do anti-wrinkle straws work, and can they help?
Anti-wrinkle straws work exactly as they say they do. They change the motion in which you drink out of a regular straw by preventing folding of the skin. In contrast to a slightly bent or straight drinking straw, anti-wrinkle straws have a unique shape that curves in a horizontal line at the top with an opening for you to sip out of without actually pursing your lips.
In theory, they should help with wrinkles formed as a result of drinking out of a regular straw, but it’s important to note that there isn’t a lot of research on the impact of drinking out of them on our health yet. Therefore, it’s hard to say what the full extent of the repetitive motion is on the skin and how often you need to do it in order for it to become a problem.
It’s also important to note that anti-wrinkle straws won’t do anything to affect genetic or natural wrinkles that form around the lips related to age.
How can you improve wrinkles around the mouth?
Avoid Drinking Out of a Straw
First and foremost, if you are concerned about wrinkles created from drinking out of a straw, try and reduce how often you are using one or stop using it altogether, so you decrease the number of times in which you are pursing your lips that create folds in the skin.
Avoid Smoking
Avoiding smoking completely is also a good idea if you are concerned about wrinkles around the mouth. Puckering your lips around a cigarette regularly can cause deep lines to form in the face known as smoker lines, so giving up or avoiding this habit will reduce how often folds are formed in the skin, that cause wrinkles to develop.
Stay Hydrated
Drinking lots of water throughout the day is another good way to reduce wrinkles around the mouth because it keeps the skin plump and resilient and protects its elasticity. Whereas dehydrated skin is more prone to dryness, which can in turn deepen wrinkles over time.
Reduce caffeine and Alcohol Intake
Drinking alcohol and caffeine frequently can both dehydrate your body and skin, which again will lead to a loss of elasticity and dryness in the skin. Excessive alcohol consumption also has the potential to damage collagen, which can weaken the skin structure around the mouth and result in sagging or wrinkles to form.
Limit Exposure to Sun
Like the rest of our face, the skin around the mouth is particularly sensitive to sun damage, making it more prone to developing lines and wrinkles. So making sure you limit exposure where you can by sitting in the shade and protecting yourself with sunscreen will limit the chances of premature aging.
Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Sleep is the time when the body repairs itself from damage, including the skin, so poor sleep quality can accelerate skin aging. Making sure you get a good night’s sleep regularly can help reduce the formation of lines around the mouth where expressions and tensions are frequent.
Reduce Daily Stress at Work and Home
Chronic stress increases cortisol levels, which in turn damages the skin because it impacts collagen and elastin that keep it looking young and youthful. It is therefore important to try and manage stress levels both professionally and in your personal life if you’re concerned about the formation of wrinkles, as they can also lead to habits such as pursing the lips or clenching the jaw, which can contribute to wrinkle formation.
Opt for Aesthetic Treatments such as Botox
Home remedies and lifestyle changes may help reduce lines around the mouth, but if you want to treat deeper wrinkles, then treatments such as Botox may help. Botox works by relaxing muscles in the face that may have a tight, wrinkled appearance, such as in the lip and upper lip area.
