Lip lines are fine vertical lines on and around the lips. According to DermNet, fine lines are mainly caused by sun damage and tobacco smoke [1]. Skincare can make them look smoother by keeping lips hydrated, and daily sun protection helps prevent more; deeper lines are a conversation for a dermatologist.
This guide is general information, not medical advice. If you snore loudly, stop breathing or gasp in your sleep, or have a breathing or sleep condition, talk to your doctor before trying mouth tape.
What are lip lines?
Lip lines are the fine, mostly vertical lines on the lips and on the skin just above and below them. Dermatologists call lines around the mouth perioral lines, and you'll also hear them called smoker's lines [1]. Like other facial lines, they come in two kinds: dynamic lines, which only show when you move, and static lines, which stay when your face is at rest. Over time, dynamic lines become static [1].
What causes them
Sun damage and tobacco smoke are the main causes of fine lines, with ageing and repeated movement adding to them [1]. With age, skin loses collagen and elastin, so it is less strong and springy [1]. Smoking makes skin age much faster, and alcohol dries skin out and harms it over time [2]. Repeating the same facial expression for many years can also make the lines it creates permanent [2].
Why hydration changes how they look
Hydrated skin looks smoother, and lips dry out faster than your cheeks. In a study of 303 women, water loss through the lips was almost three times that of the cheek, and surface hydration was about a third [3]. DermNet notes that ageing skin feels and looks better when moisturisers are used regularly [1]. In a 60-day trial on the skin around the eyes, creams with 0.1% hyaluronic acid improved hydration and elasticity compared with a plain cream, and the lower-molecular-weight versions reduced wrinkle depth [4]. Lips weren't tested, but the same principle sits behind hydrating lip care.
Skincare for smoother-looking lip lines
Protect your lips from the sun, keep them hydrated, and be patient.
- SPF lip balm by day. Use a lip balm with SPF 30 or higher outdoors and reapply every two hours [5].
- Gentle, hydrating products. Look for petrolatum, shea butter, ceramides or dimethicone, and avoid lip products that sting or tingle [5].
- Hands off. Licking your lips makes them drier as the saliva evaporates, and picking slows healing [5].
- Hyaluronic acid. It binds water, which is why it's common in lip care [4].
- Retinoids, with advice. Topical retinoids are the exception among anti-ageing ingredients, many of which are unproven [1]. Ask a pharmacist or dermatologist before using them near your lips.
- Overnight lip care. A lip mask, or a gel-lined strip such as our collagen mouth tape, keeps lips hydrated while you sleep; its collagen and hyaluronic acid gel is made for softer, plumper-looking lips and smoother-looking lip lines by morning.
Mouth tape isn't for everyone: skip it with a blocked nose, untreated sleep apnoea, asthma or COPD unless your doctor agrees, an anxiety or panic disorder, after heavy drinking or if you might vomit in your sleep, and never use it on children [6]. pretty sleepy. is a cosmetic product and isn't intended for snoring or sleep apnoea. Read is mouth taping safe? first. Our guide to overnight lip masks vs mouth tape compares the overnight options.
In-clinic options to ask a dermatologist about
For deeper lines, a dermatologist can talk you through fillers, muscle-relaxing injections and resurfacing [1].
- Dermal fillers can lift individual lines and improve the look of a thinning lip [1].
- Botulinum toxin can soften smoker's lines around the lips [1].
- Resurfacing, such as chemical peels and laser, can improve fine lines and static lines but has no effect on dynamic lines [1].
These are medical treatments with their own risks and costs, so start with your GP or a dermatologist.
Lip lines vs smoker's lines
Smoker's lines are lip lines around the mouth; the name comes from smoking, but sun damage and age play a part too [1]. Stopping smoking is one of the American Academy of Dermatology's tips for slowing skin ageing [2]. Sun protection is the other half: DermNet calls lifelong, daily sunscreen on exposed skin the most important step [1]. Whatever the cause, the skincare above is the same.
FAQs
Can you get rid of lip lines completely?
Skincare improves how they look rather than removing them. In-clinic treatments can do more for deeper lines [1].
Why are my lips dry in the morning?
Lip skin has a weaker barrier than your cheeks and loses water almost three times as fast [3]. Dry bedroom air, sleeping with your mouth open and licking your lips add to it, and a bedroom humidifier can help [5]. If cracking or soreness doesn't settle within a few weeks, see a GP or dermatologist.
Will a lip plumper hide lip lines?
A plumping gloss changes how full your lips look for a while. To improve a thinning lip, dermatologists can use fillers [1].
Does hyaluronic acid help lip lines?
It hydrates, and hydrated skin looks smoother. The trial we cite was on skin around the eyes, not lips [4]. See collagen mouth tape explained for what collagen and hyaluronic acid can and can't do, and our mouth tape FAQ for more answers.
pretty sleepy. is a cosmetic lip-care product, not a medical device. If you snore loudly, gasp or stop breathing in your sleep, or have a breathing or sleep condition, talk to your doctor before using any mouth tape.
Sources
- Oakley A. Facial lines and wrinkles. DermNet. https://dermnetnz.org/topics/facial-lines-and-wrinkles
- American Academy of Dermatology. 11 ways to reduce premature skin aging. https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-secrets/anti-aging/reduce-premature-aging-skin
- Kobayashi H, Tagami H. Functional properties of the surface of the vermilion border of the lips are distinct from those of the facial skin. British Journal of Dermatology. 2004;150(3):563-567. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2133.2003.05741.x
- Pavicic T, Gauglitz GG, Lersch P, et al. Efficacy of cream-based novel formulations of hyaluronic acid of different molecular weights in anti-wrinkle treatment. Journal of Drugs in Dermatology. 2011;10(9):990-1000. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22052267/
- American Academy of Dermatology. 7 dermatologists' tips for healing dry, chapped lips. https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-basics/dry/heal-dry-chapped-lips
- Sleep Foundation. Mouth taping for sleep: does it work? Medically reviewed by Anis Rehman, MD. Updated 23 March 2026. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/snoring/mouth-taping-for-sleep