From fillers to creams, there are plenty of treatments that promise to help prevent wrinkles around the mouth.
Many older women now regret their youthful smoking habit because years of smoking have left them with so-called barcode lines above their upper lips.
And even though Gen Z has turned their backs on smoking, drinking, and other bad behavior, there’s another habit they’ve picked up that’s apparently causing their own lip problems: cups with a built-in straw.
Last year’s breakthrough – and somewhat baffling – trend was the Stanley Cup, a combination thermos and drinking cup for kids. Celebrities and TikTok-crazed 20-somethings embraced the cup and others found it in droves, raving about the fact that it “keeps you hydrated.”
The straw bends sideways and has a hole in the top. As if you were playing a flute in reverse, wrap your lips loosely around it as you suck
It also keeps cold drinks cold and hot drinks hot, which is obviously revolutionary. The sexy part is walking around with it while sipping through the straw.
To prevent straw-induced disasters in the form of what cosmetic doctors call “peri-oral lines” (and to make a quick buck), someone has managed to convince Generation Z – who, according to a study, consume more skin care than anyone else also. other generations – that they should invest in an ‘anti-wrinkle straw’ to keep their pouty lips ‘forever youthful’.
This straw, which can be bought on Amazon in multipacks from various brands from £5 for four, bends sideways and has a hole in the top. As if you were playing a flute, wrap your lips loosely around it as you suck. The idea is that it eliminates the need to excessively purse your mouth around a small tube.
Videos tagged ‘anti-wrinkle straw’ have been viewed more than 600 million times on TikTok, as they delight enthusiastic, especially young, drinkers. One influencer in her 20s calls it, with a typical lack of understatement, “perhaps the best anti-aging invention ever.” So are they planning something?
Ladies, I’m all for taking care of your health and skin to slow down the aging process significantly. I haven’t sunbathed in 30 years, never go to bed without a cleansed face, have a complicated skincare regimen and am committed to exercising and eating my five a day. But I won’t embrace an anti-wrinkle straw.
“What’s next: anti-wrinkle cigarettes?” says cosmetic doctor and skin care expert Dr. Wassim Taktouk, when I explain the straw. ‘What stupid nonsense.
‘Yes, if you purse your lips all your life, lines will eventually form, just like forty years of talking, laughing and expressing yourself. Creating strange duck lips instead of fully puckered lips when using a straw really won’t slow down this process.’
Anti-wrinkle straws start at £5 for four on shopping websites such as Amazon, but skincare experts say claims they can prevent wrinkles are questionable
The appearance of wrinkles, he adds, is mainly caused by collagen loss and cell destruction due to sun damage, a less-than-nutritious diet, and bad habits like smoking (more from inhaling poison than from persistent spouting) and drinks.
Using a daily moisturizer with a high SPF (I like No7 Future Renew Damage Protection Defense Shield SPF50, £24.95) is what’s going to prevent wrinkles for this generation, he says.
He recommends SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic High Potency Triple Antioxidant Treatment, £165, as it is proven to neutralize harmful pollutants, and possibly a skin-regenerating retinol for those approaching their thirties (try Elizabeth Arden Retinol + HPR Ceramide Rapid Skin Renewing Water Cream, £60).
“Those are the building blocks of beautiful skin that will make a difference in the way you age,” he says. “Buying fads won’t do that.”
So that’s something you can take off your beauty shopping list, regardless of your age.