Lip and mouth-area care at Skin Space in Massapequa
Smooth the lines around your smile: lip line treatment in Massapequa
Fine vertical lines above and below your lips that catch lipstick, make lip liner feather, and seem deeper every time you look in a mirror. At Skin Space in Massapequa, we help clients across Long Island soften lip lines with a careful mix of treatments that smooth the skin while keeping your lips moving naturally.
Also known as smoker's lines, vertical lip lines, lipstick lines, barcode lines and lines around the mouth.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Jimenez, Medical Director. Last reviewed September 2026.
What lip lines are
Not just a smoker's problem.
Lip lines are fine vertical creases that form on and just above the lips. They're often called smoker's lines, but plenty of people who have never smoked get them. Every time you purse your lips, the muscle around your mouth folds the skin vertically, and over the years those folds start to stay.
The skin above the lip is thin and often misses out on sunscreen, so it loses collagen faster than you might expect. Lip lines are usually treated with a combination approach, because they're part movement, part skin quality and sometimes part lost volume.
Fine vertical lines
Shallow lines above the upper lip that show most when you purse your lips.
Etched-in lines
Deeper lines that stay visible at rest and catch lipstick and liner.
Lines with volume loss
Lines that appear alongside thinning lips and a flatter lip border.
If thinner lips are part of the picture, see thin lips and lost lip volume. For lines elsewhere on the face, see fine lines.
What causes it
Pursing, sun and time.
Lip lines form where constant movement meets thin, sun-exposed skin. A few habits speed them up.
- Smoking or vaping, which combines repeated pursing with reduced blood flow and collagen loss.
- Drinking through straws and other habits that purse the lips many times a day.
- Sun exposure, since the upper lip is often missed with sunscreen.
- Natural collagen and volume loss, which thins the lips and the skin above them.
- Genetics and expression, including how much you use your mouth when you talk.
- Dry, chapped lips, which make fine lines look deeper.
Lip line treatments at Skin Space
Your Skin Space provider will combine treatments based on whether your lines come from movement, skin quality or volume loss.
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Microcurrent Eye and Lip
Gentle electrical current applied around the mouth to stimulate the muscles and skin, softening fine lip lines with no needles and no downtime.
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Wrinkle Relaxers
Very small, carefully placed doses that soften the pursing muscle around the mouth, so vertical lines crease less.
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Dermal Filler
A soft hyaluronic acid filler placed finely into etched-in lines, or along the lip border to restore support, smoothing lines and helping stop lipstick from bleeding.
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PRX
A no-needle treatment that improves firmness and skin quality above the lip, softening fine lines without peeling or downtime.
Also used alongside these
- MicroneedlingBuilds collagen in the skin above the lip to soften etched-in lines.
- Laser ResurfacingResurfaces the skin around the mouth for deeper lines, with more downtime.
What to expect at Skin Space
From your first visit in Massapequa to smoother lips.
Consultation
We look at your lip lines at rest and when you pucker, check your lip volume, and ask about cold sores and past lip treatments.
Your plan
Your provider recommends a combination, often starting with a skin treatment or microcurrent and adding wrinkle relaxers or filler if needed.
Treatment
Injectables take less than an hour, with numbing for comfort. Skin treatments are spaced a few weeks apart.
Maintenance
Most clients keep results with touch-ups every few months and good daily care for the lip area.
Caring for the lip area at home
Protect and hydrate the skin most people forget.
- Use a lip balm with SPF and extend your sunscreen up to the lip border.
- Keep lips moisturized, especially overnight and in winter.
- Cut back on straws and other habits that purse your lips repeatedly.
- Quit smoking or vaping if you can. It's the single biggest preventable cause of lip lines.
- Use a lip liner to keep lipstick from bleeding into fine lines while you treat them.
- Protect your skin year-round on Long Island. Summer sun at the beach and on the water is the biggest driver of early lines, and winter wind and dry indoor heat dehydrate skin and make lines more visible. Adjust your routine with the seasons.
When to check with your doctor
A few things to raise before treatment around the mouth.
Tell your provider or check with your doctor if you:
- Get cold sores. Treatments around the mouth can trigger an outbreak, so your doctor may recommend medication beforehand
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding, since wrinkle relaxers and filler aren't recommended
- Have an active cold sore, rash or infection on or near the lips
- Have had permanent filler or implants in your lips
- Play a wind instrument or rely on precise lip movement for work, which affects how wrinkle relaxers are dosed
After any filler treatment, get emergency care right away for severe pain or skin that turns pale or dusky. Every Skin Space consultation includes a review of your health history so we can choose treatments that are safe for you.
Common questions
Are lip lines only caused by smoking?
No. Smoking speeds them up, but sun damage, repeated pursing and natural collagen loss cause lip lines in non-smokers too.
What's the best treatment for lip lines?
Usually a combination. Fine lines often respond to microcurrent or PRX, while deeper lines may need a soft filler or a small dose of wrinkle relaxer. Your provider will tailor the plan.
Will filler make my lips look bigger?
Not when it's used for lines. Fine filler placed into the lines or along the lip border smooths and supports without adding noticeable size.
Can wrinkle relaxers affect how I talk or drink?
Doses for lip lines are very small. Some people notice a slight change when drinking through a straw or whistling for a short time.
I get cold sores. Can I still be treated?
Usually, yes. Let us know at your consultation, as your doctor may recommend antiviral medication before treatment around the mouth.
Where can I get lip lines treated near Massapequa?
Skin Space is a med spa in Massapequa, NY, serving clients from across Long Island. Every plan starts with a consultation so we can look at your lip lines in person.
Reviewed by Dr. Jimenez
Medical Director at Skin Space in Massapequa, NY. This page was reviewed for medical accuracy in September 2026.
