Mabrie Facial Institute
166 Geary Street
Floor 1300
San Francisco, CA 94108
Phone: (415) 445-9513
Text/SMS: (866) 618-9459
Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
If you’re looking for the best way to get rid of lip lines (smoker’s lines) or wrinkles, you’ve probably already done some research, and found hundreds of products and treatments that promise smooth, supple lips. It can be confusing, frustrating, and expensive to try them all in an attempt to find something that works for you.
Unfortunately, no at-home treatment or online purchase can provide a permanent solution to lip lines and wrinkles. But there are reliable, long-lasting options and this page will help you sort through your choices and understand why your best bet for real results is lip injections with fillers.
Lip Filler Before and After
At MFI in San Francisco, lip fillers are administered conservatively, for a look that is polished, attractive, and never fake-looking. See for yourself.
| The Issue | The MFI Solution |
|---|---|
| Lip wrinkles | Lip Fillers for Subtle Wrinkle Smoothing |
| “Smokers lines”/vertical lip lines | Lip Fillers for Subtle Wrinkle Smoothing; BOTOX® |
Filler Alternatives for Smooth Lips?
Everyone wants smooth, fresh-looking lips, and that means big business for the makers of products that claim to produce results that are “as good as lip injections.” That tempting promise might explain why so many people are willing to spend their time and money on these ineffective “treatments” for lip lines and wrinkles:
- Stick-on patches
- Serums and creams
- Harsh exfoliants and scrubs
- Irritating “lip plumpers”
- Home remedies using cinnamon and peppermint oil
If you have tried any of these, you already know that they don’t get rid of lip wrinkles or smoker’s lines. They can provide momentary plumping or smoothing, but that’s hardly worth the effort, expense, and even discomfort involved. To understand why you can skip these other options, let’s look at what causes lip wrinkling and lines around the mouth.
What Causes Lip Wrinkles?
As we age, fat, collagen, elastin, and muscle mass diminish, causing the lips and the tissues around the mouth to lose volume and structure. In the case of vertical lip lines (also called smoker’s lines or “lipstick bleed lines”) repeated pursing or puckering of the lips etches the lines into the areas above and below the lip border. Genetics and environmental factors like smoking and sun exposure can influence how early in life you start to see these changes.
Since the problem is more than skin deep, a surface-level “solution” like a cream, patch, or irritant can’t produce real, lasting results. Lip wrinkles and lines are smoothed from underneath the skin.
The Best Way To Get Rid of Lip Wrinkles & Smoker’s Lines: Lip Filler Injections
Since volume loss is what causes smoker’s lines and lip wrinkles, volume replenishment is the best solution. At MFI in San Francisco, we specialize in what we call the “San Francisco aesthetic” for our lip filler patients. This means your results will be subtle, natural, and polished. And since we layer lip fillers cautiously over two appointments, you’ll never have overfilled lips.
Lip Wrinkles
To give your lips back a smoother, more youthful finish, we use products like JUVÉDERM® VOLBELLA XC and Restylane® which are specially formulated just for the lips using smaller, smoother hyaluronic acid molecules. These add soft volume that looks and feels natural and lasts for 6 to 12 months.
Smoker’s Lines
Restylane Kysse is an exciting newer filler developed with XpresHAn technology, meaning it integrates into the skin for more natural expression and motion. Designed for use in the lips and lines around the upper lips, studies show Restylane Kysse results last up to 1 year. In some cases, we add neuromodulators such as BOTOX® to decrease wrinkles and reduce pursing or tension in this area.
Lip wrinkles and lip lines are typically addressed as part of our Lip Fillers for Subtle Wrinkle Smoothing procedure.
Do Lip Injections Hurt? Not at MFI!
The lips are a delicate area, and we understand that you might be scared about lip injections. Let us put your mind at ease.
At MFI, we use a flexible microcannula during your treatment, which enhances your comfort, safety, and results. We also numb the area with local anesthetics prior to injection, and the Restylane and JUVÉDERM fillers that we use all contain lidocaine—a local anesthetic.
If you’re especially nervous about lip injections, we also offer Nitronox™, a system that allows you to self-administer nitrous oxide or “laughing gas” to help ease your anxiety and discomfort.
Learn More About Dermal FillersThe MFI Advantage
MFI focuses exclusively on injectables, and has set the bar in the art and science of fillers for more than 15 years. Dr. Mabrie, trained as a facial plastic surgeon, has dedicated thousands of hours to carefully selecting and training our talented Injectors in the most innovative, effective, and safe techniques for injectables. There is no other practice in the Bay Area with the level of experience, education, and passion for injectables you'll find at MFI.
Schedule MeWe’d Love To See You
If you are interested in learning more about lip filler injections, request a consultation online and ask for Lip Fillers for Subtle Wrinkle Smoothing. Or you can call us at (415) 445-9513 to schedule your appointment with one of our highly trained specialists. If you’ll be visiting us from outside the area, our Fly in for Your Procedure page was created just for you to help make planning your trip as smooth as possible.
