Imagine trying to eat, kiss, whistle, speak, smile or take a selfie with lips. Funny, right? Needless to say, if we had to choose between a pair of lips or a finger, the finger would go.
Speaking of which, did you know that our lips are 100 times more sensitive than our fingertips. They also have about a million nerve endings but no sweat glands. Sweating assists in moisturising the skin, so lips are more likely to dry out given the absence of sweat glands. Daily care is therefore essential to keep lips totally kissable.
Care and protect
1. Avoid licking your lips as saliva will dry the skin, and resist picking dry skin as you will hurt yourself.
2. Exfoliate: Use a soft-bristled kiddies’ toothbrush, and exfoliate gently with a mixture of petroleum jelly and sugar.
3. Moisturise: Apply an eye cream, lip balm or coconut oil to soften and moisturise your lips.
4. Hydrate: Drink water and eat foods rich in essential fatty acids to keep your skin and lips well hydrated.
5. Protect: Lips do not contain melanin; the skin’s natural sun defence. Apply an SPF even in winter or on cloudy days to prevent sun damage from UV rays.
You may also be interested to know that our lips have a unique identity much like fingerprints. Sadly, unlike the swirls on our fingers which stay the same all through our lives, lips change shape and wrinkle further we age.
Fight the age
6. Volume loss and lines around the lips are one of the first signs of ageing with early signs prevalent in smokers, those with pale skin and exposure to UV rays. Serums which contain hyaluronic acid and collagen will increase moisture retention and plump thinning lips.
7. Laser treatments like our Clear + Brilliant, will soften fine lines and wrinkles around the lip area to offer a fuller, plumper lip appearance.
8. The border of our lips, known as the white roll, loses definition as we age. Collagen is our greatest ally to plump, hydrate and smooth. Apply a topical balm like our Dermalogica Nightly Lip Treatment which works while we sleep and our skin is most receptive to regeneration. Injectibles by an esthetician aren’t only for Angelina Jolie-style lips. Conservative treatments will maintain lip definition and a more youthful appearance.
9. Microcurrent facials combined with hyaluronic acid and peptide products will aid collagen production for plump, smooth, fuller looking lips. Read about our bt-nano anti-ageing facial here.
10: Smile! It’s sexy, and nothing is more attractive or beautiful than a happy face, wrinkles and all.