Dr Bhavin Garara
Home
CryosurgeryElectrosurgeryFat GraftingSkin Surgery
AcneAcne ScarsScars and KeloidsRosaceaPigmentation - MelasmaSun Damage and Age SpotsHair LossExcessive Sweating - Hyperhidrosis
Skin Consultation and AnalysisSmoothing Lines and WrinklesFacial Volume and ContouringSkin Rejuvenation and TighteningImproving PigmentationHands, Neck and DécolletageRemoving Lumps and BumpsExcessive SweatingRegenerative DermatologyBody TreatmentsStretch MarksUltrasound-Guided Filler Dissolving
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)Autologous Platelet-Derived ExosomesAdipose-Derived Stem CellsPolynucleotidesJulaineJoint and Soft Tissue Injury
The ReverieOur Devices and ProductsClinical Research
Contact UsUHai — Analyse My Skin
Chat with us on WhatsAppBook a Consultation
Ageing Lips

Ageing Lips

Ageing lips lose hydration, definition, and natural volume over time — the vermilion border softens, the upper lip rolls slightly inwards, and the colour of the lip can fade. A thoughtful combination of hydrating skinboosters, regenerative skin treatments, very small amounts of soft hyaluronic acid where it is genuinely indicated, and — in selected cases — a careful “lip flip” with muscle-relaxing injections can restore a healthier, more rested-looking lip. The aim is never an overfilled or altered shape; it is to look like your own lips at their healthiest.

Medically reviewed by Dr Bhavin Garara, GMC 7155707 · Last reviewed: 27 April 2026

On this page
What it is

What Are Ageing Lips?

Book a Consultation

The lips are made up of three distinct zones: the vermilion (the coloured part of the lip), the white roll or vermilion border (the sharper line where the lip meets the skin around it), and the lip body, which sits over the orbicularis oris — the circular muscle that surrounds the mouth.

With age, all three zones change. The skin around the lips becomes thinner. The vermilion border softens and becomes less distinct. The lip body deflates slightly as the natural hyaluronic acid and elastin in the tissue decline. The upper lip tends to lengthen and roll inward, so it looks thinner and shows less of the natural vermilion. The colour of the lip can fade as blood-vessel density and circulation in the area reduce.

Dr Bhavin Garara’s approach to ageing lips is restorative rather than corrective. The aim is to support hydration and skin quality first, redefine the natural lip structure carefully where it has softened, and use filler only where it is genuinely indicated — never to add volume for its own sake.

Where it shows

Signs of Ageing Lips

Lip ageing rarely appears as a single change. Most people notice a combination of the following.

  • A softer, less defined vermilion border

    The sharp line where your lip meets the surrounding skin gradually fades, which can make lipstick “bleed” and the lip outline look less crisp.

  • Inversion of the upper lip

    As skin around the mouth thins and the lip deflates, the upper lip rolls inwards slightly. The result is a lip that looks thinner and longer, with less of the coloured vermilion visible at rest.

  • Loss of hydration and colour

    Reduced natural hyaluronic acid means the lip holds less water and feels drier. Reduced blood supply means the natural pink colour of the lip tends to fade.

  • Fine vertical lines above and below the lip

    These are barcode lip lines / perioral lines — they often appear alongside lip ageing. They are a related but distinct concern; you can read more on our barcode lip lines page.

What causes it

What Causes Ageing Lips?

Lip ageing develops from a combination of natural biology, environmental factors, and lifestyle.

  1. 1

    Decline in collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid

    As we age, fibroblasts — the cells that produce collagen and elastin — become less active. The skin around the lips becomes thinner and less elastic, and the lip tissue itself holds less water. These changes are universal and gradual.

  2. 2

    Sun exposure

    The lips and the skin around them are highly exposed to ultraviolet light and are often missed when SPF is applied. UV light breaks down collagen and elastin in this area and accelerates the visible signs of lip ageing — fine lines, fading colour, and changes in texture.

  3. 3

    Repeated muscle movement

    The muscle around the mouth contracts thousands of times a day with speech, eating, drinking, kissing, and expression. Over many years, repeated contraction folds the skin of the lip and the skin around it, contributing to fine lines and the inward rolling of the upper lip.

  4. 4

    Smoking and other lifestyle factors

    Smoking damages collagen and the small blood vessels that supply the lips, both of which accelerate lip ageing. Dehydration, poor sleep, and habits such as repeated lip-licking can also contribute. None of these are causes you have to feel blamed for; they are simply factors that can be modified if you want to.

Dr Bhavin Garara
Dr Bhavin Garara, MBBS, BMedSci, PGDip
Book a Consultation
Dr Garara's approach

How Dr Bhavin Garara Treats Ageing Lips

The lips are central to how a face moves and how it is perceived, so this area benefits from a particularly careful and conservative approach. The clinic’s first principle is that good lip treatment looks like nothing has been done.

At the clinics in London, Dr Garara assesses at consultation the hydration and quality of the lip tissue itself, the definition of your vermilion border, the proportions of your upper and lower lip, how your lips move when you smile and speak, and how the lips relate to the rest of your lower face.

From this, he designs a plan that usually starts with hydration and skin-quality treatments, considers careful redefinition with very small amounts of soft hyaluronic acid filler where it is genuinely indicated, and uses a lip flip with muscle-relaxing injections only in selected cases — for example where the upper lip rolls inwards visibly when you smile. Specific product choice is determined at consultation.

  • Anatomy-led assessmentTreatment plans built around your unique facial structure and movement.
  • Personalised planCombinations chosen for your skin, goals, and lifestyle — not a one-size-fits-all protocol.
  • Natural resultsA refreshed, well-rested version of you — never a frozen or over-treated look.

Prevention

How to Care for Ageing Lips at Home

A few small habits make a meaningful difference to the health and appearance of the lips over time.

Prevention

Features

Treatment Options for Ageing Lips

Hydration- and regenerative-first; filler used only where genuinely indicated, in small amounts.

Multi-ingredient skinboosters and bio-revitalisers

Multi-ingredient skinboosters and bio-revitalisers

Profhilo, Jalupro Hydromax, Sunekos, NCTF, klardie — supporting hydration, skin quality, and natural lip colour without adding volume.

Polynucleotides and PDRN

Polynucleotides and PDRN

Polynucleotides (e.g. Rejuran®) and PDRN support fibroblast activity and tissue repair in the lip and surrounding skin. Not fillers; no added volume.

See Polynucleotides →
Platelet-derived exosomes and PRP

Platelet-derived exosomes and PRP

Autologous treatments from the patient’s own platelets, used to support lip and perioral skin quality where the tissue has lost repair capacity.

See PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) →
Hyaluronic acid dermal fillers (used selectively)

Hyaluronic acid dermal fillers (used selectively)

Very small amounts of soft, flexible HA — used selectively to restore definition and natural lip shape. Not to add volume for its own sake. Reversible.

Prescription muscle-relaxing injections (the “lip flip”)

Prescription muscle-relaxing injections (the “lip flip”)

Where the upper lip rolls inwards visibly when smiling, micro-doses along the upper-lip border can let the lip gently evert. Off-licence use.

We use a range of treatments depending on whether the main concern is hydration, definition, volume, or upper-lip inversion. Most patients benefit from a thoughtful combination — and the clinic’s preference is regenerative- and hydration-first, reserving filler for specific indications.

Multi-ingredient skinboosters and bio-revitalisers

  • Best for: Dry, fading, deflated lips needing hydration without volume
  • Downtime: 1–2 days of small bumps or mild swelling
  • Lasts: Around 6–9 months with a course

For lips that are dry, fading in colour, and showing fine surface change but do not need volume, multi-ingredient skinboosters can be carefully placed into the lip body and the surrounding skin to support hydration and tissue quality. The category includes Profhilo, Jalupro Hydromax, Sunekos, NCTF, and klardie — all of which combine hyaluronic acid with amino acids, peptides, vitamins, or DNA-derived components. They support hydration, the skin barrier, and the natural pink colour of the lip without adding volume or changing the lip shape. A short course of 2–3 sessions a few weeks apart, with occasional maintenance, is typical.

Polynucleotides and PDRN

  • Best for: Thin lip tissue and surrounding skin showing early ageing
  • Downtime: Small bumps for 24–48 hours
  • Lasts: Around 6–12 months with a course

Polynucleotides (PN) are long-chain, highly purified DNA fragments derived from wild salmon (Oncorhynchus keta). Injected superficially into the lip tissue and the surrounding skin, they are understood to act as a “repair signal” — supporting your fibroblasts to produce more collagen and elastin, helping the tissue hold moisture, and gradually improving its thickness and resilience. They are not fillers and do not add volume. A widely-used brand example in the UK is Rejuran®, a CE-marked Class III medical device made by PharmaResearch using their patented DOT™ (DNA Optimizing Technology) process. PDRN (polydeoxyribonucleotide) is a related compound with shorter chain length, used mainly to support the skin’s repair processes. Treatment is typically a course of three sessions about a month apart.

Platelet-derived exosomes and PRP

  • Best for: Sun-damaged or ageing lip tissue lacking repair capacity
  • Downtime: 1–3 days of mild swelling or redness
  • Lasts: Variable; benefits build over a course

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) is prepared by taking a small sample of your own blood and concentrating the platelets, which carry growth factors that signal nearby cells to repair and regenerate. Platelet-derived exosomes are a distinct treatment from PRP, though also derived from the patient’s own platelets — they are tiny extracellular vesicles that carry signalling molecules, and like PRP they are autologous and may be administered by injection. Both can support the quality of the lip tissue and the surrounding skin, particularly where the tissue has lost its repair capacity. PRP and platelet-derived exosomes are not the same as “advanced PRP” — they are distinct treatments with different mechanisms, and Dr Garara will discuss which is appropriate at consultation.

Hyaluronic acid dermal fillers (used selectively)

  • Best for: Softened vermilion border, flattened Cupid’s bow, genuine lip deflation
  • Downtime: 1–3 days of possible swelling or bruising
  • Lasts: Around 6–12 months in this area

Where the upper-lip vermilion border has softened, the Cupid’s bow has flattened, or there is genuine deflation of the lip body, very small amounts of soft, flexible hyaluronic acid (HA) filler can restore definition and a healthier shape. The clinic’s approach in this area is conservative: filler is used only where it is genuinely indicated, in small volumes, with the aim of restoring your natural lip rather than adding artificial volume. Dr Garara works with the softest filler formulations specifically suited to the highly mobile lip area.

Hyaluronic acid filler is reversible — it can be dissolved using an enzyme called hyaluronidase. If you are considering correcting or reversing previous filler, or want to understand more about how filler can be safely removed, see our page on filler removal and dissolving.

See our page on filler removal and dissolving.

Prescription muscle-relaxing injections (the “lip flip”)

  • Best for: Upper lip that rolls inward and disappears when smiling
  • Downtime: Minimal — brief pinpoint redness
  • Lasts: Around 2–3 months

If your upper lip rolls inward visibly when you smile — disappearing or thinning out — small doses of prescription muscle-relaxing injections placed along the upper-lip border can soften the muscle activity that pulls the lip inwards, allowing the lip to gently evert and show more of its natural vermilion. This is called a “lip flip.” It does not add volume; it changes how your existing lip behaves.

Prescription muscle-relaxing injections work by temporarily reducing the activity of specific muscles, so the skin above them stops folding with each movement. The active ingredient is botulinum toxin type A, a purified protein delivered in very small, precisely placed doses. These are prescription-only medicines in the UK, which means they can only be prescribed and administered by a qualified medical prescriber following a face-to-face consultation. Whether this treatment is suitable for you, and what specific product or dose would be used, is something Dr Garara will discuss with you at consultation. It is not suitable for everyone.

This use of botulinum toxin is what’s known as “off-licence” — established, lawful practice in qualified medical hands, but not specifically licensed by UK regulators for this particular indication. Dr Garara will explain this fully at consultation, including why he considers it appropriate for your case, and will obtain your informed consent before any treatment.

Dosing in this area is particularly conservative. Too much can affect speech, drinking from a straw, or the natural smile — which is why micro-dosing and careful placement matter.

Considering treatment for ageing lips?

Book a consultation with Dr Bhavin Garara to discuss which combination of treatments would suit your lips and your goals.

Book a Consultation
Compare at a glance

Treatments at a Glance

Multi-ingredient skinboosters

Best suited for
Dry, fading, deflated lips needing hydration without volume
Typical downtime
1–2 days of small bumps or mild swelling
How long results last
Around 6–9 months with a course
What it does
Supports hydration, skin quality, and natural lip colour

Polynucleotides and PDRN

Best suited for
Thin lip tissue and surrounding skin showing early ageing
Typical downtime
Small bumps for 24–48 hours
How long results last
Around 6–12 months with a course
What it does
Supports the skin’s own collagen production and repair

PRP and platelet-derived exosomes

Best suited for
Sun-damaged or ageing lip tissue lacking repair capacity
Typical downtime
1–3 days of mild swelling or redness
How long results last
Variable; benefits build over a course
What it does
Uses your own biology to support tissue repair

Hyaluronic acid filler (selective use)

Best suited for
Softened vermilion border, flattened Cupid’s bow, genuine lip deflation
Typical downtime
1–3 days of possible swelling or bruising
How long results last
Around 6–12 months in this area
What it does
Restores definition and natural lip shape (does not add artificial volume)

Lip flip (muscle-relaxing injections)

Best suited for
Upper lip that rolls inward and disappears when smiling
Typical downtime
Minimal — brief pinpoint redness
How long results last
Around 2–3 months
What it does
Softens the muscle so the lip can show more of its natural vermilion

Downtime and duration figures are typical averages only. Individual results vary considerably depending on skin type, age, lifestyle, the specific product used, and how your body responds. Dr Garara will give you a more personalised picture at consultation.

Safety & risk

Is Lip Treatment Safe?

Lip treatments are widely performed and generally well tolerated, but the lip area is supplied by branches of the facial artery — particularly the superior and inferior labial arteries that run close to the lip border. Any injection here, particularly with dermal filler, carries a small but recognised risk of vascular complications, which in rare cases can include skin necrosis. In very rare cases, retrograde flow through the facial vascular network can affect more distant areas.

We share this not to alarm you, but because patients deserve full information to make a confident decision. It is also the reason this area should only be treated by an experienced medical practitioner who understands the anatomy, uses safe technique, and is equipped to manage complications immediately if they arise — including the immediate availability of hyaluronidase to reverse hyaluronic acid filler. Dr Garara is always happy to discuss the specific risks of any treatment, and the safety protocols he follows, in detail at your consultation.

A more common, much less serious consideration with muscle-relaxing injections in this area is the risk of affecting speech or the natural smile if the dose is too high. This is a question of careful, conservative dosing.

  • Qualified medical practitionerTreatment carried out by an experienced doctor with detailed anatomical training.
  • Reversal agents on handHyaluronidase and other complication-management tools are immediately available.
  • Full informed consentRisks, alternatives, and expected outcomes discussed in detail before any treatment.
Dr Bhavin Garara
Reviewed byDr Bhavin Garara

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about ageing lip treatment.

Read next

Related Concerns

Lip ageing often appears alongside other signs of perioral and lower-face ageing. You may also want to read about:

Barcode lip linesSmile lines and foldsDrooping mouth and marionette linesGummy smileFiller removal and dissolving
← All face concerns

For an overview of all the facial concerns we treat, visit our Face treatments hub.

Next step

Ready to take the next step?

Book a consultation with Dr Bhavin Garara for a personalised assessment and treatment plan for your lips.

Book a Consultation
Consultation

Begin with a proper assessment.

Tell us a little about what you're looking for and we'll match you with the right consultation — at the clinic or virtually.

  • Your enquiry goes directly to Dr Bhavin's team.
  • We'll be in touch within one working day.
  • All consultations are strictly confidential.

This page is for general information and does not constitute medical advice. All treatments require a personal consultation. Suitability, risks, and expected outcomes will be discussed with you in detail before any treatment is carried out.