Smoker’s lines occur as we grow older and the lip naturally starts to lose its volume, along with repetitive bunching of the tissue from muscle movement.

These vertical lines appear just above the mouth and actually occur in non-smokers as well. Even if you never smoked in your life, you can develop fine lines around the mouth from sipping through a straw, whistling a tune or pursing your lips in frustration.

But if you are a smoker these lip lines are formed in 2 ways:

The toxins in cigarettes accelerate the breakdown of collagen and elastin, two proteins that give structure and bounce to our skin.

The repeated action of pursing your lips and sucking through a cigarette gives way to the formation of dynamic lines—that is, the wrinkles that develop when we repeatedly make certain facial expressions.

As well as natural ageing, the effects of sun exposure can also develop and increase the lines around the lips. Since the lips often go unprotected, they’re more susceptible to developing fine lines and wrinkles.