The age game

We reach our peak for pout perfection as teens or as young adults in our 20’s. After that, the lips begin a downward aging spiral, losing collagen, elastin and moisture, leaving you with thinning lips, lines and wrinkles. As our faces age, the structure of the lips can also change: The facial skin begins to lose its firmness and elasticity because of the redistribution of fat cells underneath, resulting in wrinkles and sagging skin.

Full-filling your pout potential

Nothing says younger-looking like a plump pout. Try these easy, breezy tips to achieve pretty lips.

Protect and plump. Don't think your lips are somehow immune to sun exposure; they can suffer from sunburn, too. In fact, excessive exposure has been linked to lip cancer. So, shield your lips from the sun year-round by wearing a broad spectrum lip product. Try Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Plump Perfect Lip Moisture Cream SPF 30; not only does this product provide UVA and UVB protection, but it also creates a fuller-looking lip.

For creamy, luscious lips. Dry and dull lips a problem? Try Kinerase Lip Treatment, which moisturizes lips to prevent dryness and roughness. It also plumps lips to make them look full. Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick gives a hint of sheer color for eight hours of flawless moisture.

Boost the good, battle the bad. Experts recommend products that contain vitamins and antioxidants, because they encourage new collagen development to keep lips full and soft. These ingredients also defend against free radicals, which damage skin cells.

Use a daily treatment like Janson Beckett BeautiFull Lips Lip Plumper that contains shea and cocoa butter, vitamin E and grape seed oil, delivering fuller lips without stinging or irritation.

Beauty lift. For an easy trick to create fuller lips, line slightly outside your natural lip with a lip pencil and color in your lips; then apply lipstick and lip gloss. The shine from the gloss reflects light and creates the illusion of fuller lips.

Smoothing lip lines

Lines and wrinkles are a natural — and frustrating — part of the aging process. But you do have control when it comes to preventing some wrinkling and treating it.

If you're considering a procedure, do your research and talk extensively with a dermatologist. Raise important questions like, "What results and side effects can I expect immediately after the procedure and in the following weeks?" "What are the potential complications?" "Can you show me before and after photos of your clients?" "What's the recovery period like?"

Lifestyle changes. In addition to health problems, smoking also encourages fine lines and wrinkles around the mouth. So, if you want that area to look smooth with minimal wrinkles, curb your habit ASAP. Also, avoid drinking through straws or sports bottles, since puckering your lips adds to lines.

Go topical. You can choose a topical treatment to address the fine lines and wrinkles around your lip area. Decleor Experience De L'Age Eye and Lip Cream helps to diminish lines and wrinkles and firm the skin. By working on the lips and eyes, you also get more bang for your buck with smoother-looking skin and a radiant complexion.

Peel away the lines. Particularly effective for the upper lip, chemical peels differ in type and intensity, providing women with a number of options. Light peels work on surface skincare problems, whereas "The deeper chemical peels literally remove layers of skin — the layers that feature damage from severe acne scarring and pitting, scarring from injuries, photodamage and hyperpigmentation," dermatologist Helen M. Torok, M.D. — medical director, Trillium Creek Dermatology and Surgery Center — tells Dermatology Times.

Lasers: longer-term fix. As an effective exfoliation method, laser resurfacing is another option to smooth upper lip lines. "A laser goes deep into the dermal layers to reactivate collagen production, smoothing out the lines over time," Dr. Paul M. Friedman, M.D. — a clinical assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Texas Medical School — tells Good Housekeeping. Some research suggests CO2 lasers might be especially effective for the upper lip, according to About.

Learn everything you need to know about anti-aging skincare in our Anti-Aging Handbook.