How to Reduce Smile Lines | Options That Work

Those creases running from the sides of your nose to the corners of your mouth — nasolabial folds — deepen with age as skin loses collagen and elasticity. The right approach depends on depth, budget, and needle tolerance. From daily habits to in-office procedures, here’s what actually works, in order of how well evidence supports each approach.

What Causes Smile Lines to Form?

Smile lines are normal: every smile or laugh creases the skin, and over the years collagen and elastin break down so creases stop bouncing back. Sun damage accelerates this significantly, as does smoking. Cleveland Clinic notes smoking, tanning, and poor skin care all make aging signs more noticeable. Depth varies with genetics, skin thickness, and sun history.

What Are the Medical Treatments for Smile Lines?

Dermal fillers are the standard, most reliable treatment. The FDA has approved them for adults 22 and older for moderate to severe facial wrinkles, including nasolabial folds. These injectable gels lift the fold from beneath with immediate results.

Common filler materials include hyaluronic acid, polylactic acid, calcium hydroxylapatite, and PMMA microspheres. Hyaluronic acid fillers are most widely used because they’re reversible — an enzyme injection can dissolve them if you’re unhappy.

Duration varies by material:

• Hyaluronic acid fillers: typically last six months to a year
• Poly-L-lactic acid fillers: a PubMed-indexed randomized study found effects lasted up to 25 months after the final treatment

Non-absorbable (permanent) options carry higher risk. The FDA states these are approved only for nasolabial folds and cheek acne scars, and emphasizes weighing complication risk and reversibility carefully before use. Permanent means permanent — there’s no dissolving it.

Do Botox Injections Help Smile Lines?

Botox can help in select cases but isn’t the standard treatment. Botulinum toxin relaxes the muscle contributing to the fold, and Cleveland Clinic lists it among options, noting it may reduce fold appearance for a few months. The catch: Botox is far more common for forehead lines and crow’s feet; relaxing the wrong muscles near nasolabial folds can freeze your smile unnaturally. Most dermatologists reach for filler first and use Botox only as a complement, not a replacement.

Can You Reduce Smile Lines at Home?

Home care won’t erase deep folds but can soften fine ones and slow deepening. Cleveland Clinic’s prevention advice: daily SPF 30+ sunscreen, no smoking, no tanning beds, and a gentle cleanser plus moisturizer at least twice daily. Retinoids (vitamin A derivatives) also stimulate collagen, though results take months. Avoid products that sting or burn unless prescribed, since irritated skin ages faster. Sleeping on your back prevents pillow creasing that contributes to fold depth.

Cleveland Clinic also describes a daily mouth exercise: separate lips slightly, pull mouth corners backward toward your neck with fingers, hold 10 seconds, relax, repeat 10 to 25 times. Evidence for facial exercises is weaker than for fillers or retinoids, but it costs nothing and carries no risk.

Regarding procedures, the FDA regulates fillers as medical devices approved only for labeled indications and age groups. It has not approved liquid silicone or silicone gel for wrinkle filling anywhere in the body — a hard no regardless of clinic claims. For approved uses and risks, see the FDA’s guidance on dermal fillers. Before injectables, a quality cream with retinoids or peptides can help soften fine lines; our tested roundup of creams formulated for smile lines compares what performed well in home trials.

What’s the Realistic Timeline for Results?

Fillers give immediate results — you’ll see the fold lift the day of your appointment. Retinoids and moisturizers take two to three months of consistent daily use before softening is noticeable. Skin-tightening procedures like radiofrequency or laser typically require a series of sessions weeks apart, with gradual improvement over several months.