4 Best Exercises To Reduce Laugh Lines

Everyone wants to look young for long by getting rid of fine lines and wrinkles, especially those caused by frequent laughter.

There is no question about that. But, do we have any exercises to reduce laugh lines?

Everyone wants to look young for a long time by getting rid of fine lines and wrinkles, especially those caused by frequent laughter. There is no question about that. But, do we have any exercises to reduce laugh lines?

Yes. There are many natural treatments and anti-aging facial exercises that can help reduce the visibility of laugh lines that usually show up on the face. But what are they? How to do them? Read on and find out.

Workout Blueprint: Exercises To Reduce Laugh Lines

• Frequency: Daily
• Benefits: Improve facial blood circulation, clear sinuses, and tone facial muscles.
• Equipment Needed: Mirror
• Space Required: Small area
• Assistance Required: No
• Who Should Avoid: Anyone with facial injuries.

How To Get Rid of Laugh Lines – Top 4 Exercises

Exercise 1: Strengthen The Orbicularis Oris:

1. Using your index fingers, hook the corners of your mouth and gently pull towards the sides.
2. Don’t overdo the stretch; only around ¼ inches.
3. Hold this position for a few seconds. Now work on the opposite side.
4. Draw the corners of your mouth toward each other, resisting the movement using your index fingers again.
5. Relax and repeat the exercise 25 times.

How Does It Work?

The orbicularis oris muscle is quite necessary and helps ensure that the overlying skin is adequately supported to prevent sagging and help with face muscle strengthening.

Fun Fact

The Orbicularis Oris muscles form around the mouth and are often referred to as the kissing muscles as they help pucker up the lips.

Exercise 2: Resistance Smiles:

1. This exercise is also a great cure for preventing laugh lines. Perform the exercise by placing your fingers firmly over your laugh lines.
2. Proceed to smile as widely as you can with your lips separated.
3. Hold this position for five seconds. Relax and repeat the exercise 30 times.

How Does It Work?

This laugh line exercise helps strengthen your cheek muscles and minimizes skin creases. It also helps lift skin, preventing further creases around the mouth. It is categorized under skin-tightening exercises that prevent sagging and improve skin firmness. However, there are more ways to improve overall facial skin firmness that you can opt for, making your skin tight and firm.

Exercise 3: Thumbs Next To Eyes:

1. This exercise has been rated as one of the most effective. According to Carolyn’s Facial Fitness, placing your thumbs near your eye corners, with your fingers resting on the top of your head, helps visibly reduce laugh lines.
2. To perform this exercise, close your eyes and slide your thumbs away from your eyes toward your temples.
3. Hold this position for around 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times.

How Does It Work?

The wrinkle reduction exercise helps draw the corners of your eyes outward, which helps combat the effect that laughing causes; when your cheeks naturally push up and the skin around your eyes wrinkles.

Exercise 4: Cheek Lifts

1. Keep your teeth closed and start to smile.
2. Smile as wide as you can, keeping your lips closed.
3. While smiling, try to lift the corners of your mouth toward your ears.
4. Hold for about 10 seconds.
5. Relax and repeat this exercise 10-20 times.

How Does It Work?

A big, broad smile can help strengthen the muscles around your mouth and reduce the look of laugh lines. Cheek lifts are also said to add volume to the skin around the cheekbones and lift the soft tissues. This may help restore the lost volume and reduce the depth of laugh lines

Apart from these laugh line exercises, there are certain other steps you can take for reducing laugh lines around your mouth.

1. Avoid The Sun:

This is probably one of the best ways to combat the growth of wrinkles and creases around the mouth. When you limit your exposure to the sun; you not only avoid the chance of getting wrinkles and sagging skin but also help in smile line reduction. Wear a hat to avoid sun exposure or use sunscreen (1).

Quick Tip

Use a sunscreen with at least 30 SPF and remember to reapply every 2-3 hours.

2. Antioxidants:

Antioxidants treat all kinds of ailments from cancer to other diseases. They also have many potential benefits for the skin. They are active anti-aging agents, which prevent the growth of wrinkles around the mouth. Antioxidant-rich diets, which consist of vitamin C, along with many fruits and veggies help keep your skin healthy and elastic longer (2).

3. Drink Water:

One of the best ways to prevent wrinkles is drinking lots of water. Water helps hydrate the skin and makes the skin suppler and more elastic. Drinking 8-10 glasses of water every day can make you look younger longer. Drinking water slows the development of fresh wrinkles around your mouth (3).

4. Consuming Omega-3 Fatty Acids:

By consuming omega-3s, you ensure that you will keep looking young for long. This is because fatty fish and fish oil supplements help prevent wrinkle formation and creases around the mouth and upper lips. Fish oil is crammed with omega-3 fatty acids, which decrease skin damage like wrinkles around the eyes, mouth and laugh lines (4).

Olga, a YouTuber, recounts her struggles with laugh lines and points out how facial massage helped her deal with them: “I am a big fan of facial massage. There are few moves you can do to smooth the skin around your lips. I am [also] using Gua Sha, which will help smooth and minimize the expression lines. If you don’t have that tool, you can also use your fingers (i).”

5. Have A Proper Skincare Routine

A well-rounded skincare routine is key to addressing laugh lines and maintaining healthy, youthful skin. You can use products rich in anti-aging ingredients like retinoids, peptides, and hyaluronic acid for this. These ingredients work by boosting collagen production and improving skin elasticity, which helps enhance texture. This helps prevent and reduce the appearance of laugh lines (2).

6. Sleep On Your Back

Your sleeping position plays a significant role in preventing laugh lines and other signs of aging, such as wrinkles. When you sleep on your stomach or side, the pressure from your face pressing against the pillow can gradually lead to the formation of lines and creases over time (5). To minimize this, train yourself to sleep on your back. This position reduces the pressure on your face, helping to maintain smoother, more youthful-looking skin.

Key Takeaways

• Exercising the orbicularis oris or the kissing muscles may help prevent sagging by making sure that the overlying skin is well supported.
• The resistance smiles exercise may strengthen your cheek muscles and helps minimize creases in your skin. It may also give a lifting effect suppressing any creases around the mouth.
• Continuously sliding your thumbs away from the eyes and towards your temples may help lift the corners of your eyes thus combatting any laughing lines.
• Avoiding the sun, staying hydrated, and following a diet rich in antioxidants and fatty acids may also help reduce laugh lines.

Infographic: A Complete Guide To Reducing Laugh Lines

As you age, the skin loses its elasticity, which may result in wrinkles and fine lines. If you are looking for natural ways to slow down the signs of aging around your mouth, you have come to the right place. Check out the infographic below for simple exercises and tips to help reduce the risk of laugh lines.

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Frequently Asked Questions

Can laugh lines be reversed?

No. While it may be possible to reduce laugh lines until a certain age, this is a permanent phenomenon that occurs with age.

Why are my smile lines so deep?

Laugh/smile lines may deepen as a result of aging, weight gain, smoking, collagen loss, and dental issues.

What age do laugh lines appear?

This varies from individual to individual. You may observe laugh lines in your 30s or 40s depending on your genetic disposition, use of facial expressions, or lifestyle habits.

Does weight loss cause laugh lines?

Yes. When you age, you lose fat or connective tissue on your face, causing laugh lines.

Illustration: Best Exercises To Reduce Laugh Lines

Image: Dall·E/StyleCraze Design Team

Smile lines got you down? Get rid of them with this easy facial exercise workout! Learn how to lift and reduce your nasolabial folds and laugh lines in no time by watching this video.

Was this article helpful?

Reviewer Author Editor Fact Checker

David RosalesNSCA-CPT

 

David Rosales is a certified personal trainer, the co-owner of Roman Fitness Systems, and the head editor of prohockeystrength.com, the official website of the NHL strength coaches. He has been in the fitness industry for over five years and has worked with athletes and coaches from beginners to NCAA Division 1 and professional ice hockey.

Read full bio of David Rosales

Jyotsana RaoBeauty & Lifestyle Writer

 

Jyotsana Rao is an engineering graduate from NIT, Nagpur, who discovered her love for writing during her undergraduate days. She is passionate about writing about everything related to beauty - makeup, fashion, hairstyles, skin care, or hair care and has 4 years of experience on writing in these genres.

Read full bio of Jyotsana Rao

Arshiya SyedaCo-Editor-in-Chief

Arshiya Syeda is the Co-Editor-in-Chief of StyleCraze with 8 years of experience. Prior to that, she was a content writer who combined her writing and research skills to write over 200 high-performing articles on hairstyles, hair care, and skin care.

Read full bio of Arshiya Syeda

Himanshi MahajanHealth & Wellness Writer

Himanshi Mahajan is a Certified Health & Nutrition Life Coach. She has a bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences from Guru Nanak Dev University and two years of experience in writing SEO-based and research-backed content across health and lifestyle genres.

Read full bio of Himanshi Mahajan