Yep, your lips become less vibrant as you age. Don’t panic, though: It’s totally natural. But if it bothers you, there are some ways you can hold on to the rosy hue. “The mucosal part of your lip is thinner compared to the rest of your skin, as it is made up of fewer layers and also contains many capillaries or tiny blood vessels,” says board-certified dermatologist Marisa Garshick, M.D., FAAD. “Taken together, this accounts for the color of the lips.” Essentially: The skin on your lips is super thin and delicate, which makes the underlying blood vessels more noticeable. Of course, everyone has a different lip pigment: Lips come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, all of them equally stunning and unique. (And for what it’s worth, many people can have two-tone lips as well.) No matter your specific lip color, though, it does tend to be most vibrant when you’re young, fading over time. “As you get older, the lips tend to thin and [face] increased moisture loss, causing the lips to dry out, which may change the overall appearance and color, as having dry skin on the lips can make them appear dull,” says Garshick. Since the colored part of your lips is already so thin (told you that anatomy lesson would come in handy!), you might notice these changes, both in volume and pigment, much quicker. That said, it seems duller lips are only a matter of time. However, a few factors can speed up those pigmentary changes: You may also want to slap on a soothing lip mask, if you so choose; friendly reminder that the skin is more permeable at night8, so applying a mask packed with nourishing actives can help you wake up to baby-smooth lips.
