Summer days may be full of rooftop parties, beach trips, and lots of margaritas, but there are a lot of other, less-than-stellar parts of too much fun in the sun. Namely, sunburns — especially if it is on your lips. That area is already exposed to countless factors (more on that below) that could be leading to premature aging, and it goes beyond actually getting older.
So how can you determine your lip age? Well, skin-care brand Dermalogica came up with a handy calculator that helps you find out. For starters, it's so easy to use: All you have to do is upload a selfie to the company website — where it then scans and analyzes the lines, hydration levels, and overall health of your mouth. (Just make sure it's not a lipstick selfie.)
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According to dermatologist Whitney Bowe, M.D., the biggest culprits here are normal things you do every day (like "chewing, smiling, talking, puckering, pouting, sipping through a straw, whistling, and of course, smoking," she told Yahoo Beauty). Plus, if you're at all dehydrated, have had excessive exposure to the sun or pollution, that could also play a factor in the aging of your lips. So in other words... everything?
While some of those problems are easily fixable — like drinking more water — we'd never suggest you stop talking or smiling. Instead, we'd recommend loading up on sunscreen-packed lip balm (then reapplying, and reapplying again....), especially during summer. Luckily for everyone, margaritas taste way better when you drink it straight from the cup.
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