Drinking from water bottles can lead to 'water lips'
06:05 PM PDT on Friday, June 6, 2008
Water is considered the world's healthiest drink. Some call it the secret to losing weight and looking young. Others say it can be cure-all for things like dry skin, hair and nails. But one doctor says drinking bottled water could actually be like smoking three packs of cigarettes a day.
Fifty-four-year-old Melissa runs, bikes, competes in triathlons. That's why she needs to keep hydrated.
"I have water bottles on my desk. At work all day, I'm drinking from a bottle. I often run or bike to work, I bike home from work so I usually consume a bottle each way."
So when Melissa started noticing fine lines and wrinkles around her mouth, she was puzzled.
Dermatologist Marilyn Berzin isn't surprised. She's had dozens of women come in with the same concern. It's called "smokers lips" because of the similar pattern of wrinkles found on the faces of long term, heavy smokers. But many of these women have never smoked a day in their life. Instead, they're drinking from water bottles.
"When you're drinking from a water bottle, you're pretty much making the same face as you are when you're smoking a cigarette," said Dr. Marilyn Berzin, dermatologist. "Basically, when you're smoking, you're pursing your lips in this position, and you're getting all the little ridges. Over time you get permanent lines that then remain and stay."
Berzin says she's found that people who consistently drink from water bottles with either sport or straw tops or nozzles will start to develop noticeable smokers lips after about two years. And it's not just older people, she's had patients in their thirties.
"You might be drinking in that position many more times, than if you were smoking two or three packs of cigarettes a day," said Berzin.
She recommends that water drinkers use wide-mouthed bottles or cups. This allows the upper lip to stay relaxed while drinking. If the damage has already been done, there are cosmetic procedures to fix it. Typically doctors will inject a filler in the wrinkles around your lips.
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