Do you get wrinkles when you drink from a straw?

20-Minute Interview with Dr. Meli: It's known that smoking gives you wrinkles – but what about when you sip through a straw? A dermatologist reveals why you don't need to worry.

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<p>Do you get wrinkles when you drink from a straw?</p>

Is the myth true?

Sooner or later, time shows its effects and you get the first wrinkles on your face. However, you have a significant influence on how quickly this happens: sun exposure and an unhealthy lifestyle lead to premature skin aging, and smoking cigarettes also has a negative impact. But what happens if you draw on a straw instead of a cigarette? We asked dermatologist Dr. Marianne Meli from the Zurich Dermanence Clinics.

Wrinkles from drinking?

To make it short: Even when drinking through a straw, you risk premature skin aging. "The movement of the mouth compresses the skin, which over time causes wrinkle formation," explains the doctor. However, it must be put into perspective. "The more frequently and longer you make this movement, the higher the likelihood of wrinkle formation. I don't see a big danger when drinking from a straw, as you usually don't drink for long." So if you don't constantly drink with a straw multiple times a day, you don't need to worry.

Conclusion

It is different when you perform the compressed movement regularly and several times a day, as with smoking. That's why the small wrinkles around the mouth are ultimately called smoker's lines. However, even far more harmless activities can cause the effect if you do them long enough and regularly: "Thus, the wrinkles can also arise from playing a wind instrument."

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