TikTok is obsessed with 'anti-wrinkle' straws, so we asked 2 dermatologists if they actually work

• TikTokers have been divided over "anti-wrinkle" straws.
• Frequent straw-sipping or smoking cigarettes can cause wrinkles around the mouth.

When it comes to anti-aging, there are some common concerns. People can feel self-conscious about forehead wrinkles or might wear extra sunscreen to prevent fine lines and dark spots.

But TikTok's latest anti-wrinkle obsession — and the proposed solution — has people torn.

Due to the popularity of reusable bottles with built-in straws, some people have pointed out that repeated sipping through Stanley tumblers can cause mouth wrinkles. To offset any future lip creases, some TikTokers suggest using "anti-wrinkle" straws that allegedly work by reducing the puckering motion required to sip through a traditional straw.

While some see the straw as a quirky and simple swap, others are more skeptical and see the whole thing as a scam.

Frequent lip pursing can cause mouth wrinkles

Like with other wrinkles, repetitive motions in the same spot will cause creases over time. "Lines around the mouth, known as smoker's lines, develop from chronic pursing of the lips," said Dr. Joshua Zeichner, Associate Professor, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Director of Cosmetic and Clinical Research, Department of Dermatology, Mount Sinai Hospital, who said they can also develop from using straws.

Dr. Cameron Rokhsar, a board-certified dermatologist and an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital, agreed that frequent straw usage can cause wrinkles — but said that smoking is still by far the more wrinkle-inducing habit, due to the mouth pursing and nicotine can contribute to premature aging.

Lip lines are also some of the hardest wrinkles to get rid of

Concern over mouth wrinkles isn't completely unfounded, as they can be more difficult to fade than forehead lines.

While Botox is an option, Rokhsar said doctors have to use "very small doses because we still need to maintain the pursing action of the orbicularis oris muscle, otherwise you won't be able to talk properly." The muscle is also crucial for eating.

When it comes to his patients, Rokhsar usually fills in the lines with fillers or ablative laser resurfacing, which is a common procedure to reduce lines and scars. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the latter treatment costs around $2,500 on average.

You'd have to suck the fun out of life to avoid mouth wrinkles

With all that said, mouth wrinkles aren't really avoidable in the long run.

"Sucking on a straw, whistling is bad," said Rokhsar, starting to crack up as he went down the list. "Playing, I guess, the flute is bad. For that matter, any windpipe instrument."

The anti-wrinkle straws themselves — which require cleaning and bringing everywhere with you — are also "not completely foolproof, as there is some folding of the skin around the mouth when using them," said Zeichner.

Then again, if you cut straws out completely, you'd be missing out on their benefits, like preventing teeth staining, according to Zeichner.

Besides, after all that work, you wouldn't be assured that it's worth it: Some on TikTok have pointed out that there's no official research linking straw use to wrinkles and that you'd have to sip on straws constantly to get such drastic lines in the first place.

Others are baffled that adults drink out of straws so dramatically — the simpler solution is to just be gentler with the motion.

But the overarching consensus seems to be that this is just another product marketed to make us feel bad about our body's natural aging process.

"Just know that if you ever see me drinking out of one of those anti-wrinkle straws, I have lost the fucking plot," TikTok user @essiedennis said. "This is what's made me want to age even faster. I wanna be a witch living in a bog by the age of 40 with my wrinkly mouth."