Smoker's lines, smoker's wrinkles, a barcode or pleated skirt are all names for the vertical lines in the skin just above the upper lip. These lines can cause great annoyance for many women because they make you look older than you actually are.

Smoker's lines can be caused by a certain mimicry of the mouth, especially the act of blowing it. Smokers make this movement many dozens of times a day, so this area will be much more marked in them than in nonsmokers. Nicotine in tobacco also has an adverse effect on the skin. This is why these permanent and often perceived as disfiguring wrinkles got their name. However, frequent exposure to sunlight can also have a wrinkling effect.

Non-smokers can also suffer from these wrinkles. In them, there is often a hereditary predisposition, but as with many other wrinkles, aging skin plays a role. If these lines bother you, there are treatments available to reduce or remove them.