This is just a snapshot of the platform-wide conversation, which dermatologists and estheticians are also joining in on, creating their own video replies about the straws’ long-term effections. This leads us to the big question…
Do straws cause wrinkles?
There are plenty of things TikTok has gotten wrong. (Remember skin taping? Crystal hair removers?) This isn’t one of them. “When you use straws, you’re pursing your lips repeatedly, leading to the appearance of perioral wrinkles earlier,” says board-certified dermatologist Dhaval Bhanusali, MD. He explains that wrinkles typically take years to form, but, depending on how often you’re taking sips, you might see them around your mouth sooner if you’re a straw user than if you weren’t.
Board-certified dermatologist Lily Talakoub, MD, agrees, noting that anything that has you pursing your lips regularly — like a straw — will eventually cause wrinkles over time. She’s noticed some of her long-term patients that using straws day-to-day over a span of five to 15 years will “cause the muscles to create lines.”
Our experts agree that using straws less can effectively prevent the appearance of these lines, but remember, they aren’t the only cause of wrinkles. As board-certified plastic surgeon David Shafer, MD, explains, smoking, intense and repeated sun exposure, and lack of hydration can all speed up the arrival of wrinkles on someone’s face. “Genetics can play a role — daughter looks like mom, mom looks like grandma — as well as anatomy,” he explains. “If there is a lack of underlying skeletal, dental, and soft tissue support to the lower face, the skin is more likely to wrinkle.”
What about that wrinkle-preventing bendy straw?
The only thing people on TikTok love more than inventing new problems is inventing new solutions to them. Case in point: A bendy straw that has its opening along its side (similar to where a flute has its mouthpiece). According to a variety of brands that sell the straws, it was explicitly designed to reduce the pursed-lip position that reportedly contributes to mouth wrinkles.
We hate to break it to you, but this straw won’t be causing any fewer wrinkles than the traditional type (which, luckily, probably also means it won’t be causing any more either). Dr. Talakoub, explains that anything that requires your lips to wrap around it like a seal can cause wrinkles. “Not only are you sealing your lips over it’s opening, but you’re sucking through it,” Dr. Talakoub says.
So should I ditch my Stanley for good?
You heard it here folks — keep your Stanley Quencher. You’re definitely going to get wrinkles even if you never use a straw again, so why not keep enjoying this $45 tumbler that’s bringing you joy?