Smile lines at 20 are almost always normal. Those creases running from the sides of your nose to the corners of your mouth, called nasolabial folds, exist in virtually everyone. They’re a natural feature created by the boundary between your cheek and upper lip. In your 20s, they typically show up when you smile or laugh and fade when your face relaxes. That’s not a sign of aging; it’s just how your face moves.
So why do some 20-year-olds notice them more than others? It comes down to a mix of facial structure, skin characteristics, and a few controllable habits.
Facial Structure Matters More Than Age
Nasolabial folds aren’t wrinkles in the traditional sense. They’re creases formed where two different tissue zones meet: the cheek, with its pad of fat sitting on top of loosely attached skin, and the upper lip area, where skin is tightly bound to the muscle underneath. That structural boundary creates a visible line, especially when you smile. How deep or noticeable that line looks depends heavily on the shape of the bones and fat pads you were born with.
One key factor is the depth of the canine fossa, a small concavity in the upper jawbone just beside your nose. People with a more recessed canine fossa tend to have less fat beneath the fold and more of a hollow look in the cheek area. This creates a step between the fuller fat above the fold and the flatter zone below it, producing what looks like a deep line even though it’s really a contour difference, not a wrinkle. If you have naturally prominent cheeks or a round face shape, the contrast at that boundary can make smile lines more visible at any age.
Genetics also determine your skin thickness, elasticity, and how much collagen you produce. Some people simply have thinner skin in the midface area, which makes underlying structures more apparent. None of this is something you caused or can fully control.
Sun Damage Starts Earlier Than You Think
UV exposure is the single biggest external factor in premature skin aging, and the damage starts well before you can see it. Signs of photodamage can begin in the teens to early 20s, even if the visible effects take years to fully surface. That’s because UV light, particularly UVA rays, penetrates deep into the skin’s lower layers and damages the collagen and elastin fibers that keep skin firm and elastic. This damage accumulates over time at the cellular level before it ever becomes a visible crease.
If you spent your childhood and teens outdoors without consistent sunscreen use, some of that accumulated damage may already be contributing to how your skin creases and recovers. A landmark study found that people who used sunscreen daily showed 24 percent less skin aging over four years compared to those who only used it occasionally. That protective effect held regardless of age, which means starting now still makes a meaningful difference even if past exposure has already occurred.
Habits That Deepen Lines Early
Several everyday factors can make nasolabial folds more noticeable in your 20s:
- Sleep position. Sleeping on your side or stomach presses your face into the pillow for hours each night. The compression, shear, and stress forces acting on facial skin in these positions can create and deepen creases over time. If your smile lines are more prominent on one side, your sleep position is a likely contributor.
- Weight fluctuations. Rapid weight loss reduces subcutaneous fat throughout the body, including the face. Since facial fat plays a major role in smooth, youthful contours, losing it quickly can leave the skin looking deflated or hollow around the cheeks. Slower, more gradual weight loss gives skin time to adjust.
- Smoking and dehydration. Smoking accelerates collagen breakdown and restricts blood flow to the skin. Chronic dehydration makes skin less plump, which emphasizes any existing creases.
- Repetitive expressions. If you have a particularly expressive face, you’re folding skin along the same crease thousands of times a day. Over years, that repeated folding leaves a faint imprint even at rest. This is entirely normal and not something worth trying to suppress.
What Actually Helps at This Age
At 20, the goal isn’t to eliminate smile lines (they’re a permanent feature of facial anatomy) but to keep them from deepening prematurely. The most effective strategy is also the simplest: daily broad-spectrum sunscreen. This one habit does more to slow visible skin aging than any serum or treatment.
Retinoids are the most evidence-backed topical for maintaining skin quality over time. They promote collagen production and improve skin texture. If you’re interested, a low-concentration product (around 0.025% tretinoin or an over-the-counter retinol or adapalene) is a reasonable starting point. The key is to begin with a low dose and increase gradually, using a moisturizer to buffer irritation. People with sensitive skin often tolerate adapalene better than tretinoin.
Keeping skin well-hydrated with a basic moisturizer helps too. Plump, hydrated skin shows creases less than dry, tight skin. You don’t need an elaborate routine. Sunscreen in the morning, a moisturizer, and a retinoid at night covers the essentials.
When Lines Are Structural, Not Skin-Deep
If your smile lines are visible even when your face is completely relaxed and they bother you, it’s worth understanding that the cause may be structural rather than a skin-care issue. A recessed midface, prominent cheek fat pads, or thin skin over the upper lip area can all create the appearance of deep folds that no topical product will meaningfully change. In these cases, the “lines” are really contour shadows created by your bone and fat anatomy.
Some young adults explore injectable fillers to add volume to the hollowed area beside the fold, or small doses of neurotoxins (sometimes called “baby Botox”) to soften dynamic lines. These are temporary treatments, not permanent fixes, and they carry risks. Overuse of neurotoxins over time can cause muscle shrinking, and poorly placed filler can look unnatural. If this is something you’re considering, it’s a decision for a qualified clinician, not a med spa running a discount promotion.
For most 20-year-olds, though, what you’re seeing in the mirror is simply your face doing what faces do. Smile lines that appear when you smile and fade at rest are a feature of normal facial anatomy at every age. Protecting your skin from UV damage, staying hydrated, and using a retinoid if you choose to will keep those lines from setting in permanently for a long time.