It may be the ultimate experience of drinking a crisp, fizzy drink through a straw. Maybe it’s the rise of Stanley Cups or the supremacy of cold brew even in the winter months. Whatever it is, straws have evolved beyond single-use plastic straw man argument for environmental personal responsibility to much more.
There are paper straws, glass straws, metal straws and durable, reusable plastic straws. Many come with their own silicone accessories, cleaning systems and custom carrying cases.
Our endless enthusiasm for drinking things through narrow tubes has spawned many innovations in the straw market. It has also created a new anxiety: lip wrinkles.
Traditional straws force sippers to purse their lips around the opening in an expression that many believe, over time, creates wrinkles around your lips, called perioral lines.
Enter the anti-wrinkle straw, shaped like the number 7, with a small hole in the top horizontal part that allows users to drink without tightening their lips.
The straws work, “in theory,” said Jenny Liu, a board-certified dermatologist and assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Minnesota Medical School. However, he noted that there are no “studies to support this”.
“The way the opening is designed, it allows one to drink from a straw but not have to use the muscles around the lips as easily compared to traditional straws,” Dr Liu said. Because there is less repetitive contraction of these muscles when using an “anti-wrinkle” straw, perioral lines are less likely to form.
“But, again, this is all theoretical,” Dr. Liu said. “Lip wrinkles don’t just come from repetitive motions. Genetics, sun damage and other factors such as occupation – such as musicians, who play with their mouths – can all affect the likelihood of lip wrinkles.”
Frequency of use also factors into the equation
“For someone who doesn’t normally use a straw to drink but has lip lines, using an anti-wrinkle straw isn’t going to be very helpful,” he continued, “so it’s really a misnomer.”
The lack of peer-reviewed studies hasn’t stopped aesthetic-minded TikToking straw enthusiasts from making anti-wrinkle straws the new thing.
In a video that has received more than 1.6 million views on TikTok — and even more on X — aesthetician and online influencer Michaela Scott raved about the product.
“This straw is an anti-wrinkle straw, so you don’t tighten your lips as much when you drink from it sideways like that,” he said in the video posted last week.
Wellness and beauty influencer Lauren Erro claimed it “may be the best anti-aging invention ever.”
“They always say straws make your mouth pucker, but this straw literally tries to prevent that,” he said on a recent TikTok.
Some commentators were less than impressed with the invention.
“This is such a tiring way to live,” one commenter said.
“Just use a straw bro,” replied another.
Whether it’s a fleeting trend or not, straws are part of a burgeoning market on e-commerce sites. The most popular anti-wrinkle straw – Lipzi – has been bought by tens of thousands of people, according to its inventor, Tim McManaman.
Mr. McManaman, 58, lives in Normal, Ill., and works in procurement for a large financial services firm. In his spare time, he likes to invent and patent original ideas. An avid Diet Coke drinker, he got the idea for Lipzi when he caught a glimpse of himself in the rear view drinking from a straw and noticed how many wrinkles formed around his lips when he drank.
When he presented the prototype to his wife and four young adult children, they were uncharacteristically excited about the invention. “I brought this straw to the kitchen table and my wife’s first reaction was, ‘OK, this idea might actually work,'” he said in an interview.
As she transitions from side gig to profitable family business, Lipzi has begun supplying wholesale spas in the Midwest. and Mr. McManaman said it recently received patent approval, which could help minimize sellers on Amazon.
His daughter Grace is helping him build the brand on social media, and his son TJ, a senior in college, hopes to join the business after graduation.
Mr McManaman added that he personally doesn’t care too much about lip wrinkles.
“But there are a lot of people who do,” he said. “There are a lot of people who take it very seriously.”
