How to treat the ageing face
As we age we lose volume in the mid-face. This results in more prominent nasolabial folds, jowls, crow’s feet wrinkles, and general skin laxity. Here we explain the physiology of facial ageing and how we target age-related volume loss to achieve a more youthful appearance.
The Ageing Process
As we age we experience a physiological change in our facial structures. Our facial bones provide support and structure to the face, and facial bone remodeling occurs until our 30s. From our mid-30s we begin to experience bony resorption in several areas, in particular, our jaw and chin, resulting in a less defined jawline and upward-turning chin, our cheek bones, resulting in hollowing of the cheeks, our maxillary bone resulting in deepening nasolabial grooves and lengthening in inwards rolling of the upper lip.
As our bones resorb with age, the fat pads overlying our bone and providing additional facial structuring and volume repositions and changes shape. With loss of bone support, and reduced volume of fat pads due to lack of new fat cell production, our natural facial cushioning move with gravity, resulting in further increase in nasolabial folds and jowls, and prominent under eye and cheek hollowing.
Restoring volume loss with dermal fillers
When we treat signs of ageing we aim to improve skin quality and restore volume. With knowledge of the physiology of ageing and the process of bone resorption, fat pad loss and skin laxity we can target specific areas of the face to achieve a youthful appearance without looking “done”. It is important to treat volume loss in the mid-face prior to smoothing lines such as nasolabial folds to avoid worsening the appearance of a heavy face with excessive skin laxity.
CA: cheek apex; PA: preauricular; J: jaw; NLF: nasolabial folds; C: chin
By adding filler to the cheekbones and preauricular area we restore the classic age-related areas of volume loss, creating a lifting effect. Once we have restored volume to the mid-face region we can target the nasolabial folds. By using a softer filler we restore volume lost along the smile lines.
Age-related loss of the angle of the jaw gives a less defined and structured profile, and creates increased prominence of the jowls. By adding filler to the angle of the jaw and either side of the jowl fat pad we create a more defined profile with a less apparent jowl. A small amount of filler can also be placed in the chin to restore the loss of chin protrusion.
With age our upper lip elongates and our lips curl inward due to loss of bony anchoring. By adding subtle lip filler we can add plumpness and definition to the lips, creating a fuller smile and more proportional side profile.
Improving skin quality with Profhilo
As well as restoring age-related volume loss we focus on improving skin quality. With age our skin’s production of collagen and elastin diminishes, resulting in an increase in fine lines and wrinkles, loss of plumpness and a dull complexion. Profhilo adds deep hydration to the skin by using high concentrations of hyaluronic acid, a naturally-occurring hydrating product, as well as stimulates skin cells to produce collagen and elastin, and adipocytes to produce new fat cells. This increases skin volume and plumpness, providing additional tightening and lifting effects, as well as reducing the appearance of wrinkles. Finally, deep hydration improves complexion and dullness, creating a radiant, glowing, healthy appearance.
