Nasolabial folds are the deep wrinkles that run from the sides of your nose to the corners of your mouth. Often called the “parentheses lines” because of their distinctive shape, your face makes these wrinkles naturally when you smile and they’re present even in children when they laugh or smile. As we age, they become permanent and visible no matter what expression you’re making, so it may be time to take action.

These permanent nasolabial folds are often one of the first signs of facial aging. Beverly Hills dermatologists have seen them show up  in your twenties! Although smiling a lot may bring them on faster, there really isn’t any way to prevent them. The major cause of nasolabial folds is from aging.

As we age, collagen and skin elasticity is lost. When skin elasticity is lost, we get sagging. Another contributor to the problem is the descent of the fat pad in the upper part of the cheek. With aging, the fat’s attachment to the underlying cheekbone loosens and weakens. As a result, the fat pad drops, which causes a hollowing in the lower eyelid area and a prominence of the nasolabial fold. In addition, we naturally lose fat from our faces with age. The fat serves a valuable purpose: its volume supports the skin and stretches it taut. Without it, the skin sags like a deflated balloon.  The skin in the face starts to sag as volume is lost.  Here is what you can do.

Fillers – When used on the face, injectable fillers do what their name implies: they plump up surface depressions, furrows, and wrinkles, like the nasolabial folds. While Botox and Dysport are excellent at relaxing overactive muscles in the upper half of the face, making them the perfect choice for smoothing a wrinkled forehead or softening crow’s feet, fillers work well on deep wrinkles. That’s why fillers are an excellent choice to soften the nasolabial folds.

Fillers can also add volume to the upper cheeks to replace lost fat and lift the skin while adding height to the cheekbones. In addition to beautifying the cheeks, adding filler to this area can help alleviate some of the sagging affecting the lower portion of the face.

Of course, fillers have all sorts of other applications. They can be used to add volume to the lips and reverse the “hollow” look that age often brings to the eyes.

Click here to see the many different filler products on the market. Contact The Kopelson Clinic today to schedule your appointment.