Nasolabial folds are more commonly known as “smile lines” or “laugh lines”. These are the lines that run from the edge of the nose to the corner of the mouth. We see these lines accentuated when smiling because they attach to the upper lip that causes the skin to fold over when we smile. Normally, nasolobial folds show more with age, but you may sometimes see them in younger children. Some people are born with them while others do not develop them until later in life.
Volume loss – As we age there is a natural process of losing the collagen and elastin in our skin. This causes the skin on the face to be less elastic and allows it to sag around the nasolabial folds.
Sun exposure – This speeds up the process of aging your skin. The free radicals produced when UV rays from the sun hit our skin destroy the collagen and elastin, leading to nasal fold lines.
Smoking – Smoking is a pollutant and plays a role in not only the loss of collagen and elastin in the skin but also speeds up the loss of volume in the face.
Loss of fat – As we age, there is a normal pattern of volume loss in the face. This is due partially to loss of fat. Less weight in the face causes the skin to sag, leading to deep smile lines around the mouth and nose.
Reabsorption of bone – Just like in other areas of our bodies, we lose bone in our face and skull as we age. This gives less support to the overlying tissues and can deepen the nasolabial folds.
Quit smoking – Smoking speeds up the aging process and quitting will slow this down.
Sun protection – Protecting the skin by using good quality sunblocks such as EltaMD® will protect from the sun’s damaging rays. Sunblock should be worn daily. Also, wearing a broad brimmed hat and sun avoidance will prevent sun damage.
Weight changes – rapid changes in weight may increase the depth of the nasolabial folds.
Fillers – There are many different choices for fillers, including Restylane®, JUVÉDERM®, Sculptra® and Bellafill®. For less prominent smile lines the area can be filled directly with the filler. Patients with deeper nasolabial folds will likely need to have volume added to the cheek area and the nasolabial folds.
Skin tightening – there are a variety of skin tightening processes available. The difficulty with any skin tightening procedure is that the results will vary. We offer Vivace Microneedling with Radiofrequency to help tighten the skin on the cheek and around the mouth.
Fat transfer – Fat can be moved from one area of the body such as the abdomen or medial thighs, and then injected into the areas of the cheeks and nasolabial folds. PRP (platelet-rich plasma) can improve the survival of the fat once it is transferred. ALMI (Autologous Lipocyte Micronized Injection) is a way of processing fat to add volume to your face and decrease the depth of your nasolabial folds.
Skin resurfacing – laser resurfacing can have some impact on the depth of the nasolabial folds but is not the first choice. Lasers tend not to get enough skin tightening but can decrease the wrinkle from nose to mouth. Lasers include: Sciton Erbium, Ultrapulse ActiveFX, DeepFX and TotalFX.
Surgery – A facelift can significantly improve the depth of the nasal fold lines but often requires the addition of volume to the face in order to achieve the best results.
Smooth the wrinkles from your nose to your mouth with expert treatment at Lazaderm®! We will start the process with a free consultation to discuss your goals and determine the right treatment for addressing your smile lines. Visit our face treatments page to learn about all the wrinkle-reducing procedures we offer.
