Smile lines, officially known as nasolabial folds, are the wrinkles that form from the base of your nostrils to the corners of your mouth. As their name implies, they develop from the repeated creasing that happens when you smile.
Everyone naturally has smile lines to some degree, even children. But because these are some of the first places fine lines appear, they are also an area of the face where wrinkles can deepen sooner than others.
Seeing aging-related changes when you look in the mirror is jarring. It’s a shame that smile lines, a byproduct of the expression of joy, can lead many to feel insecure as they age.
Luckily, there are cosmetic interventions we can take to reduce the appearance of smile lines.
Here at Dutch Hollow Medical Day Spa in Godfrey, Illinois, we’re passionate about delivering the best results possible to help you feel more confident while continuing to express joy as freely as ever before so you can keep smiling without inhibition.
Before we dive into ways to reduce the appearance of existing smile lines, let’s quickly cover how we can delay them from deepening faster than they have to. In general, prevention is easier than reversal, and you can help your cause with simple changes in your lifestyle habits.
These habits include the boring stuff you’ve probably heard before mind your diet, get regular exercise, avoid smoking and excessive drinking, and implement a consistent skincare routine with daily gentle cleansing, moisturizing, and sun protection factor (SPF) — everyday, no matter the weather.
There are a number of treatments we can opt for to soften and smooth out nasolabial folds. But smile lines can be tricky due to their expressive facial locality and the neighboring arterial pathways under the surface of the skin.
Injectable treatments like dermal fillers and Botox® are the most effective way to treat signs of aging in this area. While the use of Botox is possible, it usually isn’t our first recommendation due to its paralyzing mechanism. But every case varies from patient to patient.
For natural-looking results that still allow you to express your happiness freely, we most commonly recommend dermal fillers as the first line of defense against undesired nasolabial wrinkles.
Dermal fillers are made of a few different materials. For our practice, Dr. Samuel Figueroa has chosen to use hyaluronic acid-based filler from the following brands:
Restylane® offers a range of formulations for different concerns. It combines hyaluronic acid with lidocaine for enhanced comfort during injection. Restylane Lyft is specifically designed to address moderate to severe nasolabial folds, providing volume and lift in this area.
Additionally, Restylane Refyne and Defyne offer natural-looking results with flexibility to accommodate facial movements, ensuring a seamless integration into your smile line region.
Juvederm® is known for its smooth consistency, making it suitable for softening nasolabial folds without adding bulk. Juvederm Ultra and Ultra Plus, two different subtypes of the injection, offer versatility for different degrees of correction.
Juvederm Voluma, a part of the Juvederm family, is specifically designed to restore volume in the midface, indirectly reducing the appearance of nasolabial folds by lifting the cheeks. Juvederm is known for its long-lasting effects, maintaining results for up to a year or more.
Belotero® has a unique, cohesive polydensified matrix (CPM) technology that results in a flexible gel that integrates well into the skin. This makes it particularly suitable for delicate areas and fine lines like nasolabial folds.
Belotero Balance is designed to provide precise and even distribution, offering natural-looking results without adding excessive volume. Due to its softness and easy cohesion with the skin, Belotero usually results in minimal swelling and a more seamless appearance post-treatment.
We know that we just gave you a lot of options to chew on, but you don’t have to (and shouldn’t) make this decision alone. Contact us to schedule a consultation and get the expert advice you need so you can have one more reason to smile.
