We all want to spend as much time as we can laughing and smiling during our lives, but no one wants to deal with the wrinkles that can form over the years due to these behaviors. These are referred to as “laugh lines,” and while they’re just part of aging, they can be a major detriment to your facial appearance, especially for people who are demonstrative or expressive.
At the offices of Beauty Now Medical Spa, we have several dermal fillers and other treatments to help if laugh lines have become an issue for you. Find out what laugh lines are, how they form and some of the treatments we have available to help address them.
Laugh Lines Defined
Laugh lines are a broad, casual term used to describe two specific types of folds or lines on the face.
- Nasolabial folds: Fine lines and wrinkles that begin at the corners of the nose and run down to the outsides of the mouth
- Marionette lines: Fine lines that run from the outside of the mouth down to the jawline on both sides of the chin
Laugh Line Causes
Laugh lines result from a combination of factors that work together over years and even decades. Some of these factors include:
- Repeating the same facial expressions often, particularly those that strain the face
- A natural reduction in the body’s elastin and collagen — both elements that play a big role in the elasticity and youthfulness of the skin.
- Reduction in facial fat with aging, which contributes to visible lines
Common Treatments
You have several options when it comes to reducing and eliminating laugh lines. The most common is dermal fillers using hyaluronic acid, which is found naturally in the body and provides lubrication and cushioning for various areas. We have some good options:
- Juvederm: Juvederm Ultra and Ultra Plus are products designed specifically for nasolabial folds and marionette lines. The former is for mild or moderate lines, while the latter is for deeper wrinkles or folds.
- Restylane: Many people are turning to these more flexible, elastic fillers for laugh lines. They help with both stationary and animated lines around the mouth, with varying levels of treatment available.
In addition, a couple fillers that might be effective for laugh lines do not use hyaluronic acid:
- Sculptra: Sculptra treatments use poly-L-lactic acid rather than hyaluronic acid. This substance offers more gradual results, rebuilding the collagen in the skin and aiming for longer-lasting results. In some cases, patients will receive Sculptra treatments first and then a hyaluronic injection afterward.
- Voluma: Juvederm Voluma, a cheek filler, can also work well for filling smile lines up higher in the cheeks.
Finally, some patients choose microneedling services, also called collagen induction therapy, instead of dermal fillers. This is a procedure that uses small needles to puncture the skin, naturally triggering your body’s healing processes and sending collagen to needed areas.
For more on dealing with laugh lines or to learn about any of our medical spa treatments, speak to the staff at Beauty Now Medical Spa today.