What is the best treatment for smile lines? (photo)

Hi,

As the name implies smile lines are actually a natural part of our facial features and exist even in the young. It is natural for them to be more pronounced when we smile but if it appears deep even at rest then it makes one look aged.

The deepening of the lines is usually associated with development of a thickened nasolabial fold. The causes of this is usually twofold. A gravitational descent due to loss of skin elasticity and a volume displacement or loss of facial cheek fat.

Treatment options would be but not limited to the following:

1. Dermal fillers like HA fillers to correct the lines directly and or volume correction in the cheek

2. Use of HIFU or RF devices to restore skin collagen and elasticity to enable a lifting effect.

3 . Threadlifts to lift and contour the midface.

Hope this helps

Hi there,

Before we explore the treatments for the smile lines in the photo, we need to know the cause of those folds known as nasolabial folds.

They are caused by 2 D’s.

Deflation of deep fat pads in mid cheek - there are deep fat pads right under the eyes and in the mid cheeks known as the SOOF (suborbicularis oculi fat ) and Deep Cheek Fat. They are one of the first fat compartments to lose fat as we age. That causes loss of support of the overlying tissues of our cheeks and for then to slide downwards. There is also fat loss in the nasolabial fold at the alar triangle known as the deep pyriform fat which can be replaced by filling of the high lifting power fillers too.

Descent of superficial fat pads - there is also a superficial fat pad called the nasolabial fat pad that slides downwards with age and becomes bigger with age. It causes the “overhang” effect as we see in the photo.

Treatments:

Deflation of Deep Fat Pads: needs to be treated by focused deep injections on the bone / deep fat pad, of high lifting power fillers such as Teosyal RHA4, Ultradeep, Radiesse, or Ellanse. They can be injected in the SOOF, DEEP Cheek Fat, and Deep Pyriform Fat.

Descent of Superficial Fat Pads: needs to be treated by the physical repositioning of the relevant nasolabial fat pad by strong FDA-approved suture threads e.g. Silhouette Soft and Mint Lift. They engage the superficial fat and reposition them to their original lifted position.

It is important for your doctor to assess which of the above components is the cause and target the treatment accordingly based on your condition.

Hi, For laugh line or we nasolabial fold, it is due to deficiency of cheek fat and sagging skin.

I correct this deficiency by giving filler into the cheek area and into the triangular area called canine fossa to lessen the fold.

I don't correct the lines or fold 100% as it looks unnatural. For the lines or fold, I use superficial HA to correct it.

I hope this answers your query.

Thank You

Dr Joshua Lim

Hi,

As the name implies smile lines are actually a natural part of our facial features and exist even in the young. It is natural for them to be more pronounced when we smile but if it appears deep even at rest then it makes one look aged.

The deepening of the lines is usually associated with development of a thickened nasolabial fold. The causes of this is usually twofold. A gravitational descent due to loss of skin elasticity and a volume displacement or loss of facial cheek fat.

Treatment options would be but not limited to the following:

1. Dermal fillers like HA fillers to correct the lines directly and or volume correction in the cheek

2. Use of HIFU or RF devices to restore skin collagen and elasticity to enable a lifting effect.

3 . Threadlifts to lift and contour the midface.

Hope this helps