Nasolabial folds can be instantly improved in less than 10 minutes!
Dr Justin Boey, Medical Director, shares how to improve your nasolabial folds, which are known as smile lines or laugh lines, safely and effectively in Singapore.
Contents
- 1 What are Nasolabial folds/ Smile Lines/ Laugh Lines?
- 2 What causes Nasolabial folds/ Smile Lines/ Laugh Lines?
- 3 Nasolabial folds/ Smile Lines/ Laugh Lines Treatment Review in Singapore
- 4 How can I prevent my nasolabial folds from worsening?
- 5 Price/ Cost for Nasolabial folds/ Smile Lines/ Laugh Lines Treatment in Singapore
What are Nasolabial folds/ Smile Lines/ Laugh Lines?
Nasolabial folds, which are known as smile lines or laugh lines are slightly curved, downwards sloping lines that extend from the sides of the nose down to the corners of the mouth.
What causes Nasolabial folds/ Smile Lines/ Laugh Lines?
The common causes of smile lines include:
•a loss of skin elasticity (collagen)
•dehydrated skin
•genetics
•smoking
•sun damage
It is a natural occurrence, even in the very young, and usually worsens as we age.
The anatomical basis for nasolabial folds is due to the attachments of our cheek facial muscles to the corners of the mouth, which becomes prominent when we smile. Hence, the nasolabial folds are known as “smile lines” or “laugh lines”.
It is impossible to prevent nasolabial folds, unless one can stop smiling or make facial expressions.
It can, however, be lessened.
Nasolabial folds/ Smile Lines/ Laugh Lines Treatment Review in Singapore
Various aspects of ageing cause the nasolabial fold to worsen over time. Different layers of the face, from the topmost skin to the bottom-most bone, all contribute to the appearance of the nasolabial fold.
The skin undergoes repetitive wrinkling as we move our face. Hence, the line can eventually set into the skin. This also more apparent with age as our skin collagen degrades.
Dermal Fillers for Nasolabial folds
Dermal Fillers are one of the most commonly used medical aesthetic treatments to plump
up the smile lines and laugh lines.
Fillers are required because of fat, muscle and bone loss at the nasolabial fold.
As we age, our soft tissue and maxillary bone shrinks. Without a proper bone foundation underneath the nasolabial fold, the laugh lines look more apparent. Hence, volumising fillers can be placed deep in the nasolabial fold to mimic the original bone to support the soft tissues above. This reduces the appearance of the nasolabial fold.
The common brands of hyaluronic acid fillers are Juvederm, Restylane, Stylage, Teosyal and Belotero.
Regenerative fillers containing PDRN such as Rejuran can be used to treat nasolabial folds as well.
HIFU for Nasolabial folds
The sagging of skin and fats downwards with age is another important factor that worsens the nasolabial fold.
If you have naturally heavier cheek fats, your nasolabial fold might become a lot more apparent as you age.
You may consider lifting the sagging skin and fats with machine-based skin tightening treatments like high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) and radiofrequency.
HIFU and Fillers can be combined. After skin tightening with HIFU, fillers are used to camouflage the difference in depth between the overhanging cheek fats and nasolabial folds.
Botox for Nasolabial folds
Strong facial muscles can make nasolabial folds appear deeper. Botox can be used to relax those muscles, especially in those with gummy smiles. Gummy smile is an excessive show of gums when smiling.
Precise amounts of botox must be used as those facial muscles around the mouth are very tiny. Wrong placement may result in an asymmetrical smile.
As you can see, there are many treatments for deep nasolabial folds. Many of which work synergistically. To get the best results, you need a customised treatment plan because the cause for the nasolabial folds varies among different individuals.
Fractional Lasers for Nasolabial folds
Fractional Lasers improve nasolabial folds by stimulating collagen production at the superficial parts of your skin.
The results are beautiful when fractional lasers are combined with other treatments that target the deeper aspects of your nasolabial fold, such as HIFU and dermal fillers.
How can I prevent my nasolabial folds from worsening?
Sun protection and good lifestyle habits ensure that you reduce loss of collagen and elastin in your skin. This helps to slow down the deepening and worsening of your nasolabial folds.
You might also want to consider anti-aging creams to slow down the visible signs of aging. However, this is unlikely to be effective for deep nasolabial folds.
Price/ Cost for Nasolabial folds/ Smile Lines/ Laugh Lines Treatment in Singapore
Dermal Fillers for nasolabial folds: from $500 to $1000/ syringe
HIFU for nasolabial folds: from $450
Botox for nasolabial folds: from $350
Fractional Laser for nasolabial folds: from $500/ session.
Depending on your skin laxity, facial structures and severity of nasolabial folds, you might need a combination of these treatments for improvement of your smile/ laugh lines.
Unsure which nasolabial fold treatment you need? Speak to us now!
