Wrinkles, Crow's Feet, and More

“Hey baby — nice nasolabial folds!” That’s doctor-speak for laugh lines, and these wrinkles aren’t funny!
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‍These lines are the two skin folds that run from each side of the nose to the corners of the mouth, separating the cheeks from the upper lips.

As we age, these lines become more pronounced, and for many women can be cosmetically undesirable.

“Loose jowls.” “Turkey-neck.” “Falling face.” These unflattering terms are commonly used to describe the same symptom: age-related sagging skin. Loose skin can also find its cause in significant body weight loss.

As we age, we end up losing volume in our face. This volume comes mostly from fat. Combine that with the unwanted effects of gravity, and soon we’re looking at droops, wrinkles, and bands. Not fun!

Your skin has two distinct layers, called the epidermis and the dermis. The epidermis is on the surface and contains the pigment, epidermal cells, and proteins. The dermis is the layer located underneath the epidermis and contains the dermal cells, blood vessels, nerves, hair follicles, and oil glands—plus it is responsible for providing the nutrients for the epidermal layer. It also contains the connective tissue, as well as our skin’s collagen.
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Although it is located beneath the epidermal layer, it is changes in the dermal layer that cause the outer skin to form wrinkles and lose elasticity as we age. As we grow older, the amount of fat found in our lower layer of skin decreases, our glands produce less oil, and collagen and elastin fibers lose their elasticity. The natural process of cell reproduction in the dermal layer also decreases as we grow older, resulting in a slower rejuvenation of our skin cells.

In many cases, a combination of surgical and non-surgical treatments may be suggested by your dermatologist in order to achieve the best skin-tightening results to remove wrinkles, droops, and bands.