If you’re lucky enough to age and you’ve enjoyed some days in the sunshine, there’s a 100% chance you’ll develop visible nasolabial folds. Sometimes called marionette lines, nasolabial folds run from your nose to the edges of your mouth. They’re often deep wrinkles.
At Osteopathic Center for Healing, our goal is to help you reach an optimal level of health, so you can live an active, happy life. Neil Spiegel, DO, and Jennifer Gularson, PA-C, know that feeling great about how you look plays a big role in your overall health.
When you meet the world with confidence, you’re more socially engaged, more active, and healthier in general. That’s why we offer cosmetic procedures, such as microneedling and injectables, and skin care products from brands we personally verify and trust.
Because we have so many patients concerned about nasolabial folds, we wanted to offer some information about how we treat them, as well as what you can do to slow their formation.
First, everyone (except newborn babies) has nasolabial folds. Sometimes you can only see them when a person smiles.
As you get older, though, the lines become more prominent, and eventually will be visible even when you’re not smiling. That happens for several different reasons, including:
Your body naturally produces less collagen over time, and the fat pads in your cheeks and face become thinner with age. The sun changes the texture of your skin and causes wrinkles over time, especially if you didn’t always wear sunscreen when you were younger.
Smoking damages your skin and breaks down collagen and elastin fibers, which leads to sagging. Losing and gaining weight can also be connected to looser skin and deeper nasolabial folds.
As you can see, some of the causes of nasolabial folds are out of your control. Even if you don’t smoke and do wear sunscreen everyday, you’re still going to age and your body will produce less collagen. But that doesn’t mean you just have to live with wrinkles you don’t like.
We offer several treatments that can improve the appearance of wrinkles like nasolabial folds. The best one for you depends on a host of factors, including your goals and your lifestyle. Here are some of our more popular options for treating wrinkles.
Microneedling involves inflicting microscopic wounds on your skin that trigger your body’s own natural healing processes, which include increased collagen and elastic production.
During the procedure, we also apply hyaluronic acid, which encourages healthy new skin formation. The tiny wounds allow the hyaluronic acid to penetrate deeper into your skin, as well, so it works better.
Most of the time, a series of microneedling treatments spread out over several months offers the best results. You’ll begin to see results within a week or two after your first treatment.
Another popular treatment among people with deep nasolabial lines is the use of injectable neuromodulators, such as Botox®, Dysport®, Xeomin®, or Jeuveau®. These substances stop the muscles that cause wrinkles from contracting, which helps your skin look smoother.
Dermal fillers like Restylane®, Juvederm®, and Radiesse® are often a better choice for nasolabial lines. They can add volume, which creates the effect of lifting your face. You see results from these kinds of products immediately, and results can last as long as two years, depending on the exact formulation.
Skin care products
Whatever treatment we suggest, we’re likely to also encourage you to use appropriate skin care products. By using high-quality products, you can protect your skin from sun damage, as well as help your body continue to produce adequate amounts of collagen and elastin.
The most important thing about treating your nasolabial lines is making sure that whatever procedure you choose is suited to your long-term goals and fits in with your lifestyle. Schedule an appointment at our Rockville, Maryland, center to get guidance based on your specific situation.
