Nasolabial folds, also known as nasolabial folds or smile lines, are a natural part of aging for many people. These wrinkles typically form when we laugh or frown and they can become more pronounced over time. However, nasolabial folds can also be caused by other factors such as smoking cigarettes. This article will discuss the causes of nasolabial folds and how to treat them!
What are nasolabial folds?
Nasolabial folds are wrinkles that form on either side of the nose and mouth. They are formed from repeated expressions such as frowning, laughing, or crying.
What causes them
The main cause for nasolabial folds is age since this kind of wrinkle usually forms because we laugh or frown a lot over time and then they can become more pronounced as we get older. Smoking cigarettes also contribute to this type of wrinkle by reducing oxygen flow in our skin cells and causing loss of elasticity – which means wrinkles are much easier to maintain with these habits!
The different types
There are three different types of nasolabial folds:
Marionette lines. Marionette lines form when we repeatedly smile or laugh, causing a vertical crease in the middle of our lips and around our nose to deepen. These wrinkles often become more pronounced as we age because they’re simply beginning at their earlier stage.
Smile lines. Smile lines occur from smiling too much over time, resulting in two horizontal “smile” shaped wrinkles that emanate outward from the corners of your mouth towards your eyes. They usually worsen with other signs of aging such as fine lines on the forehead and crow’s feet near our eye area around our temples (which can be caused by squinting).
Naso-labial folds. Naso-labial folds are deep creases that form along the sides of our nose when we laugh or smile too intensely for a prolonged period of time.
Best way to treat them
Thankfully, there are many different kinds of treatments that work well when it comes to treating nasolabial folds including creams, injections, laser therapy, dermal surgery (such as a facelift), or surgery involving implants of fat. These treatments work through various mechanisms but generally share one goal: To reduce excess wrinkling at these locations so that you appear younger!Â
The most well known way to treat nasolabial folds is with injections. Injections oftentimes use Botox, Dysport (another name for botulinum toxin), or Xeomin (an alternative option). These drugs block nerve impulses telling muscles in the face to contract. Botox is FDA-approved as a treatment for reducing the appearance of wrinkles and nasolabial folds when injected into specific muscles in the upper lip, around the eyes (crow’s feet), and between eyebrows.
There are other natural ways you can reduce your nasolabial folds too! You could try different creams, try different facial exercises, learn how to tuck your nasolabial folds back in with a smile (called smiling yoga), or even use make-up.
Before you consider any of these treatments, it is important that you have an exam by a qualified healthcare professional to make sure nasolabial folds are the only cause for your wrinkles.
Prevention of future wrinkles in the area
The best way to prevent future wrinkles in the nasolabial fold area is to avoid anything that can cause them. Smoking and sunburns are two of the most common causes of wrinkles in this area, so it’s important to avoid both when you want to prevent future nasolabial folds.
Smoking breaks down elastin and collagen fibers throughout your face; these help keep skin tight, which prevents wrinkles from forming over time. Sun damage or overexposure also leads to less elasticity on top of all other smoking-related issues, resulting in wrinkled faces caused by nasolabial folds as well as deep lines between the nose bridge and corners of the mouth (nasal labiodental creases).
Why people with nasolabial folds should get treatment immediately
If you have nasolabial folds it’s best to seek treatment sooner rather than later so as not to worsen the condition, which can lead to surgery being necessary down the line if left untreated.
