What is the best way to tackle a “turned down mouth?”
By Dr Rachael Syvret
Nobody wants to look sad when they aren’t! So, why do our facial expressions sometimes give a different message to the one in which we are actually feeling?
Face shapes
The ageing face can be considered in terms of shapes:
Baby
As a baby, we are born with a very round face with big central features.
Young adult
As we grow into adolescence and a young adult; our faces become more of an inverted triangle shape. We have wide foreheads and high cheek bones and sharp, pointed jawlines and full lips.
Middle aged
As we reach our 40s and 50’s; that inverted triangle becomes more of a square shape with jowl formation and that “turned down mouth” beginning to show. Coupled with a reduction in cheek volume, we lose that angulation of our face.
Elderly
In our later years, our faces progress to the more triangular. Our forehead and cheeks are more narrow and less full, and our lower face feels heavy and weighted.
Why does this happen?
Well, it happens due to lots of reasons. Firstly, our bones (so the actual skeleton that our skin is sitting on) starts to shrink. Our ligaments begin to have increased laxity and therefore as a result, our fat pads shift and start to fall lower in our face. And to round it all off, our skin loses its natural hyaluronic acid and collagen levels, and is therefore much less elastic.
What can we at Underlining Beauty do to help?
The turned down mouth area can be tackled using botox, filler, or a combination of both.
Botox
Firstly, an assessment of the area is undertaken face to face. Here, we look at the depressor anguli oris muscle strength, by getting the patient to try and pull their mouth into the downturned position. If this muscle is quite strong, placing a few units of botox in the area can help to weaken these “pull down muscle” fibres, and help to reduce the amount that the mouth “turns down”. A botox appointment takes approximately 15 minutes and the results are typically seen within two weeks.
Filler
After the effects of botox have been seen, or if botox is inappropriate, it may be worth adding some filler to the area. This can be done to add some structure to the area, and help to hold up the more sagging skin. Filler can also be placed into the down turning lines themselves, to help lift the shadows that they cause. A filler appointment takes approximately 30 minutes, and whilst some results are seen immediately, the full result takes up to two weeks to be seen.
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