How can I improve my downturned smile?
By Dr Rachael Syvret
“I feel like I look sad and I’m not!” Is a statement I so often hear come out of the mouths of my clients.
So, why do our mouths start to turn down at the corners as we age, and what can we do to reduce this appearance?
A number of things happen to our faces as we age. The skin loses elasticity as we lose our naturally occurring hyaluronic acid, our skin cell turnover slows down and our production of collagen dwindles. In addition to this, our muscles and ligaments loosen, our fat pads lessen and our bone remodels to make the whole skull smaller. These combined processes all contribute to everything “heading south” and as a result, the corners of the mouth beginning to turn down.
How can I help to improve my appearance?
There are lots of things we can do to lessen the effects of this. These vary from the more severe options such as surgery, to the more mild options such as topical treatments that you can apply to the skin at home or facials offered by salons. In between these options, lies injectables.
Find out more about Turned Down Mouth Correction.
How does Underlining Beauty treat this area?
At Underling Beauty we offer two main treatments to help lift the down turning corners of the mouth; Botox or filler, or a combination of both. Let’s take them one by one:
Botox
At the sides of our mouth there is a muscle called the depressor anguli oris (DAO). This attaches at the edge of the lips and pulls downwards towards the jawline. As we age, this muscle can become overactive. By placing small accurate amounts of Botox into this muscle on each side, it causes the muscle to relax. This relaxation allows the corners of the mouth to lift as there is a reduction in the pulling down action. Like with all Botox treatments, the results are temporary and will typically wear off after approximately four months. To continue to achieve the effects, Botox will need to be administered into the DAO every four months on average.
Filler
Another option for patients is the placement of filler. Filler can be used in this area in two ways. Firstly, it can used to help structure with “scaffolding” like effect to the skin. Secondly, it can be used to lift and add volume to areas of the skin that have sunken and causing lines and shadowing down from the corners of the mouth towards to chin / jaw area. Filler in this area lasts approximately 9-12 months. Some patients find they will need a combination of both Botox and filler treatment to help this area look refreshed. In this instance, we would start by injecting the Botox. We would then review the effects of the Botox and decide whether further treatment with filler would be of benefit.
UB Training Academy
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There are lots of things that make us sad in this world, but let’s not let a down turned mouth be one of them when we can so easily improve its appearance, and quite literally “turn that frown upside down!”
