Lines are part of a face that has lived, laughed and squinted into the sun, and most people are not trying to erase them. What they usually want is to look less tired or less cross than they feel. Done well, treatment for lines is subtle enough that friends notice you look well, not that you have had something done.
Two kinds of line
It helps to know which kind you have, because they respond to different things.
Dynamic lines appear when you move: crow’s feet when you smile, horizontal lines when you raise your eyebrows, the “11” between the brows when you concentrate. They are made by the muscles beneath the skin folding it, over and over. In younger skin they vanish when the face relaxes.
Static lines are there at rest. They start as dynamic lines and, as the skin loses collagen and elasticity, the fold becomes a permanent crease. Sun exposure, smoking and dehydration speed this up considerably.
What helps
For dynamic lines, anti-wrinkle treatment relaxes the specific muscles that fold the skin, so the line is not being re-creased every day. Used in small, precise doses, it softens expression lines while leaving you able to smile, frown and look surprised. Results appear over one to two weeks and last around three to four months.
For static lines, the skin itself needs help. Profhilo and polynucleotides are injectable treatments that improve hydration, elasticity and collagen across the whole face rather than filling one line. Deeper creases, such as the folds from nose to mouth, can be softened with a small amount of dermal filler. Microneedling and medical-grade peels improve surface texture and stimulate collagen over a course of sessions.
Most people do best with a combination chosen for their skin, and with daily sun protection, which prevents more lines than any treatment can remove.
What a consultation involves
We will look at how your face moves, where the lines sit and what your skin is like, and ask what bothers you and what you would rather leave alone. We will be honest about what will and will not help, and about what is better left untreated. All injectable treatments are carried out by trained clinicians, with a medical history and a proper discussion of risks and aftercare first.
