From our thirties onwards the face slowly loses the things that give it shape: the fat pads in the cheeks and temples shrink and slide, the bone beneath them gradually resorbs, and the skin produces less collagen to hold everything up. The result is not wrinkles so much as a change in shape, with flatter cheeks, hollows at the temples, deeper folds from nose to mouth and a softer jawline. People often describe it as looking tired or drawn rather than older.
What is actually changing
The mid-face is held up by fat compartments that sit over the cheekbones. As they lose volume and drift downwards, the cheek flattens, the skin that used to be supported starts to fold, and the folds beside the nose and mouth deepen. At the same time the bony edges of the eye sockets and jaw lose a little definition every decade. Weight loss, sun damage and smoking all accelerate the process.
What helps
The most effective approach is to restore support where it has been lost, rather than to treat each fold on the surface. Dermal filler placed deep over the cheekbone lifts the mid-face and softens the folds below it; a small amount in the temples restores a smoother outline; chin and jawline filler re-establishes the lower face. The amounts involved are modest, and the aim is to put back what was there, not to add what was never there.
Profhilo, which improves skin quality and elasticity across the whole face, is a good partner to structural filler, particularly where the skin has become thin or crepey. Where volume loss is advanced, we will say honestly whether a surgical option would serve you better, and can refer you.
What a consultation involves
We will look at your face from several angles and in movement, talk about what has changed and what you would like to address, and show you where support has been lost. You will get a clear plan with realistic expectations, and all injectable treatment is carried out by trained clinicians following a medical history and a proper discussion of risks.
