Treatment for Nasolabial Folds By Nimit D on January 17, 2014

One of the earliest signs of aging, and a red flag to many patients, are prominent nasolabial folds, also called smile lines.

Nasolabial folds are the creases that run from the corners of your nose to the corners of your mouth. As production of collagen and elastin slows down with age, the skin in our face sags and makes nasolabial folds prominent.

If you are seeking treatments to overcome this early sign of aging, you may want to consider injectable fillers or facelift surgery. Dr. Peter Brownrigg, a skilled cosmetic plastic surgeon serving Ottawa, is knowledgeable about the best treatments for nasolabial folds and can advise you on appropriate techniques.

Injectable Fillers

Injectable fillers offer a quick solution to nasolabial folds. Fillers are injected directly into the nasolabial crease to replace lost facial volume, fading the smile line and restoring a more youthful appearance. The treatment, which uses a very fine needle, takes only about 15 to 30 minutes.   

There are many options for fillers, each with its own advantages. Dr. Brownrigg can advise you on injectables best suited for your needs, such as hyaluronic acid fillers, collagen stimulators, and fat injections. Specific injectables we use include Restylane® and Juvederm.®

Most dermal fillers are temporary, requiring repeat injections to maintain the results. An exception is Artefill®, a filler that employs microspheres that are not absorbed by the body, making the treatment permanent.  

There is no one best filler for the face and understanding the benefits and risks of each can be confusing. Dr. Brownrigg  can explain the pros and cons of each type of filler and recommend products suited for your needs.

Facelift Surgery

Injectable fillers are a good starting point for patients seeking to turn back aging. However, because most fillers are temporary, the treatment needs to be repeated on a regular basis. As we age, the amount of filler injected each time may need to be increased to overcome the continuing loss of volume in the face.

At some point, the rising cost of fillers may make you consider a more permanent solution, such as a facelift. While the cost of a facelift is initially more expensive, at some point the cost of repeated filler treatments may make a facelift more attractive.

In addition, as new signs of aging appear, such as a sagging jawline or slack skin on the neck, a facelift that can treat multiple problems at once and last for as long as a decade, may prove to be a better option.  

Today’s facelifts come in a broad spectrum of choices that allow the procedure to be tailored to your specific problem areas. In addition, newer techniques are less invasive and can offer the “just right” treatment with less cost, smaller scars, and less recovery time.  

What’s Best for Me?

If you are concerned about the signs of facial aging but are confused about which treatment is best for you, we recommend scheduling a personal consultation with Dr. Brownrigg. He is one of Canada’s foremost practitioners of facial plastic surgery and, in fact, devotes his practice to only face and neck cosmetic surgery.

Please call today for a personal consultation.

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