FACIAL VOLUME LOSS

A glance at the big picture of facial volume loss

As the face loses fat, the skin can sag and lose elasticity. Wrinkles may appear as the soft tissue beneath the eyes shrinks. Facial volume loss may make individuals appear older, but there are many ways to combat the underlying causes of the condition – reduced collagen production, for example.

Over the last 10 years aesthetic medicine has changed focus from individual areas of the face to look at the reasons behind ageing, including significant facial volume loss.

What Causes Facial Changes?

A full and round face shape can begin to lose volume, appearing sunken and skeletal for a variety of reasons. Ageing naturally, weight loss, hormone shifts, UV exposure, smoking, injury, and certain medical conditions that require specific medicines that result in volume loss all contribute to a loss of fat in the facial region.

Facial volume loss occurs predictably in the bones of the face alongside weakening of the ligaments supporting the facial muscles and ligaments and loss of collagen and elastin in the skin.

This causes a sunken appearance in some areas, forming excessive folds such as in the nasolabial area, changing eye shape and leading to jowls and a weak chin due to bony recession.

A lack of collagen makes a face appear older. The role of collagen is to provide a supportive structure for the skin, resulting in plump, firm skin. As we age, the elasticity of facial skin also declines as collagen diminishes. When facial fat decreases and shifts as we age, the lack of collagen and fat may make a face look older.

Once evenly-distributed face fat around the eyes, cheeks, forehead, temples, and mouth shrinks, resulting in facial volume loss. Round cheeks sink downward, causing hollowness under the eyes. Lips lose their plumpness as they age and appear thinner.

As time passes, fat may accumulate in areas where the skin was previously taut, such as in the lower jaw. When facial fat is stored in the lower face, it may result in unsightly jowls of sagging skin hanging on each side of the jaw and the neck.

Wrinkles are a result of daily, repetitive facial muscle contractions. The loss of facial fat and the resultant decrease in facial muscle activity causes deep wrinkles and folds. This, coupled with a reduction in collagen that gives thick, supple skin, can result in an undesirable appearance.

Treatment options

Dermal fillers are the most important medical treatment for volume loss. The most common are made of hyaluronic acid. A naturally occurring substance found in the body that provides skin elasticity as a result of its water retention capabilities, hyaluronic acid is cross linked in the laboratory, extending the duration of effect to over 24 months in some cases, and injected carefully to increase the volume of facial areas that have lost volume.

Sculptra®, a polylactic acid-based substance, is one of the most famous collagen boosters. Sculptra® is utilized to improve deep nasolabial folds, fill in laugh lines, and enhance lip volume.

The hyaluronic acid filler Radiesse may be used to treat deep facial wrinkles, nasolabial folds, and the backs of the hands.

At Infinity Aesthetics, we utilise only FDA-approved fillers like Juvederm Voluma, Belotero Volume, and Restylane Lyft to increase volume in different facial regions, or Restylane Defyne and Belotero Intense to reduce deep marionette lines and nasolabial folds.

Our Solution

In the lower face formation of jowls (due to laxity in ligaments allowing the soft tissues to fall further forwards) gives a heavy aged look and causes loss of facial definition, but can be helped by dermal fillers for the face (alongside other aesthetic treatments). Owen undertakes an expert liquid facelift which is a version of the 8-point facelift which can be found here.

Following a full facial assessment, careful application of dermal fillers for the face can restore volume and reverse some of the signs of ageing. Dermal fillers can also revive the skin providing a healthy glow because of the replenishment of hyaluronic acid.

Around the cheeks, dermal fillers can give a plan and defined look with reduced shadowing, providing a lifting appearance to sunken eyes, forehead volume loss and in the temples which can also give a slight eyebrow lift. Targeted dermal filler can minimise the appearance of jowls. Dermal fillers can restore facial balance such as with nonsurgical chin augmentation. All of this is undertaken by Owen in his aesthetic clinic in Mumbles, Swansea.