The symptoms of aging can show up anywhere on the face and body, and there are a few different non-surgical treatments to address them. Let’s discuss how different parts of the face change with time and how they can be improved.
The Eyes
A few things happen to the eye area with age that can lead to a tired, sunken, dark, or puffy, appearance. Dynamic wrinkles like crow's feet form around the eye due to repeated movements over time, and the eyelids thin due to a lack of collagen — loss of elasticity plus gravity cause them to droop. The skin of the eyebrow area can also sag, sometimes obscuring the eyelid. In addition to thinner, wrinkled skin, volume loss occurs under and around the eye.
The muscle surrounding the eye relaxes with age, and fat pads in the cheek begin to drop. A hollow appearance can develop, especially between the upper cheek and eye. The depleted volume and thinner skin can cause a darker appearance under the eye. Volume loss in the cheek that once helped support the lower eyelid only exacerbates the issue. A change in fat distribution under the eye coupled with thinner skin can lead to puffiness or even bulging.
Sleep deprivation, dehydration, smoking or excess alcohol consumption can all lead to dark under eye circles. Excessive crying, salty foods or allergies can be to blame for puffiness. But if an antihistamine, ample sleep, and a healthier lifestyle don't improve your under-eye woes, it may be time to see a facial rejuvenation specialist.
Solutions
Dermal around the eyes and in the cheek area help correct hollowness, darkness, or bulging.
PDO threads can drastically improve thinning skin under the eye. They’re great at stimulating collagen, are quick, cost-effective, and require no downtime.
Ultherapy can be used around the eye to help build collagen and tighten the skin.
Microneedling around the eyes should only be performed by a professional but can help plump and thicken the skin in the area.
Injections of platelet-rich plasma help generate new collagen and improve crepey, thin skin around the eyes. Many patients note an improvement in elasticity, tone, and texture following PRP injections.
Botox can be used to smooth crow's feet around the eye. Botox can also be injected to give a slight lift to the brow area. The "Botox Brow Lift" relaxes muscles that pull the eyebrow down, allowing muscles that pull the brow up to work with less opposition.
Proper skincare around the eyes can help prevent and improve several aesthetic concerns. Vitamin C and retinoids (you'll want a low strength for the delicate skin in this area) can help build collagen. Growth factors renew the skin. Ingredients like kojic acid and licorice can help brighten any darkening of the skin.
Don't forget your number one defense against damage to the collagen and elastin in your skin, sunscreen. Sunscreen will also prevent additional darkening of the skin in this area.
The Lips
There a few things about the mouth that change with age. Definition along the border of the lips diminishes. This border is called the vermillion border. The lips lose volume, flatten, and the top lip lengthens. The column or double lines that run between the nose and cupid's bow (the phitral ridge) tends to flatten, and the space between the mouth and nose becomes longer. The corners of the mouth (or oral commissures) begin to turn down with age. This can cause one to look like they're frowning at rest. Lines develop above the lip known as perioral wrinkles (sometimes called smoker's lines) due to reduced collagen and elastin. Sun exposure or certain lifestyle choices hasten the process.
Solutions
Much of the appearance of the aging mouth can be addressed with properly placed dermal filler. Lips can be plumped, lines smoothed out, and corners upturned by a skilled injector.
PDO threads along the vermillion border of the lip add subtle definition and help build collagen.
Resurfacing laser treatments like Clear + Brilliant can help decrease the appearance of perioral lines.
While the lips themselves are far too thin to be microneedled safely, the area surrounding them can be microneedled to help stimulate collagen.
Filler is always safer for perioral lines (especially for individuals who speak, sing, or play instruments for a living) but sometimes a tiny amount of Botox above the lips can help smooth this area as well.
Nose
Aging means gradual cartilage loss in the nose and decreased elasticity of the skin. As the framework of the nose weakens, the tip of the nose can appear wider. The nose may seem to droop over time, and bony structures in the nose become more apparent. You can read all about non-surgical contouring of the nose in this post. Whether you've always been dissatisfied with your nose or have more recently become displeased with changes due to age; there is a nasal contouring strategy that's right for you.
Solutions
PDO threads provide lift for a drooping nasal tip. Threads can lift the bridge of the nose to improve the profile and can give the illusion of a thinner nose as well. PDO threads can also improve breathing and have the added benefit of stimulating collagen.
Dermal fillers can correct scars, divots, nasal bumps and asymmetry. While the nose can't be made smaller with non-surgical techniques, the appearance of the nose can be changed quite a bit without the need for surgery.
It may sound silly, but good skincare that stimulates collagen, and sunscreen that protects against damaging UV rays will help keep the skin of the nose more resilient and plump. These qualities make it less susceptible to some of these changes.
Pores of the nose and cheeks especially can appear larger with age. Microneedling and laser treatments can help reduce pore size and refine skin texture.
Ears
Like all the skin on our body, the skin of the ears thins and sags with age due to a lack of collagen. As a result, the earlobes can appear droopy and wrinkled, and piercings can become stretched out over time. Many women find they can no longer wear certain earrings. Heavy earrings pull down on the earlobe; which in addition to stretching out the piercing and the lobe further, isn't the most attractive look.
Solutions
A little dermal filler can be injected to plump up shriveled or stretched out earlobes. It smooths the appearance of wrinkles and provides support for larger earrings.
Don't neglect your ears. Apply a tiny bit of whatever collagen building skincare you use to your ears every day too. It may sound foolish, but skin is skin.
Make sure to apply a little sunscreen to your ears every day to help protect your remaining collagen and elastin.
Lashes
There are several reasons why eyelashes become shorter or more sparse. Menopause causes hormonal changes that thin out hair everywhere. Sleeping in makeup or being overly aggressive with mascara removal can damage lashes. An overactive or underactive thyroid can cause eyelashes to fall out, as can certain skin conditions like psoriasis or eczema. Stress can sometimes lead to hair, and eyelash fall-out too, and of course, chemotherapy can be responsible for the loss of all body hair. But just getting older is sometimes all it takes to make our lashes less than what they used to be.
Solutions
A prescription eyelash treatment called Latisse can help you grow longer, thicker and darker lashes. Read all about Latisse and how it works in this post. It takes about six weeks to begin seeing results, and you'll see the full effects of Latisse at sixteen weeks. You must use it consistently to maintain your results (see below for one woman's before and after.) You can get a prescription for Latisse for us.
Handle your lashes with care. If you keep your lashes from falling out, they will continue growing to their fullest potential. Once you lose a lash, that hair follicle must start all over again. Plus, it leaves a little gap in your lashes for a while. You can purchase lash conditioners or apply castor oil to your lashes to keep them soft and healthy. (These over-the-counter lash products won't produce longer lashes like Latisse does. They just help you make the most of what you have.) Never go to sleep in your makeup, scrub at your eyes, or tug at your lashes.
Hair vitamins may help the hair of your eyelashes become stronger and healthier to prevent fall out and breaking. In the same way, good nutrition is essential for healthy hair that grows anywhere on the body.
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