Use Dermal Fillers to Smooth Out Your Laugh Lines
Smile lines or laugh lines are the non-scientific term for nasolabial folds, and these are the types of wrinkles that form around the sides of your mouth. Sometimes, your cheery and giggly disposition also makes lines form around your eyes when you laugh, and these are called laugh lines or crow’s feet.
While these fine lines and wrinkles are called laugh lines, they are no laughing matter if they make you feel insecure or unattractive. It’s difficult to manage these lines because smiling and laughing are a natural part of a healthy life.
If you have smile lines or notice them forming, don’t feel bad. Laugh lines are one of the most common fine lines that form on the face. The most common causes of laugh lines are:
- A loss of elasticity (collagen)
- Dehydrated skin
- Genetics
- Smoking
- Sun damage
Like all results of the body’s natural aging process, smile lines are best treated early, before the creases get too deep.
Our doctors who specialize in cosmetic surgery in Los Angeles recommend keeping your face hydrated to keep these kinds of wrinkles at bay. Hydrating the face leaves the skin bouncy and supple, making your skin less likely to get stuck in the creased, smiling position. You can also buy cleansers, toners, and moisturizers with AHAs or BHAs to make sure your skin’s cell turnover rate remains high. Wearing sunscreen is also essential to slowing down the aging process of your face.
However, at-home smile line solutions are only going to take you so far. If you are already developing smile lines at a young age or are developing them despite taking excellent care of your skin, you may need to reach out to a cosmetic doctor in Los Angeles for a better solution.
Dermal Fillers for Smile Lines
Smoothing out your laugh lines with facial fillers in Los Angeles is the highest rated and lowest priced cosmetic solution. Injectable facial fillers are a way to get rid of these lines without undergoing surgery, making it desirable for many people with fast-paced and busy lives.
Los Angeles dermal fillers are made from perfectly safe hyaluronic acid, and they are administered by a doctor different parts of the nasolabial folds that stretch from your mouth to your nose. This is a relatively quick procedure, and you can return to your normal activities and lifestyle the next day.
One of the upsides of dermal fillers is that the effects are visible right away, so you judge your new look as you leave our Los Angeles plastic surgery office. Keep in mind that the filler will settle, giving you the final results in a few days after the surgery. The results from fillers are usually around six months, and the substance is slowly broken down by your body over this period.
The dermal filler brands we use in our Culver City and Santa Monica offices are typically Juvéderm and Restylane. The cost of dermal fillers depends on the amount that our doctors decide needs to be injected. Depending on how deep your nasolabial folds are, you may need a full syringe for each side. This smile line treatment can range from $500 to $1,000.
Because dermal fillers do not require surgery, the downtime and side effects are minimal. The most common side effects our patients see are headaches and allergy-like reactions to the substance. Allergic reactions can happen since it’s a foreign material being put into your body. If you commonly have allergic reactions to skin products, you may benefit from having your own body fat injected into your laugh lines instead of a dermal filler. Injections through fat transfer are a bit more expensive since the doctor has to harvest fat from another part of your body, but some patients prefer this method because it results in less side effects and tends to last a bit longer.
Dermal fillers are just one of the ways this issue can be helped. When you visit our Los Angeles facial cosmetic surgery office for a consultation, we can inform you about other options for smile lines.
Laser Skin Resurfacing for Smile Lines
A newer method of treating smile lines is to use a laser to remove the top layer of skin cells from your face. Laser treatments are a safe way to renew your skin, and they can eliminate many issues, such as fine lines, dark spots, and scars. By revealing the lower, untouched layer of new skin, laser skin resurfacing can greatly diminish the appearance of your smile lines.
One of the pros to laser treatments in Los Angeles is that they do not limit the movement of your facial expressions the way fillers can. You may experience some redness, swelling, or pain in the days following the procedure, but you will not experience any side effects after this period. Recovery time is a bit longer, so you will need to limit your time outside in the sun for at least a week.
Facelift Surgery for Smile Lines
If your nasolabial lines are deeper or you want a longer lasting result, you may need to have surgery. The best surgery for fixing fine lines and wrinkles is to get a facelift. In addition to your smile lines, a facelift will also smooth out any other wrinkles that may plague your cheeks and mouth area in just one procedure.
A facelift usually involves one treatment, and the results from this one surgery can last for decades. However, a facelift is more invasive and comes with more risks. Our doctors are double-board certified and highly skilled at cosmetic surgery, so you don’t need to worry about a botched facelift with us.
The cost that comes with this all-inclusive aging treatment can easily be thousands of dollars, which is why many patients choose to treat their smile lines in small doses with either laser skin resurfacing or dermal fillers.
Luckily, you have multiple options to choose from when treating your laugh lines. When you schedule an appointment with Westside Face, you don’t have to have your mind made up when you arrive. Your initial consultation will be a learning opportunity for our doctors to help you decide which solution works best for your skin, lifestyle, and budget. Contact us here to get started.
