We have already established that sun exposure is one of the major factors contributing to skin ageing and we are now all applying broad spectrum SPF 30 daily…
Today we are going to look into exactly how the face ages and how we are able to create a natural look using hyaluronic acid tissue filler treatments that can help support the ageing face, making us appear less tired and more refreshed (more youthful).
Hyaluronic acid tissue filler treatments have maximum benefit overall, when skin quality is good and this is our aim.
Evolutionary theories believe that society judges people based on looks alone within the first few seconds of meeting them in order to choose an appropriate mating partner in the long term. Basically youth and beauty equate to a good life long partner- of course this is only one of many theories.
So how do we judge youth and beauty?
Wrinkles and folds yes, to some degree, however face shape is critical here.
Imagine an inverted triangle with the tip representing our chins. This face shape is what society has deemed youthful. It’s known as a heart shaped face and in my clinic I get many request for facial sliming treatments in hope of achieving the heart shaped, more youthful looking face shape. This face shape is top heavy and well contoured.
As we age however, this inverted triangle shape is flipped 180 degrees and represents a triangle where the lower half of our face is bulkier than the upper half.
How does this happen?
As we age, changes occur in bone, fat, muscle and skin. The most important of these is bone, as our facial skeleton forms the foundation on top of which all other tissues lie. The Maxilla, which is our upper jawbone, starts to slowly lose its structure in our 20’s. This means that we are starting to lose surface area providing structure to our mid-face from as early as 20 in some cases. I found this incredibly interesting! So as the upper jawbone diminishes, the fat, muscle and overlying skin lose its support structure and together with gravity, all move downwards. Think about double chins, jowls and hollow cheeks. This downward migration of tissues contributes to the bottom heavy triangle shaped face we see in the ageing face.
So you must be wandering how this all relates to hyaluronic acid tissue filler treatment?
It certainly shows that hyaluronic acid tissue filler treatments are not only for people in their 50’s or 60’s, but also indicates what the aim of the treatments would be. The aim is to provide structure to the overlying tissues again by restoring volume in places where it is lost in order to achieve the inverted triangle shape face that represents youth and beauty.
There are also many other benefits to receiving hyaluronic acid tissue filler treatment. Hyaluronic acid is found naturally in our skin and is in essence, a repeating chain of sugar molecules. It is highly attracted to water molecules and so hydrates the surrounding tissues. It also stimulates various cells within its surrounds, making them produce more collagen and elastin, which help make our skin look plump, healthy and strong. It also plays a role in cell nutrition and immunity.
So in summary our face shape changes as we age and careful placement of the correct hyaluronic acid tissue filler can help restore the shape that society equates with youth. Please do not forget that we are all unique and define beauty in our own personalized way and therefore you may not agree with some of the evolutionary theories and how society defines beauty.
