15+ years of experience

The Aging Factor You’re Forgetting

dermal filler results reducing volume loss in aging skin

The aging discussion tends to be wrinkle-centric. But when you’re tackling wrinkles and fine lines, don’t forget about the other factors playing a role in your aging. Volume loss in the face is actually one of the biggest causes of wrinkles – and its effects don’t end there. When you lose fullness in your face, your appearance gains visual years.

Learning a little more about how this happens will help you fight it – and discover a personal approach that fits just right. If you’re ever looking for advice on volume-boosting treatments, contact us to learn about your options (and find some guidance at the bottom of this post)!

Why Our Faces Lose Volume As We Age

Depending on its location and its size, facial fat can actually be a positive thing. When you’re young, you have fat deposits in key areas of the face that keep you looking fresh-faced and vibrant. Round cheeks, full lips, and a lifted brow help create a youthful appearance, no matter your age. But it’s these areas that start losing volume as time passes (regardless of how much you weigh). If you’re also experiencing weight loss, these areas are even more likely to deflate and cause loose skin and low volume.

Areas most likely to lose volume through aging include:

  • Upper outer cheeks
  • Around the lips (and often the lips themselves)
  • Prejowl sulcus
  • Temples

So what can you do to prevent this pattern? Watch out for the following factors:

  • Ongoing weight gain and loss – If you frequently diet and go through patterns of weight loss followed by gaining the weight back, you’re likely to experience issues with skin laxity. Your skin’s connective tissues break down as the skin is repeatedly stretched and retracted, and this can also thin youthful fat in the face.
  • Excessive sun exposure – The sun’s UV rays are harmful to the skin in more than one way, but volume loss is one big problem associated with frequent sun exposure. UV rays break down crucial structures like collagen and elastin to diminish volume.
  • Fluctuating hormones – Some hormones are responsible for fat loss (and not the good kind). Low levels of estrogen akin to those present during menopause tend to cause the thinning of facial fat.
  • Being thin or having a small frame – Of course there are advantages to being thin, but there are also downsides. Those with thin frames and faces are more likely to see fat shrinking as signs of aging take hold.
  • Loss of bone tissue – It’s natural for bone tissue to resorb in the face as the aging process continues. Atrophying muscles can also make cheekbones less prominent and the face appear older.

Treatment Options for Volume Loss

  • Dermal fillers – Fillers are an incredible option because they provide a targeted volume boost. You and your provider can determine precise changes you’d like to make, and achieve them with just a few injections. We offer a broad variety of dermal fillers to make it possible for patients to see nearly any result they have in mind. We’re also one of the first offices to offer Juvederm Volbella (results pictured at the top of the post), a new filler specially engineered to be soft and last as long as possible. This makes lip enhancement via fillers more natural-looking and -feeling than ever.
  • Non-invasive skin tightening – Laser skin tightening firms skin without incisions and often without downtime. These technologies deliver targeted energy (type differs depending on the technology) deep within the skin. This gentle heating stimulates collagen production to firm the treated area and also help reduce wrinkles and fine lines.
  • Laser skin resurfacing – While laser skin resurfacing is typically discussed as a treatment option for sun damage, spots and wrinkles, it can also help improve facial volume. This is because the laser prompts cell turnover and collagen production.

Reach out to request your free consultation and take the first step.