Nasolabial folds, also known as smile lines, are those plump, dark lines that border the nose. They’re often caused by skin injuries and can even worsen as one ages. They can be referred to as nose-to-mouth lines that come up on either side of the nose just below the bridge of the nose. They usually appear more pronounced during sleep due to facial relaxation and muscle contractions.
Fortunately, there are several ways of naturally getting rid of nasolabial folds, which you will find in this article.
Nasolabial folds causes
Several factors can cause nose-to-mouth lines. Some are genetic, while others are environmental:
- Genetics
The rate at which our genes largely predetermine our skin ages. Nasolabial folds, often known as smile lines, can appear due to heredity. Nasolabial folds can form as early as 25 and are significantly more pronounced in those with a genetic predisposition to develop them.
- Ageing
Ageing is one of the significant causes of smile lines and is likely to form along a person’s nose as they age. The age for nasolabial fold lines to form is somewhat ambiguous, but experts agree that they are most noticeable when someone reaches their thirties. However, the lines can become more pronounced as the years’ progress. They are much more prominent and severe when they reach their late fifties and sixties.
Ageing causes the structure of your cheekbones to get more flattened. Because of this, the skin on your cheeks may become loose and sag downward.
- Sun damage
Sun damage is another cause of lines between the nose and lips. Nasolabial folds form from the damage done to the skin from exposure to ultraviolet light. When too much radiation is absorbed, it causes wrinkles in the skin, leading to more rapid ageing of that area.
The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays degrade the collagen and elastin fibres in your skin, which are responsible for maintaining its smoothness and firmness.
- Smoking
You may be amazed at the possibility that smoking causes nasolabial folds, but it is one of the leading causes of lines between the nose and mouth.
Smoking alters the skin’s extracellular matrix, decreasing its strength and flexibility. This explains why smokers’ nasolabial folds and jowls become more pronounced. The thickness of the skin is responsible for the remaining portion.
- Rapid weight gain or weight loss
Weight fluctuations can contribute to new skin laxity, lines, folds, or wrinkles. Skin in the region extends to make room for the additional volume when we gain more weight. The skin may continue to be stretched after weight loss, giving the appearance of a nasolabial fold.
- Side sleeping
Most people prefer to sleep on their side, either flat or curled into a ball. One of the best ways to get some shut-eye is on your side, but if you care about keeping your wrinkles at bay, that can be a problem.
Whenever you sleep on your side, your body naturally assumes a position that causes your skin to be folded or crushed at some point. Nasolabial folds, eye wrinkles, and lip lines are just a few examples of where this might accumulate over time.
How to fix nasolabial folds naturally
There are several ways of getting rid of nasolabial folds without fillers or cosmetic corrective interventions. However, they require patience and consistency. Some of the most effective methods are:
- Nasolabial folds exercise
The muscles in the lower cheekbones, mouth, and chin might presumably be strengthened through facial exercise to reduce the appearance of nasolabial folds. Doing this once or twice daily is advised:
- Making a puckered-lips gesture toward the ceiling as if kissing it.
Repetition: 4 to 5 sets of 15 seconds.
- Pouting involves squeezing the lips together and dragging the corners of the mouth outward. Hold for 15 seconds, do this for four to five sets.
- The next step is to draw the mouth corners apart with your index fingers while the mouth is slightly open. Repeat this 25-50 times, holding for 2-3 seconds each time.
- Disguise the nose-to-mouth lines
If uncomfortable with the nasolabial exercises, you can disguise your folds.
You may be wondering about ‘How to disguise nose-to-mouth lines,’
While hiding or disguising nasolabial lines is difficult, setting up the correct type of foundation or concealer can help you cover up any signs of ageing on your face. To do this,
- Apply foundation to your face in the usual manner.
- Wait a few minutes as the foundation sets.
- Take the concealer and use your pinky finger to apply it in five tiny dots along each nasolabial fold. Blend the concealer into the skin using gentle patting motions.
- Allow the concealer to dry for some minutes, and then apply the highlighter over the concealer using simple up-and-down strokes. If the highlighter is a pencil, draw vertical lines on the face. If the highlighter is liquid, dot it with your pinky finger.
- Blend the highlighter along the nose-to-mouth lines and just outside the lines, using your finger or a cosmetic sponge to massage it into the skin softly.
- Apply the rest of your makeup, as usual, and avoid applying powder to the nasolabial area, as this would exaggerate the lines.
- Use of Vitamin C serum
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant capable of helping your body clear the toxins responsible for nasolabial folds. Applying it to your skin can infuse your cells with these antioxidants and help nourish them. You may experience increased hydration and radiance while strengthening the skin’s natural barrier against environmental aggressors.
If your skin is sensitive, apply it once every other day. Then, gradually increase the frequency. Follow with a face moisturiser.
Just a few drops of Vitamin C serum are required. If you don’t want to spend the money on a full bottle, try looking for travel-size or trial sizes. These are smaller than the full size but offer enough product to help determine whether or not the serum is best for you.
- Skin Exfoliation
Exfoliation is the removal of dead cells from the skin. The most effective way to do this is by using a scrub, which mechanically removes dead skin cells and leaves your face feeling refreshed, soft and brand new. You should also exfoliate the laugh lines and the area around the lips. It will help remove dead skin cells, make a face look bland and accentuate fine lines’ appearance.
You can use any scrub you want on your face as long as it contains natural exfoliating particles like salt or sugar crystals.
- Monitor facial movements
Being aware of how you move and rest your face can benefit your facial tissues and muscles in the long run, just as you are probably aware of your bodily movements.
Face yoga, for example, consists of basic focused motions, poses and stretches to develop your facial muscles for tighter, more toned skin. And, just as you should be careful of rest and recovery, you should think about how you hold your face when not actively engaging.
Nasolabial folds treatment
With the growing popularity of cosmetology, many nasolabial treatments have shown to be effective. However, they have substantial adverse side effects if done by inexperienced doctors. Dr Nina Bal of the facial sculpting clinic is a renowned doctor who has successfully helped several patients get rid of nose-to-mouth lines with minimal side effects. Some of the treatments offered by Dr Nina include;
- Dermal Fillers
Dermal fillers with hyaluronic acid are a popular treatment for nasolabial folds. They are injected into the depths of the folds to plump them up and smooth out any wrinkles. Dermal fillers can also give volume to the cheekbones and reduce or eliminate wrinkles around the eyes. It is non-surgical and produces dramatic and immediate results.
The risks involved in getting the procedure done with unqualified doctors include; injection bruises, swelling, and redness. In very severe cases, there might be a nose-to-mouth line filler gone wrong due to the dramatic nature of the results.
- Laser Resurfacing
The resurfacing process stimulates collagen renewal in deep lines and wrinkles around the mouth and nose. This can be easily achieved by using intense light to create cross-linking reactions between the collagen in the skin and the buried tissue structures. Nasolabial folds are frequently less visible when the skin appears more youthful.
- Botulinum Toxin Injections
Another popular treatment for deep nasolabial folds is Botulinum toxin injections. Botox is used for nasolabial fold flattening. Botulinum toxin paralyses muscles, so when injected into the muscle tissue near the nasolabial folds, it relaxes the muscles. It reduces their movement, thus reducing the prominence of the folds. Nose-to-mouth lines Botox can reduce the appearance of nasolabial folds for a few months.
Other types of nasolabial fold treatments include:
- Microneedling
- PDO threads
- Fat transfer
- Subcision surgery
Frequently asked questions about nasolabial folds
– Practising facial exercises
– Disguising the folds with makeup products
– Use of SPF
Because these laugh lines or nasolabial folds are a natural result of ageing, the only preventive precaution you can take is to protect your skin from the sun and apply an effective anti-ageing skin care regimen.
Losing weight is one of the major causes of nasolabial folds because the facial skin loses volume, causing it to droop. In other words, weight loss isn’t a solution to nasolabial folds; it is instead a cause.
Due to the various factors causing nasolabial folds, these folds can appear as early as 20 years of age. Nasolabial folds in the 20s are not usual because up until 25, the skin should still be smooth, firm and elastic if well managed.
The typical age for the appearance of nasolabial folds is 30, which gets more profound as the person ages.
Final words
With one or more of the ways mentioned above to get rid of nasolabial folds naturally, you will get your youthful skin in no time, with zero fear of side effects.
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