Laughter Lines

The term ‘laughter lines’ describes those wrinkles or creases in the skin of a person’s face that appear around the outer corners of the eyes and mouth. They’re primarily caused by the repetition of facial movements, smiling and laughing, but also including frowning and any other facial expressions.

There are some issues that can make laughter lines more pronounced

• For some people they are a genetic characteristic, inherited from parents
• They can appear as we lose elasticity in the skin – this is a process that can be accelerated by smoking and/or sun exposure, both of which cause the skin’s appearance to deteriorate
• Laughter lines can also be more prominent when people lose fat, so an undesirable consequence of successful weight loss (diet and/or exercise)

There is no set age for laughter lines to appear – some will experience them quite early, but where they are age or lifestyle related rather than genetic, the first tiny lines and crease may appear in the 20s.

Others may experience them in their 30s, but by the 40s, most clients will have some noticeable eye and mouth lines due to loss of collagen fibre and elastin in the skin, which deplete as we grow older. Laughter lines can be seen as a sign of joy, caused by a pleasant thing – smiling and laughing – but their appearance might not always make people feel so happy.

They can also be seen as a sign of age, especially when the lines and creases start to become more severe and visible even when the face is at rest.in particular. They can make people feel self-conscious and concerned that they appear old before their time. However, while they are to a certain extent inevitable, there are now treatment options that could help.

There are a range of solutions available to regain some smoothness around the eyes and/or mouth area. These include:

• Anti-ageing injections using BOTOX® can help to calm the fine dynamic muscle movements, allowing the skin to appear smoother. This is especially useful in the upper face including opening up the eyes for a fresher look
• Dermal fillers tend to be more for the lower face and can be helpful for lines around the mouth to restore lost volume
• Lip enhancement fillers are particularly helpful for replenishing volume in the lips
• Microneedling using Dermaroller or Dermapen is a technique which stimulates the skin’s renewal processes through a series of tiny wounds that trigger natural healing responses
• 8-point face lift, also known as a non-surgical face lift, is a sophisticated use of injectable treatment which uses dermal fillers to provide structure, shape and ‘lift’ for loose tissues
• Eye lid surgery and eyebag removal (upper and lower blepharoplasty) are minor surgical procedures which are now available at Cosmedics Skin Clinics in London. Here the surgeon carefully removes excess skin to tighten the eye area, smoothing out laughter lines and wrinkles. This is a day case procedure available with fully accredited Plastic Surgeons
• These treatments could help to improve creases or wrinkles, but more importantly, can also help with confidence for those who felt their appearance did not reflect how they feel inside.

All the treatments suggested are available at Cosmedics Skin Clinics in London. Some are also available at our Bristol clinic.

If you’d like to take advantage of an assessment from one of our Aesthetic Doctors or Surgeons, please call us today and we will be happy to book an appointment.

They’ll carefully assess your face and discuss your concerns before talking you through your options. There’s no obligation to proceed.