When most people think of facial aging, they picture wrinkles, those small lines etched into the skin over time. Wrinkles are only a small part of the story though. The most significant changes happen beneath the surface, in the deeper structures that shape your face.
To understand how to age gracefully and treat aging effectively, we need to look at what’s really changing as the years go by.
Skin Quality Decline
Your skin is your first visible sign of age, but the changes go deeper than a few lines. Over time, skin becomes thinner, drier, and less elastic. Collagen and elastin production slow down, pigment cells become less regulated, and circulation decreases. These changes cause:
- Uneven tone, pigmentation, or redness
- Rough or crepey texture
- Visible laxity and sagging
- Dullness or loss of radiance
When skin loses its bounce and ability to reflect light evenly, shadows form where light used to hit, making you appear tired or unhealthy, even if you feel great.
Best treatments for skin quality: Laser resurfacing, microneedling, radiofrequency (RF) microneedling, and collagen boosting facials help restore smoothness, brightness, and firmness.
Fat Pad Shift
Facial fat pads act like built in cushions, giving the face youthful fullness and smooth contours. With age, these pads flatten, shrink, and migrate downward. The upper face loses volume, while the lower face develops heaviness. This shift can create:
- Hollow temples and cheeks
- Deeper nasolabial folds
- Early jowl formation
- Loss of midface support
This redistribution changes your facial proportions, making the face look less lifted and more bottom heavy.
Best treatments for fat pad shift: Hyaluronic acid fillers replace lost volume, restore balance, and provide subtle lifting effects.
Bone Loss
Yes, your bones change as you age. The facial skeleton loses density and structure, especially in the jawline, cheeks, and around the eye sockets. This structural change causes:
- A softer, less defined jawline
- Loss of cheek projection
- Wider, more hollow eye area
- Increased skin sagging
Because the bone provides the scaffolding for your soft tissue, bone loss accelerates skin laxity and shifts in facial shape.
Best treatments for bone loss: Strategic filler placement can restore the underlying framework. Biostimulators like Sculptra or Radiesse can also help by building collagen to support the skin and deeper tissues.
Why Wrinkles Aren’t the Full Story
Wrinkles are the most obvious sign of aging, but they’re only the surface indicator. Muscle contractions cause fine lines and creases, which can be treated with neurotoxins like Botox. However, Botox can’t replace lost fat, bone, or collagen. Without addressing these deeper changes, softening lines alone won’t restore a youthful appearance.
Aging Gracefully With a Comprehensive Approach
Aging is multifaceted, so treatment should be too. The best anti aging results come from addressing every layer of the face:
- Neurotoxins for muscle related lines
- Fillers to replace lost volume and bone support
- Biostimulators to rebuild collagen over time
- Skin treatments to restore texture, tone, and resilience
By treating the skin, soft tissue, and underlying structure together, we create balanced, natural looking results that age beautifully over time.
Build Your Personal Anti Aging Plan
It’s not just about smoothing wrinkles, it’s about restoring the support, structure, and surface quality of the entire face. A tailored treatment plan can help you look refreshed, lifted, and naturally youthful for years to come. Book a consultation today and we can start building your comprehensive anti aging plan.
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