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What Causes Laugh Lines and How Can You Address Them?

Have you recently noticed deepening wrinkles between your nose and the corners of your mouth whenever you smile or laugh? Laughter may be strong medicine, but perhaps the only possible drawback is that your skin often pays the price due to being pulled in different directions whenever you make an expression. The wrinkles that show up on your face over time are evidence of the range of emotions—from anger to happiness, fear to sadness—that you experience each day. Virtually everyone has laugh lines, regardless of age, and the goal is to soften these lines—but in a natural way, instead of erasing them completely. Unlike fine lines and wrinkles on other areas of the face, laugh lines, which are also referred to as nasolabial folds, consist of dense rolls of fibrous tissue and muscle. They can be caused by routine expressions made over a lifetime, as well as intrinsic aging, weight gain, gravity, dental issues, or sun damage. A range of home remedies and aesthetic treatments, including RHA® fillers from Revance at our St. Louis-based practice, can help you make these lines and folds less prominent. 

Topical Products

If you don’t want to have a more dramatic procedure, topical creams and serums can help to rejuvenate your skin. Look for products that contain powerful anti-aging ingredients that stimulate the regeneration of collagen and elastin or add moisture to plump the skin. Some examples include hyaluronic acid, retinol, and vitamin C. Keep in mind, however, that less dramatic approaches yield less dramatic results.

Hyaluronic Acid-Based Fillers 

For years, hyaluronic acid-based injectable fillers have been considered the gold standard for reducing the depth of wrinkles on the lower face, such as nasolabial folds, marionette lines, and oral commissures. The soft tissue fillers, which have a gel-like consistency, are injected beneath the skin to add lift and volume. 

Revance RHA® Fillers

Many people are worried about having an overly “stiff” or “overdone” look from fillers, or a swollen look that may appear strange around the mouth area. While avoiding this look depends greatly on the skill of the injector, RHA® fillers are also designed to blend more easily into the skin and maintain a natural look, even in “high-motion” areas. 

Learn more about RHA® fillers in St. Louis at West County Plastic Surgeons of Washington University. Call (314) 996-8800, or submit a contact form to request a consultation.