What can we do for you?
If you have noticed the appearance of lines or folds running from the corners of your mouth right down to your chin when you look in the mirror, read on for the most effective ways to get rid of them.The medical term for these lines is the melomental folds but are commonly referred to as marionette lines. This term is taken from marionette puppets because of the appearance of their mouths. Now, I don’t know about you but who wants to be compared to a puppet?
One of the most common complaints that bring people into clinic is that they feel that they look sad all the time even when they are feeling perfectly happy.
Developing marionette lines is one of the first signs of aging and as you can imagine, many people would like to get rid of them ASAP.
As always, its best to start with a bit of simple anatomy which explains about how they develop before we get on to the solution.
Why do they appear?
Volume loss
Just like every other line or wrinkle that appears, it is the natural loss of collagen and elastin that is responsible for loose skin and volume loss. As volume loss increases, the underlying structures can no longer support skin as effectively resulting in folds and depressions.
There is also good old gravity at play, in addition to genetics, sun damage, weight loss and lifestyle.
Muscle action
There is a muscle on either side of the mouth called the depressor anguli oris (DAO) that is responsible for pulling down the mouth corners. It is this muscle that is responsible for pouting and the “eek” expression as I like to call it.
Whilst not connected with volume loss, this muscle action can make marionette lines appear more prominent, encouraging the appearance of depressions and folds.
Can marionette lines be treated?
Although good skin care and healthy lifestyle can certainly help to slow the rate of collagen loss, once marionette folds have developed, they cannot be treated effectively with conservative approaches such as good skin care. Replacing the lost volume is the answer.
Dermal Fillers
An incredibly effective way to soften or even eliminate marionette lines is with the use of dermal fillers. Strategically placed dermal fillers will replace lost volume and, in many cases, erase marionette lines for 12 months or more.
Muscle relaxing injections
As we have already discussed, there is a pull down (depressor) muscle on either side of the mouth. Small injections of botulinum toxin AKA Botox will soften and relax these muscles which will help to prevent marionette lines deepening and return the corners of the mouth to a more neutral position.
This treatment more temporary, lasting up to 12 weeks.
It is an option to consider though if you have a very strong muscle pull.
As you can see, there are a couple of options for the treatment of marionette lines.
We would recommend speaking to an experienced aesthetic practitioner who can guide you through the best options for you.
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