The Aging Face (Triangle of Beauty)
Normally, aging comes with thinning hair, dull skin, fine lines, and uneven skin tone. However, aging goes beyond the wrinkles and folds on our faces. In this article, we’ll explore how the different layers of our facial structure relate to aging. There's a common thread in the beauty world tying all the features of a youthful appearance: the Triangle of Beauty.
The Triangle of Youth vs. The Inverted Triangle
As its name suggests, The Triangle of Beauty or The Triangle of Youth is an upside-down triangle showing the features of a beautiful and youthful face. The triangle (V shape) refers to the three distinctive youthful face features. These features include high cheekbones, full cheek volume, and a well-defined jawline with the chin as the apex.
Youthful skin is smooth, soft, well-hydrated, and rich in cells that regenerate relatively quickly. But all of these become the opposite as one grows older. As aging happens, it causes the triangle to become inverted or what we call the Pyramid of Aging. Facial signs of aging include:
- Loss of facial volume.
- Sagging skin on the cheeks.
- Hollow cheeks.
- A drooping jawline.
- Fullness in the neck area.
- A broader and flabbier chin area (double chin)
What Happens to Our Face as We Age?
Age-related changes are visible throughout the facial structure, from the skin to the fat pads and the bones.
Skin: Sagging of the face is primarily due to the thinning of facial tissue. Most importantly, loss of collagen, hyaluronic acid, and elastin is enhanced by the downward pull of gravity.
Fat Pads: Pads on the face thins out, which causes the tear trough to hollow out, the cheeks to flatten, and the corners of the mouth to slant downwards.
Bones: While we age, not only our tissue sags but also our bone structure weakens. This gradually alters the shape of the face, particularly the chin and jaw area.
Changes may appear as early as the mid-20s, but the onset age varies from patient to patient. Other factors influence the way our skin ages, such as:
- Genetic Make-up
- Major weight loss leading to sagging skin
- Lifestyle choices such as diet, smoking, alcohol consumption
- Side-sleeping (Friction against fabrics)
- Pollution
- Stress
- Sun Exposure
Restore Your Triangle of Youth with These Treatments
Here at Hilton Head Plastic Surgery and Medspa, we offer an array of treatments to restore your triangle of beauty and start looking young again!
Facial Cosmetic Surgery
Facial Cosmetic surgery involves restructuring and tightening the face and neck skin and removing fat deposits. Here are several types of cosmetic surgery targeting specific areas of the face.
- Full or Partial Facelift (rhytidectomy)
- Neck Lift (lower rhytidectomy)
- Eyelift (blepharoplasty)
- Brow Lift
In addition to skin tightening and realignment of the face and neck, permanent implants can also correct an inverted pyramid facial profile.
Facial Fillers
Hilton Head Plastic Surgery & MedSpa specializes in the treatment of facial rejuvenation through facial injections & fillers. Notably, Juvederm Voluma and Radiesse are two facial fillers that provide the lifting power needed to recreate the youthful structures, contours and proportions that are lost over the years.
Neuromodulators
Botox and Xeomin are prescription cosmetic formulations injected primarily into specific muscles of the upper face in order to improve the appearance of moderate to severe frown lines, forehead wrinkles and crow’s feet. It works by preventing nerve impulses from reaching the facial muscles; this relaxes the facial muscles and smoothens the skin. In the hands of an experienced injector, the objective of neurotoxin injection is a more relaxed and refreshed appearance that typically lasts 3-4 months.
Kybella
We begin to notice more and more fullness around our jowls as we age. Kybella may be your best facial injectable option if you have sagging and fullness under your chin due to gravity and thinning of your skin. Kybella, also known as "double chin surgery in a syringe," is an FDA-approved cosmetic injectable for dissolving fat cells under the chin. We can permanently tighten and shrink areas around the jawline, beneath the chin, and along the neck by undergoing just a few treatments.
PDO threads
This is a minimally invasive lifting treatment for those not yet ready for or not desiring a surgical lift. PDO stands for polydioxanone. This material has been used for decades to make the safe, non-inflammatory, dissolvable sutures used in heart and abdominal surgeries. Tiny barbs on the PDO threads help to lift skin and tissues. However, PDO threads are not just about lifting. As the body breaks the threads down, new collagen is produced, making it a therapeutic anti-aging skin treatment as well.
elōs Plus
elōs Plus combines IPL (intense pulsed light), RF (radio frequency), and optical, infrared light targeting different problems and protecting and repairing skin. Among the three types of treatments under this platform, these two are ideal for restoring facial harmony.
- Sublative™ Resurfacing mode minimizes scarring, refines pores, and re-textures and lifts skin.
- Sublime™ Wrinkle Reduction mode stimulates collagen production to lift, firm, and contour facial skin to look youthful.
Profound MicroNeedling
Profound is a non-surgical treatment using a micro-needling device that emits radiofrequency waves. Both of these work together to increase skin volume and tighten tissue. The procedure breaks down tissue to activate your body's natural healing response, stimulating the production of new elastin, collagen, and hyaluronic acid.
Get Started with Your Aesthetic Goals
With aging and loss of facial volume, facial contours change, leading to shadow patterns, while youthful highlights fade. Understanding how your face alters with age can give you an insight into the best treatment options for your aesthetic needs. Consult with us here at Hilton Head Plastic Surgery and Med Spa. Call or schedule an appointment online for an assessment and know what treatment options are best for you!
Hilton Head Plastic Surgery & MedSpa offers a wide range of safe and effective methods for achieving a more attractive and youthful appearance, from non-surgical and minimally-invasive MedSpa treatments to cosmetic or reconstructive surgery.
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