Don't Let Your Wrinkles Keep You from Smiling: Juvéderm Can Help

How often do you look in the mirror and see little lines around your mouth and at the edge of your eyes? Do you hold back your smile in photos so the wrinkles don’t make an appearance on social media?

Seeing wrinkles and fine lines on your face and other parts of your body is a normal part of aging. These creases come about due to loss of elasticity in the skin, damage from the sun and environment, and repeated expressions, like smiles and frowns.

Here at our office in East Lansing, Michigan, Dr. Rick J. Smith can help you achieve a more youthful appearance.  We use Juvéderm, a dermal filler that plumps and smoothes skin, reducing fine lines and wrinkles to make you look and feel more confident.

What causes wrinkles

As the years creep by, we start noticing wrinkles and fine lines that don’t dissipate when we stop smiling. Wrinkles, whether they’re fine lines or deep furrows, can be caused by a combination of factors:

• Age is one of the most common causes. Over time, the amount of collagen and elastin our bodies produce drops significantly, creating a loss in the firmness and elasticity of skin.
  
• Facial expressions contract and relax the muscles of your face. Smiling, laughing, frowning, and even talking can create lines in your skin over the years.
  
• Smoking cigarettes narrows the blood vessels in your skin and damages the collagen and elastin in your body. Plus, pursing your lips as you smoke contributes to the creation of “smoker’s lines,” the numerous tiny lines surrounding your lips.
  
• Exposure to the sun affects skin cells. The UVA and UVB rays penetrate beneath the upper layers and cause damage in the cells below.

Juvéderm dermal fillers

The fillers in the Juvéderm line contain hyaluronic acid, a substance normally produced in the skin along with collagen and elastin. Hyaluronic acid also assists in the skin’s ability to retain water, which further enhances the firm look of your skin.

We have Juvéderm formulas that work specifically on wrinkles that arise because of smiling: parentheses lines (from your nose arcing around your mouth) and marionette lines (from the corner of your mouth down your chin). When we treat these lines around your mouth, you can feel confident about your smile again.

In addition to filling in wrinkles and fine lines, Juvéderm can plump the lips and enhance the cheekbones to sculpt the face.

Your Juvéderm appointment

During your initial consultation we discuss your medical history and current skin condition to see if Juvéderm treatment is right for you.

The treatment itself is simple and doesn’t require anesthetic. If you’re worried about the injections, however, we offer numbing gels and creams that make the process even easier. Once you’re settled, we inject the Juvéderm solution into the areas we’ve marked.

The procedure doesn’t take long, and you’re free to continue the rest of your day as soon as we’ve finished.  For the first day or two you may see some swelling in the injection areas, but it should dissipate shortly. You’ll see results almost immediately, and they last anywhere from 1-2 years. If you start seeing your wrinkles and lines reappear, you can come in for maintenance treatments.

If you’re ready for a more youthful look and want to have more confidence in your smile, get in touch with us today. Call our office or click the “request appointment” button to schedule your consultation online.