Facial Structure: Understand How Your Face Ages

Facial aging goes deeper than just wrinkles and folds. As we age and lose facial volume, facial contours change, skin becomes dull, and youthful radiance fades. Understanding how your face changes over time can help you and your doctor decide on the best treatment options to address your individual concerns.

WHAT IS THE TRIANGLE OF YOUTH AND THE INVERTED TRIANGLE?

Line lines and wrinkles are signs of aging, but aging also appears beneath the skin. Signs of aging exist on every layer of the facial structure.

TRIANGLE OF YOUTH At a young age, facial features are defined and well-contoured. This is commonly referred to as the triangle of youth. As we age, the triangle becomes inverted.

INVERTED TRIANGLE As we age, facial bones change, soft tissue sags due to gravity, and skin sags and droops. Fatty tissue shifts and can accumulate under the chin, causing a visible fullness between the neck and chin, also known as a "double chin." Aging is unique to each person. Genetics plays a significant role in the aging process. Other factors, such as sun exposure and diet, can play a role in determining when aging begins and how quickly it progresses.

SKIN AGING Youthful skin is elastic, smooth, well-hydrated, and rich in cells that renew relatively quickly. As we age, the glands located in the facial area atrophy, resulting in reduced sebum production, contributing to reduced skin moisture. Collagen and elastin are lost, which can lead to the formation of facial wrinkles. Due to repeated facial movement, expression lines eventually become static lines that become etched into the skin over time. Additionally, sagging skin can occur. Many factors influence how our skin ages, including lifestyle and genetics. Lifestyle choices such as sun exposure, smoking, alcohol consumption, diet, and stress can cause brown spots, rough skin, and wrinkles, as well as premature onset and progression of aging. Genetics influence all layers of the skin and contribute to thinning, dryness, and loss of elasticity during the aging process. ADDICT AND AGING Adipose tissue lies beneath the skin's surface and helps provide volume, facial contour, and fullness. As we age, it thins and sags. As a result, our face may not look the same as it did in our youth. Hollows can form under the eyes, sagging skin can cause deeper lines around the nose and mouth, loose skin can cause a sagging jawline, and fat can accumulate under the chin, causing fullness between the neck and chin (a "double chin"). MUSCLES AND AGING Our facial muscles are located beneath the fatty tissue. They are in repetitive motion when we eat, laugh, smile, and frown. As we age, the loss of facial fat combined with gravity and repetitive muscle activity can lead to deep facial wrinkles. Facial muscles also weaken over time. Loss of muscle tone and thinning skin can give the face a loose, sagging appearance. Our jawline loses its contour, and our profile becomes less defined. BONES AND AGING The bones of the face provide the foundation for muscles, fatty tissue, and skin. This bone structure gives us our unique facial shape and contour. A youthful bone structure has full, high cheekbones—as shown in the triangle of youth—and defined brow bones and less sunken eye areas. With age, facial bone loss occurs. This type of bone loss alters the dimensions and contour of the face, causing enlarged areas around the eyes, a decreased brow angle, and a less defined jawline.