1. What is a nasolabial fold?
Nasolabial folds or folds that occur from the wings of the nose in a long diagonal line down to the corners of the mouth on each side, which can be found in both men and women. If the folds are too deep or the lines are too obvious, it will make the face look older than its age, which can be corrected by injecting fillers into the nasolabial folds.
The nasolabial fold is the dividing line between the cheek and upper lip.
# The nasolabial folds are divided into 4 grades according to the severity level >
Grade 1-2 ; It's just a groove caused by the fat in the cheek area disappearing.
Grade 3-4 ; are wrinkles that, in addition to the loss of fat in that area, also have other problems involved, such as the collapse of the upper jaw bone, sagging of the face, etc.
2. What causes nasolabial folds?
(2.1).Bone resorption:
As we age, the upper jawbone sags, leaving the cheekbone area without bone to support it. What can happen is:
– Causes the cheek groove to roll up
– The entire upper face is OK.
– The upper lip will be longer.
– The nose is bent downward, the nostrils are wider.
This can be corrected by injecting filler into the bone layer at the base of the nose to lift the skin and make the nostrils a little narrower. After that, inject filler to fill in both cheek grooves to make them look naturally full.
(2.2).Periorbital bone resorption:
From the age of 30 onwards, the eye socket bones will sag and the facial ligaments will sag, causing the fat and muscles that had attachment to them to change position, causing the cheeks to sag. The upper cheek flesh will sag and pile up above the nasolabial folds, making the nasolabial folds look deep.
It can be corrected by injecting filler into the cheek groove and filler under the eyes together by injecting to lift the skin in the bone layer to pull the overall skin structure upwards. This will make the cheek flesh above the cheek groove less. Then, filler is injected into the cheek groove area, which will look naturally full. If only the cheek groove is injected to correct it, it will make the cheek groove worse than before. The flesh will pile up above the cheek groove even more, looking unnatural.
(2.3). Dry skin and thinning skin layer:
The appearance is shallow wrinkles on the cheeks. You can use fillers to add moisture directly into the skin layer. You should choose small molecule fillers to make it smooth and not lumpy on the skin.
3. How to inject filler into the nasolabial fold and how many CCs are needed?
After assessing and analyzing the cause of the nasolabial folds, the severity of the nasolabial folds is graded to address the root cause and achieve the most natural results.
Grade 1-3: Use 1-2 CC of filler.
Inject filler into the cheek grooves by selecting a product that matches the patient's skin type for a smooth, natural look without lumps.
Grade 4-5: Use 4 CC or more of filler.
Which is caused by increasing age, the face sags. Therefore, in addition to injecting filler to fill in the cheek groove, filler should be injected under the eyes as well. By injecting to lift the skin in the bone layer to pull the overall skin structure upwards. This will make the cheek flesh above the cheek groove less. Then inject filler in the cheek groove area, it will look full and natural. If injected to correct only the cheek groove, it will make the cheek groove worse than before. The flesh will pile up more above the cheek groove, looking unnatural.
4. How many days after filler injection does the cheek swelling last?
There will be a little swelling for about 2-3 days after the treatment, and it will gradually disappear on its own. It takes about 1-2 weeks for it to settle in. During this time, the doctor does not recommend eating pickled foods because they contain a lot of sodium. Avoid drinking all types of alcoholic beverages to reduce the risk of swelling. After that, the doctor will make another appointment to see the results.
5. Is it dangerous to inject filler into your cheeks?
The dangers of filler injections depend on several factors, as follows:
(5.1). Use of fake fillers:
If anyone hears the claim that fillers last more than 5 years or are semi-permanent fillers, that is considered a fake filler, such as liquid silicone, paraffin oil. If injected, it will be very dangerous. Because if it is under the skin for too long, it may move to other points on the face or form a lump, swell, cause inflammation, which can be life-threatening.
(5.2). The doctor has no expertise:
If anyone hears the claim that fillers last more than 5 years or are semi-permanent fillers, that is considered a fake filler, such as liquid silicone, paraffin oil. If injected, it will be very dangerous. Because if it is under the skin for too long, it may move to other points on the face or form a lump, swell, cause inflammation, which can be life-threatening.
(5.3). Using the wrong type of filler:
With fillers available today in many brands and models, each with different strengths and properties, it is necessary to choose the type of filler that is appropriate for the area of the skin being injected. Because using fillers with large molecular resolutions that are injected into areas with thin or weak skin, such as the cheeks, may cause the skin in the area being injected to lag, causing the filler to move to other areas on the face or the filler to form into lumps.
When injecting filler into the cheeks, you should choose a soft filler that is resistant to movement. This is because the upper skin layer in the cheek area is very dry and thin. Choosing a soft filler will allow the filler to spread and smoothly fit into the skin as naturally as possible.
(5.4). Other side effects:
– Tissue damage
– Clumping filler
- infect
- Blind
6. How to behave before and after injecting filler into the cheeks?
Guidelines for conduct before filler injections and thread lifts (1 week before the procedure) =>
1. Aspirin, NSAIDs such as Ibuprofen, Diclofenac, Ponstan should be stopped for 1 week before the procedure and a doctor should be consulted before stopping the medication.
2. You should stop taking St. John Wort, Ginko biloba, Primrose oil, Garlic, Ginseng, and Vitamin E for 1 week before the procedure.
3. You should avoid using exfoliating creams such as Tretinoin (Retin-A), Retinols, Retinoids, Glycolic Acid, or any type of “Anti-Aging” cream for 3 days before the procedure.
4. Avoid waxing, peeling, pulling or shaving the hair in that area for 3 days before the procedure.
5. If you have a facial massage or laser course, you should do it at least 3 days before the filler injection or thread lift because you need to wait another 2 weeks after the procedure.
6. If you have any chronic diseases or other regular medications, you should prepare the information to inform the doctor before the procedure.
Guidelines for conduct after filler injection =>
1. Avoid laser, facial sauna, facial massage, or heat application on the face for at least 1 month.
2. Avoid taking medications or vitamins that increase bleeding, such as aspirin, vitamin E, and ginkgo biloba, during the first week.
3. Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages, liquor, beer, and smoking for at least 2 weeks.
4. Avoid heat on your face, such as blow drying your hair and washing your face with warm water.
5. Drink plenty of water, at least 2-3 liters per day, as the filler will swell up, making it last longer.
6. Do not press, massage, rub, or mold the area where the filler was injected to reduce the movement of the drug to unwanted areas.
7. You can wear makeup as usual after the filler injection.
