The loss of facial fat can create an aged appearance, but patients can get good results to restore facial volume via dermal fillers, plastic surgery, microneedling, PRP facials, or other procedures that encourage increased collagen production - perhaps more effectively than DIY facial exercises.
OPTIONS: Facial volume can be restored with injectable fillers or your own fat. Unlike peels and superficial fillers for skin lines, reflation is a procedure that uses filler or fat deeper in the face to prop up the skin and recreate lost contours.
As a result, any loss of facial volume can be resolved with professionally administered dermal fillers. Because hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance, this will be used up by the body over time, and so you will need to have your dermal filler topped up around 2-3 times a year.
Dermal fillers are excellent solutions for treating facial volume loss, precisely because that's what they're made for! Dermal fillers contain various hyaluronic acid gel formulas. When this gel is injected into the dermal tissue, it acts as scaffolding and lifts the skin up back to its naturally youthful position.
What causes facial volume loss? The natural aging process and your genetics are the major causes of facial volume loss. However, certain medications, weight loss, stress and other lifestyle factors may contribute to exacerbated facial volume loss.
But the most efficient option is to use dermal fillers. Dermal fillers can be injected into the tissue, at different depths to add volume and help to reshape your face. Dermal fillers can also lift areas of fat loss, and this can restore balance and fullness to your face.
Volume loss occurs well before the visual signs of skin sagging. At around age 35 we start to notice specific facial fat pads disappearing in a particular order, causing distinct signs of aging; loss of jaw line, saggy face, tired look, nose to mouth lines and under-eye shadows.
It is not possible to specifically target the face when gaining extra weight naturally. However, gaining weight overall can help people achieve a fuller facial appearance. Working out the facial muscles can make them stronger, which may make the face appear fuller.
Collagen levels decrease with age and, unfortunately, there's no way to prevent this. The good news is that there are several cosmetic treatments that can rebuild or restore collagen.
The ideal treatments for the replacement of lost facial volume are dermal fillers and collagen-stimulating treatments such as Sculptra. Dermal fillers come in a variety of densities to suit the various indications of volume loss on the face and come in the form of clear gels which are injected under the skin.
Ultraviolet rays, aka sunlight, cause collagen to break down faster. With sun exposure, those UV rays damage the skin by entering the dermis (the second and thickest layer of our skin) which causes collagen to break down faster.
The reason behind excess face fat is poor diet, lack of exercise, aging, or genetic conditions. Fat is usually more visible in the cheeks, jowls, under the chin, and neck. Facial fat tends to be more noticeable in people with rounded, less-pronounced facial features.
To put it bluntly: "Women and men of average height need to gain or lose about about 8 and 9 pounds, respectively, for anyone to see it in their face, but they need to lose about twice as much for anyone to find them more attractive," lead author Nicholas Rule told Medical News Today. The upshot?
For a weight change to show up on your face, you'd need to change your BMI by 1.33 points, the study found. That means a woman and man of average height would need to gain or lose eight pounds and nine pounds, respectively.
Loss of fat in our face
As we age, these areas of fat begin to diminish. This allows the skin to sag. The areas where fat loss is most noticed is in the temples, under the eyes, and in the cheek area. When the fat pads under our eyes diminish, it can give us a tired or hollow look.
A collagen treatment for face that is more versatile
Accordingly, a Sculptra® treatment does not only improve skin thickness and firmness with natural collagen stimulation, it can also help compensate for other causes of volume loss.
Loss of muscle tone and thinning skin gives the face a flabby or drooping appearance. In some people, sagging jowls may create the look of a double chin. Your skin also dries out and the underlying layer of fat shrinks so that your face no longer has a plump, smooth surface.
A loss of fat in the facial region can happen due to the natural aging process, weight loss, a shift in hormone levels, exposure to UV rays, smoking, injury, along with certain medical conditions that necessitate the consumption of specific medicines that prompt volume loss.
The mainstays of treatment for heel fat pad atrophy are custom molded foot orthoses with padding, shoes that provide padding and support for the feet while walking, and heel cups or cushioned socks that help reduce the impact of walking on the foot, experts say.
But as we age, the production of collagen and elastin that makes up the support network beneath the skin slows down. Getting older also causes the ligaments and tendons in the face to elongate and weaken, allowing fatty areas to move downwards.
Eating foods rich in vitamin C and amino acids can increase the levels of hyaluronic acid and collagen in the body as both are important for skin. Foods such as oranges, red peppers, kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and strawberries are all rich in vitamin C.
Your body begins to lose collagen when you turn 30. The effects become noticeable after several years. Even though this is a natural process, it's possible to speed it up with UV exposure, pollution, bad habits, and poor diet choices. While it's possible to accelerate collagen loss, it's also possible to slow it down.