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As one ages, the nasolabial folds begin to set in, with the muscles sagging and making way for wrinkles. As one grows older, the skin loses collagen, becomes thinner, taut and dry. Anything that stretches will develop lines. Can these laugh lines be tackled without bringing in invasive procedures?
What are laugh lines?
The marks of aging that appear around the mouth and nose, especially when one laughs, hence the name. “Laugh lines are caused by loss of structural skin elements such as collagen and hyaluronic acid along with sagging of cheek fat compartments,” explains dermatologist Dr Madhuri Agarwal. “These are deeper structures that require in-clinic dermatologist treatments such as dermal fillers, thread lift or laser resurfacing. Start skincare actives like retinol and peptides early and add these treatments as preventive measures to reduce deepening of laugh lines”, she adds.
Do egg white masks help?
Egg white masks play no role in reducing laugh lines. The mixture contains protein that can help with increasing skin hydration temporarily. “The hydration makes the skin look plump and the lines look less deep, but the effect wears out in sometime and the laugh lines are back,” says Dr Agarwal.
Is consuming collagen helpful?
“Consuming collagen and protein is good for skin. The peptides from collagen and proteins can help with skin hydration and health. There will be no effect on the laugh lines as they do not fill up the volume loss to reduce them,” explains Dr Agarwal.
Are facial tools effective?
“Facial exercises can in fact worsen laugh lines rather than improving them. If you overuse the muscles and manipulate the skin wrongly, it can deepen the laugh lines,” says Dr Agarwal. “The increased muscle activity of exercises around the nasolabial area can worsen the folds. When you use facial tools there is no change in the laugh lines. A transient relaxation and reduction in facial puffiness makes the folds appear softer but the effect does not stay.”
Will facial patches help?
Facial patches do not fill up laugh lines. They are equivalents of sheet masks made of silicone and claimed to reduce wrinkles by keeping the muscle movement less. “They can deliver some skin texture benefits, but don’t actually improve folds like laugh lines.