You’re brushing your teeth one morning when you catch it — those faint lines running from your nose to the corners of your mouth. Smile lines. You don’t remember them being this noticeable before.
Smile lines (or nasolabial folds, if we’re getting technical) are one of the most common and early changes people notice as skin starts to lose its bounce. They’re not just about age; they come from a mix of volume loss, skin laxity, and the natural pull of facial muscles over time.
The Upside? There are ways that we can help improve the appearance. From skincare tweaks to in-clinic treatments, there are ways to soften smile lines while keeping all the natural movement that makes your face yours. Let’s break it down.
Causes of Nasolabial Folds
- Volume loss: As we age, the fat compartments in the midface (like the malar fat pad) gradually shrink and shift downward, reducing the soft tissue support that once kept the cheeks full and lifted. At the same time, collagen and elastin production slows, and even the underlying facial bones begin to resorb and alter your face’s shape. The result is less structural support for the skin near the nose and mouth which can make nasolabial folds more pronounced and create the appearance of deep smile lines.
- Soft tissue sagging: Over time, the ligaments that anchor the skin and fat pads to deeper facial structures weaken, and the skin itself loses elasticity due to reduced collagen and elastin. This leads to the downward drooping of tissues like the anterior buccal fat pad, causing heaviness above the nasolabial fold and making the crease below it look deeper.
- Repeated facial movements: Repeated facial expressions, especially smiling, pull on the skin through underlying muscles like the levator labii superiosis. Over time, this constant tugging deepens the creases, making nasolabial folds more prominent even at rest.
- Loss of skin elasticity: As we age, the skin’s natural “building cells” (like fibroblasts, which make collagen and elastin) slow down. This is partly because telomeres — the protective caps on our cell’s DNA — get shorter each time cells divide, making them less able to repair and renew. On top of that, things like sun exposure, pollution, and chronic inflammation speed up the breakdown of collagen and elastin, the two proteins that keep skin firm and stretchy.
- Genetics: More often than not, it’s your genes that determine how deep and early your nasolabial folds appear. Your inherited facial bone shape, fat distribution, collagen/elastin production, and skin type all play significant roles. Variants in genes like ELN (which encodes elastin) can affect the ability of your skin to maintain elasticity over time. This is what gives your skin its stretch and recoil. Mutations or reduced elastin production may lead to less resilient skin and make fine lines like nasolabial folds more prominent.
In short, nasolabial folds are shaped by a mix of ageing, genetics, facial structure, and life itself — smiling, laughing, talking. While some people are born with deeper folds or notice them earlier, it’s not a flaw or something that always needs “fixing.”
#Ways to Manage Smile Lines
- Explore retinoids and vitamin C: Retinoids can help stimulate collagen over time, and vitamin C supports skin firmness and defends against environmental damage. Just keep expectations realistic — these won’t erase lines but can soften their appearance.
- Address lifestyle factors: Dehydration, chronic stress, smoking, and even sleep positions (like consistently sleeping on one side) can influence how pronounced these lines appear. Small adjustments, like improving hydration and sleep habits, may help reduce their visibility.
- Professional Skin Needling (Microneedling): This treatment creates tiny controlled micro-injuries in the skin to stimulate collagen production and improve texture. Skin needling can help reduce the appearance of fine lines, including around the mouth, by making the skin firmer and smoother over time.
- Cosmetic-Grade Chemical Peels: A carefully chosen chemical peel can resurface the skin, improve skin tone, and make smile lines look less prominent by encouraging new collagen formation. These treatments are stronger than at-home exfoliants and should be performed by professionals, like those at Laser Clinics Australia.
Final Thoughts
Remember: smile lines are normal.
Many people remind us that smile lines are part of a normal, expressive space. They’re often the quiet evidence of years spent laughing, smiling, and living, not just ageing. You don’t have to “fix” them if you don’t want to. Embracing them can be just as valid and meaningful as any skincare or treatment plan.
At the end of the day, how you approach them is personal — whether you choose to let them be or explore ways to soften their look, what matters most is that it aligns with what makes you feel confident and at ease.
