As you age, many changes happen in your body, but your face is often the first to show signs of aging. These changes are a natural part of the aging process and are caused by a combination of factors, including genetics, lifestyle choices, and environmental factors.
Dr. Cecil Yeung and our team at The Yeung Institute in Houston, Texas, want you to know that while aging is unavoidable, there are many things you can do to help promote a youthful appearance both with lifestyle changes and cosmetic procedures.
Here, we explore how aging changes the shape of your face and how completely customized facial rejuvenation treatments can refresh your appearance.
Loss of volume
One of the most noticeable changes to occur as you age is the loss of facial volume. That sunken or lean look develops when the fat pads in your face start to shrink. To compound issues, your skin becomes less elastic, and the result is a more hollowed-out appearance, especially around your cheeks and temples.
What you can do about it
Several nonsurgical options are available to restore lost volume. Dermal fillers help plump up your skin and fill in hollow areas. We can inject these fillers into specific areas of your face to restore a more youthful appearance.
At The Yeung Institute, we offer hyaluronic acid-based fillers. The Juvéderm® collection contains many fillers designed specifically to restore lost volume in your cheeks and lips.
Sagging skin
Another common change that happens with age is sagging skin. This is caused by a loss of collagen and elastin, which are the proteins responsible for keeping the skin firm and elastic. As these proteins break down, your skin loses its elasticity, causing it to sag.
What you can do about it
There are several surgical and nonsurgical options for treating sagging skin. Laser skin resurfacing helps stimulate collagen production and tightens your skin. Surgical options include facelifts, neck lifts, and eyebrow and forehead lifts, which remove excess skin and tighten the underlying muscles, and facial fat transfers.
Wrinkles and fine lines
Not only does the loss of collagen and elastin contribute to sagging skin, but it can also contribute to wrinkles and fine lines. These obvious signs of aging are common around your eyes, mouth, and forehead. Other causes of wrinkles include repetitive expressions — such as squinting, smiling, or furrowing your brow — photodamage, and smoking.
What you can do about it
Popular nonsurgical options for treating wrinkles and fine lines include Botox®, which relaxes the underlying muscles that cause wrinkles, and dermal fillers, which can plump up the skin and smooth away wrinkles.
Other nonsurgical options we offer include chemical peels and C02 fractional laser skin resurfacing, which remove the top layer of skin to reveal fresher, smoother skin underneath.
Changes in facial bone structure
Your skin isn’t the only part of your face that changes as you age. Believe it or not, the bones in your face can also change shape, which can result in a less defined jawline or a flatter cheekbone area.
What you can do about it
A chin implant can help better define your jawline, while cheek implants can add volume to your cheekbones. These surgical procedures are typically done under general anesthesia and require a period of recovery time.
Lifestyle habits
In addition to our many surgical and nonsurgical solutions, altering your lifestyle habits can help promote healthy skin as well as prolong the results of any procedures you choose to have. These include:
- Always wearing sunscreen when outside
- Wearing sunglasses to help prevent the wrinkles from squinting when it’s bright
- Keeping your skin moisturized
- Eating a diet rich in skin-friendly foods
- Using the right skin care products for your skin type
- Getting enough sleep
Not sure where to start? It's no secret that aging changes the shape of your face in many ways, but you don’t have to sort through all of our rejuvenating treatments on your own. During your consultation, we discuss all of your aesthetic goals and walk you through your options to help you find the right fit to turn back the hands of time.
To schedule your consultation at The Yeung Institute, call us at 713-795-4885 so you can get started with your own personalized package.
