Three Ways Your Dermatologist Can Address Your Laugh Lines

Laughing is a good thing -- until you realize that all of those years of laughing and smiling have left you with creases around the corners of your mouth! Known as laugh lines, these creases and wrinkles can really age your facial appearance. Luckily, there are a few different ways your dermatologist can address them, such as:

Botox

If your laugh lines are thought to be due to thinning skin and a loss of elasticity, then your dermatologist may recommend Botox as a treatment. Botox is an injected substance. It's made from a neurotoxin that helps keep your muscles in a contracted state, which helps the skin over top of them look fuller and plumper. 

Botox injections only take a few minutes, and they are not overly painful. Your skin may be red and a bit irritated for a day or so after the procedure, but there's no reason to miss out on work or other activities. Your laugh lines should fade and remain less noticeable for about three to six months. At that time, you'll need another set of injections for renewed results.

Synthetic Fillers

If your dermatologist thinks your laugh lines are due to a loss of collagen in your skin, they might instead recommend something called a synthetic filler. This is a material that is injected into your skin. It has actual volume, and it remains in the skin for a year or more, making the area look plumper and less wrinkled.

There are a wide variety of synthetic filler treatments available, and each has its own set of pros and cons. Your dermatologist can recommend the one best suited to your needs. One downfall to these treatments is that, in comparison to Botox, they often cause more skin irritation. Your skin may be a bit sore for a few days, and your facial expression may be a bit altered until this side effect subsides.

Creams and Gels

If the idea of having anything injected into your face is completely off-putting, your dermatologist may instead prescribe a topical cream you can apply to your laugh line area. Typically, you apply this cream twice per day. It contains ingredients like hyaluronic acid and retinol to help stimulate your skin's natural production of collagen, leading to fewer laugh lines.

The results with creams and gels take a few weeks to develop and are not as dramatic, but this is the least invasive choice.