Age 25, what can I do about my down turned mouth? (Photos)

Hello there,

I completely understand your concern — a downturned mouth can make the face appear more tired or serious even when you feel perfectly fine inside. It’s actually quite common and can be influenced by several factors, including genetics, facial muscle activity, aging-related volume changes, or even natural variations in facial structure.

At your age, true structural sagging is uncommon, so it’s likely more related to subtle muscle pull or minor volume loss around the corners of the mouth. The muscles called depressor anguli oris (DAO) are primarily responsible for pulling the corners of the mouth downward, and overactivity in these muscles can create that appearance over time.

Here are a few options, both non-surgical and surgical, depending on how much change you’re hoping for:

1. Botox (or similar neuromodulators):
A small, precisely placed dose into the DAO muscles can relax the downward pull, allowing the corners of the mouth to lift naturally. It’s subtle but very effective when done correctly, and there’s minimal downtime.

2. Dermal fillers:
If there’s mild volume loss or shadowing at the corners of the mouth or along the marionette lines, filler can restore balance and lift the corners slightly. This also helps smooth the transition from the lips to the chin area.

3. Lip lift (for specific cases):
A corner lip lift targets the outer corners of the mouth and can give a permanent, gentle elevation. It’s a minor surgical procedure with a small incision just above the lip corners, but it should only be done by an experienced aesthetic surgeon as it can subtly change your smile dynamics.

4. Cheek lift or midface lift:
At 25, these are rarely indicated unless there’s significant tissue descent (which isn’t visible in your photo). Your features appear youthful, so non-surgical options would likely provide excellent results without the need for surgery.

Overall, your facial proportions are harmonious — even minor enhancements could make a big difference in how refreshed and balanced your expression looks. Starting with small, reversible treatments like Botox or filler can help determine what works best for your unique anatomy before considering surgery.

Hi there! A lip lift would be a good surgical procedure for this concern, focusing on lifting the lateral parts of the lips. I do believe a cheek lift is a bit aggressive for your age. A minimally invasive procedure you could do is a bit of Botox in the DAO, (depressor anguli oris) which is the muscle that turns down the mouth, causing the frowning look). I would also recommend filler in the corners of the mouth to turn the lips upward.

At this point there would be no surgical fix for the corners of the mouth as it is not severe enough to warrant a procedure. You could get neuromodulators (Botox, Dysport) injected into the depressor muscles on the side of the chin, however based on the pictures that you submitted I would be judicious with this as the problem is very mild at this point.

Based on these photos it is not likely that you need surgical corner of the mouth lift. In person consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon would give you an opportunity to discuss carefully placed lip filler for this purpose. Try to avoid “injectors” for this particular issue. Good luck.

Hello Alexa!

Thank you for your question!

Before treating you, I would like to understand completely what is is that you see that you don’t like. Your lips are quite pretty, but perhaps you feel that the lateral upper lip is a bit thin on both sides? Perhaps you are seeing a shadow under the corners of the mouth or across the chin?

In any case, it seems unlikely that surgery would be required. Judiciously-placed filler and/or small amounts of a neuromodulator should get you where you want to be.

Please consult with an advanced injector with many years of experience and an in-depth understanding of lip and chin anatomy.

All the best from NYC,
Sheryl Clark MD FAAD