Should I use a filler for my very faint laugh lines that have started popping up? Want to be proactive! (Photo)

Hi Anastasia. Thanks for your question.  The choice to use dermal fillers for laugh lines is a very personal one and if those small indentations and changes you see concern you, then by all means, dermal fillers are an option.  There are many dermal fillers available for this area and almost all are FDA approved in the nasolabial folds.  These include Restylane, Restylane Lyft, Restylane DeFyne, Juvederm, Juvederm Ultra Plus, Radiesse, Voluma, etc.As important or more important is the experience and quality of your injector as you want a natural outcome as you correct the imperfections that concern you.  Best of luck.

Hello and thank you for your question and photos. When dermal fillers are administered by an experienced, board-certified dermatologist, they can successfully be used to reduce the appearance of laugh lines without creating a “fake” appearance. I would also combine these fillers with laser treatments: Clear and Brilliant, Fraxel, or RF microneedling in order to build more collagen to erase these wrinkles. 

I recommend fillers to soften the nasolabial folds themselves and also lift around the mouth and cheeks to build underlying anatomical support. In our practice we combine Sculptra with other fillers ""layered"" on top and lasers, skin tightening treatments such as Thermage, Fractora, and Renuvion (J Plasma), thread lifting,  and peels to get the most conservative, natural look. I suggest seeing a facial sculpting expert for a formal consultation. Best, Dr. Emer

In your case, I'd probably start with perhaps 1 syringe of filler total split between your caught lines/nasolabial folds. If you like the results, but its a bit insufficient, then I'd either add another syringe in the same place, or look to add some filler into the cheek bones to provide further lift and structural support. Most importantly, find a cosmetic skin expert (e.g. dermatologist) who is highly trained and experienced for optimal results and safety, and a natural look.

Great questions and thank you for the photos. Based on the images provided, it seems you would really benefit from a combination of fillers in the smile lines as well as the cheeks for support. Best results would be a combination of both to really lift the face and smooth out the lines.
Best of luck from Orange County!

Hi Anastasia.  Your lines are certainly deep enough so that filler is warranted, and you will want a filler that feels most natural while also being long-lasting.You can probably wait on the cheek filler for now and focus on the smile lines.  While some "lifting" of the skin does occur with cheek filler, given the depth of your smile lines, any improvement there will be subtle and likely not enough to improve your smile lines adequately.  I would proceed with one of the higher-level Juvederm products so that you can obtain immediate improvements and then tackle other issues later.  We would want your results to look natural and not "over-done".Please let us know if you have any other questions.