Introduction

Please choose from our range of cateogories in the left hand menu to view photos of dental work carried out on some of our clients.

Before looking at the before and after pictures it is important to understand the changes in facial features that occur in facial ageing and also at what age they start to appear. We have created a section called signs of facial ageing where we compare facial features of the young and the old. These should not be confused as before and after pictures.

Facial ageing used to be regarded mainly as gravity assisted sagging of the soft tissues of the face. Recent research has shown that boney changes taking place on the face also contribute to facial ageing. As we grow older the facial muscles thin down and put less strain on the bones and the bones in turn become weaker. On the face this can be seen as flattening of the cheek bones.

Signs Of Facial Ageing

Facial ageing starts to occur at a very young age. As early as the late teens and 20's, the main symptoms appear on the skin of the face. Ageing of the skin is caused by external factors like sun, smoking and air pollution, and internal factors which cause thinning of the skin. At this age, most of the damage is sun related.

30's: The upper eyelid skin starts to become loose and lines start to appear around the nose and the mouth. In the late thirties the corners of the eyes and the mouth may start to droop downwards.

40's: Wrinkles start to appear on the forehead, crows feet begin to appear around the eyes and the jaw line starts to sag leading to the early formation of jowls. Cheeks are starting to flatten a little.

50's: The upper eyelid sagging may reach the eyelashes; the droop on the corners of the eye starts to give a patient a sad look. The nose tip tends to droop and wrinkles begin to appear around the lips and the neck. The skin on the cheeks start to become loose and the nice rounded and curved cheeks of youth appear flat. Hair loses its soft sheen and you may get receding hairline and thinning of the hair.

60's: All the wrinkles deepen and there is a decrease in the eye size from the progressive encroachment from the surrounding lid skin, the skin becomes thinner and drier.

70's: Signs of advance ageing appear making the face more skeleton like. By this age the muscle mass on the face has decreased by 40%.