Summary
- A less firm-looking face may be caused by skin laxity, loss of facial volume or a combination of both.
- Skin laxity tends to affect firmness and definition, while volume loss can create flatter or more hollow-looking areas.
- Skin tightening treatments and volume-restoring treatments address different underlying concerns.
- Ultherapy Prime may be considered when mild to moderate facial laxity is the main concern.
You may have noticed that your jawline is not quite as defined as it used to be, your cheeks look flatter, or your face simply seems less firm even though you cannot pinpoint exactly what has changed.
It is easy to put all of this down to a sagging face, but facial ageing is more complex than loose skin alone. The key is determining whether what you are seeing is mainly skin laxity, loss of facial volume, or a combination of both.
Read on to know how to tell them apart and what your treatment options are.
Why Does the Face Start Looking Less Firm With Age?
Your face changes at several levels as you get older. Age-related changes can occur across the skin, facial fat and underlying skeletal structures, which together affect how firm and defined the face appears.
Collagen and Elastin Gradually Decline
Collagen provides structural support within the skin, while elastin helps it stretch and return to position. As these supporting proteins change with age, the skin gradually becomes thinner and less resilient.
Facial Fat Changes Over Time
Facial fat is organised into separate compartments rather than one continuous layer. These facial fat compartments can change in volume and distribution with age, contributing to flatter cheeks, hollowing and changes in facial proportions.
Deeper Facial Support Changes Too
The structures beneath the skin also change over time. Age-related changes in the facial skeleton can alter the underlying support of the face, particularly through areas such as the mid-face.
What Is Skin Laxity?
Skin laxity refers to a loss of firmness and support, causing the skin and underlying tissues to become looser and facial contours to appear less defined.
Where You May Notice It
Loose facial skin can become noticeable around the cheeks, lower face, jawline and neck. You might see early jowling, a sagging jawline or a general softening of your facial contours.
Why Skin Becomes Less Firm
Age-related changes in collagen and elastin reduce the skin’s ability to maintain its previous structure. Sun exposure and other environmental and lifestyle factors can also contribute to these changes over time.
What Skin Laxity Can Look Like
Rather than making the face look hollow, skin laxity tends to make contours look softer or less defined. You may notice that the skin appears to sit lower around the cheeks or jaw, particularly when comparing your appearance with older photographs.
What Is Facial Volume Loss?
Loss of facial volume describes changes in the fat and other supporting tissues beneath the skin. Rather than simply making the skin loose, it can make certain areas of the face look flatter or more hollow.
Where Facial Volume Changes
Changes may become noticeable around the cheeks, temples and under-eye area. Because individual facial fat compartments can change differently with age, volume loss does not necessarily happen evenly across the face.
How Volume Loss Changes Facial Shape
Reduced volume through the mid-face can make the cheeks look flatter and alter the transition between different areas of the face. Lines and folds may also become more noticeable as underlying support changes.
Skin Laxity vs Volume Loss: How Can You Tell the Difference?
The distinction is not always obvious, especially because both can develop at the same time. Looking at where and how your face has changed can provide some clues.
Look for Loose Versus Hollow Areas
A sagging jawline, early jowling or tissue that appears to sit lower may suggest skin laxity. Flattening of the cheeks or hollowing around the temples and under-eyes may point more towards loss of facial volume.
Consider Where Your Face Has Changed
The location of the change can also be useful. Reduced lower-face definition may have a laxity component, while reduced projection through the cheeks can be related to changes in underlying volume.
Do Not Judge From One Feature Alone
A deeper fold beside the nose or mouth does not necessarily mean that the fold itself is the problem. Changes in the cheek, skin and supporting tissues above it can all influence how pronounced it appears.
Can You Have Both Skin Laxity and Volume Loss?
Yes. In many cases, facial ageing involves a combination of skin laxity and loss of facial volume because different layers of the face age simultaneously.
Ageing Happens at Different Depths
The skin changes at the surface while facial fat and deeper support structures also evolve. The visible result can therefore reflect several processes rather than one isolated change.
Volume Loss Can Make Laxity More Noticeable
When some of the underlying support is lost, the overlying tissue can appear less firm. What looks like a straightforward sagging face may therefore have both laxity and volume components.
One Concern May Still Be More Significant
Having both does not necessarily mean both need to be treated equally. Your doctor may find that laxity is the dominant concern, that volume loss is contributing more, or that both need to be considered when planning treatment.
If you are noticing several changes at once and are not sure whether skin laxity, volume loss or both are responsible, book a consultation with Healthsprings Laser & Aesthetic Clinic to have your facial structure and skin assessed.
Which Treatments Address Skin Laxity and Which Address Volume?
The right face-lifting treatment depends on what is causing the visible change. A procedure intended to tighten or lift tissue works differently from one designed to restore facial volume.
Treatments That Focus on Skin Tightening or Structural Lifting
Your doctor may recommend energy-based treatments when skin laxity is the main concern.
Microfocused ultrasound, like Ultherapy Prime, may be considered for mild to moderate facial skin laxity, with suitability depending on factors such as the treatment area, degree of laxity and your individual anatomy.
If you’re looking into non-surgical face lifting, it is important to keep expectations realistic. These treatments do not produce the same degree of change as surgical lifting and are generally considered when laxity is less pronounced.
Treatments That Restore Facial Volume
When loss of facial volume is contributing to facial changes, dermal fillers may be considered to restore or support selected areas.
The aim is not necessarily to make your face look fuller overall. Treatment can instead focus on specific areas where volume has changed, with the amount and placement tailored to your facial structure.
Why Combination Treatment May Sometimes Be Considered
If laxity and volume loss are both contributing to the way your face has changed, treating only one may leave the other unaddressed.
This is why a treatment plan may sometimes combine approaches that work at different levels of the face. It does not mean everyone needs several procedures; treatment should be based on the changes actually present.
When Should You Consider Having Your Facial Changes Assessed?
You do not need to know whether you have skin laxity or loss of facial volume before seeing a doctor. Working out what is contributing to the change is part of the assessment.
When Your Face Looks Different, but You Cannot Explain Why
If your face seems less firm, flatter or less defined but you cannot identify exactly what has changed, an assessment can help distinguish between changes in skin laxity, volume and facial structure.
When You Are Comparing Different Treatments
Treatments described as lifting, tightening or volumising do not necessarily address the same concern. Having your face assessed before choosing a face-lifting treatment can help determine whether the treatment you are considering addresses what is actually causing the change.
When You Want a Treatment Plan Based on Your Face
Facial ageing looks different for everyone, so treatment should be tailored to your individual facial structure rather than a standard approach. A doctor can assess where skin laxity, loss of facial volume and other age-related changes are occurring, then determine which concerns are contributing most to the changes you see.
Find the Right Approach for Your Changing Facial Contours
The changes you notice in your face can have different causes, so the right treatment approach depends on what is happening beneath the skin as well as what you see on the surface.
At Healthsprings Laser & Aesthetic Clinic, our doctors assess your facial structure, skin firmness and volume before recommending a treatment plan suited to your concerns. This may involve skin tightening, volume restoration or a combination of approaches.
Book a consultation to find out which options may be suitable for you.