Deep lines and wrinkles

Lines come in two kinds, and telling them apart is the whole basis of choosing a treatment.

Dynamic lines appear when you move - frowning, smiling, raising your brows - and disappear when your face is at rest. They are caused by repeated muscle action.
Static lines are there when your face is completely still. They are creases set into the skin itself, caused by loss of collagen and elastin, volume loss underneath, sun damage and gravity.

A deep line is usually a dynamic line that has, over decades, become static. That transition matters: once a line is etched into the skin, relaxing the muscle underneath no longer removes it - it only stops it deepening further.

Where deep lines form

Forehead lines - horizontal, from raising the brows
Frown lines - vertical, between the brows
Crow's feet - at the outer corners of the eyes
Nasolabial folds - from the nose to the corners of the mouth, largely a volume and gravity issue rather than a muscle one
Marionette lines - from the corners of the mouth downward
Perioral lines - fine vertical lines around the lips, worsened by smoking
Neck and decolletage lines

What causes them

Sun damage - the largest modifiable contributor. See sun damage.
Collagen and elastin loss with age
Volume loss - fat pads in the face shrink and descend, so overlying skin folds
Bone change - the facial skeleton itself remodels with age, reducing support
Repeated muscle movement
Smoking, which accelerates all of the above
Genetics and sleeping position

Treatment approaches

Relaxing the muscle

For dynamic lines, injectable muscle relaxants are the usual approach. These are prescription-only medicines, so Australian law prevents us describing them by brand or ingredient in advertising to the public. They require a consultation with a doctor, who will assess whether the treatment is appropriate for you. See anti-wrinkle treatments.

Restoring volume

Dermal fillers replace lost volume and soften folds - most usefully in the nasolabial folds, marionette lines and cheeks. Effects are temporary and need repeating. Volumising treatments start from $590 including GST as at September 2024. See dermal fillers.

Resurfacing and collagen stimulation

For static lines, the target is the skin itself:

Laser resurfacing - CO2 and erbium for deeper lines; Fraxel fractionally, with less downtime
Skin needling
Chemical peels
Cosmeceutical skincare, particularly retinoids

Lifting

Where the underlying issue is descent of tissue rather than the line itself, a thread lift or surgical facelift addresses the cause. No amount of resurfacing or filler substitutes for a lift when laxity is the problem - and conversely, a lift does not improve skin texture.

Matching the treatment to the line

Line	Main driver	Usual approach
Frown and forehead lines, visible only on movement	Muscle	Muscle-relaxing injectable
The same lines, visible at rest	Muscle plus skin change	Injectable plus resurfacing; expect improvement, not erasure
Nasolabial folds, marionette lines	Volume loss and descent	Filler, or lifting
Fine crepey lines, perioral lines	Skin quality	Resurfacing, needling, topicals
Jowls, sagging jawline	Laxity	Thread lift or facelift

What results are realistic

Deep static lines soften. They do not disappear. A deeply etched frown line of thirty years will look better with treatment and will still be visible.

Dynamic lines respond much more completely, but the effect is temporary and needs repeating.

Combining approaches usually achieves more than any one of them alone, and results vary between individuals. Nothing on this page stops the ageing process - these treatments address its visible effects.

Risks

Bruising, swelling and redness
Asymmetry or an unintended effect on nearby muscles after injectables, including temporary brow or eyelid droop
Lumps, nodules or visible product after filler
Vascular occlusion after filler - rare but serious, and the reason injectables belong with an experienced practitioner
Infection
Changes in pigmentation after resurfacing, which can be persistent
Scarring after ablative treatment
Prolonged redness and downtime after deeper resurfacing
Under- or over-correction, and the need for repeat treatment

See risks and complications.

Cost

As at September 2024 and including GST: skin assessment $50, Cosmetic Doctor consultation $150, Specialist Plastic Surgeon consultation $350. Dermal skin treatments from $130; volumising treatments from $590; thread lift from $4,600. A plan is quoted after assessment. These treatments are not covered by Medicare.

Booking

Me Clinic, 4 Burke Road, Malvern East VIC 3145. Phone 1300 852 050 or (03) 9569 3511, or use the online consultation form.

Individual results may vary. Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.