By Doctor Franck Benhamou
The eye contour and mouth are the two most mobile areas of the face. They allow a person’s personality shine through and are also where the facial expressions originate. Laughter, incessant daily movements and pollution all cause the first signs of aging to appear and lead to the appearance of fine lines. To erase sagging skin and slow down skin aging, there are various preventative and corrective solutions available.
Preventative treatments
From the age of 25, we are recommended to take particular care of our eye contour, where the skin is very fragile and marks easily. The epidermis is five times thinner in this area and it is also susceptible to wrinkles and dark circles, eye bags and marks of tiredness. It is important to hydrate the skin well, at least twice a day, using products specifically formulated for this area. Creams and serums should be chosen according to each person’s particular skin problems (fine lines, dark circles, etc.). Peels can be carried out in the winter to boost the skin’s radiance and smooth the eye contour.
Filler injections
A veritable symbol of cosmetic medicine, injections of filler and botulinum toxin have been fully embraced by popular society and are ever more in-demand from age 20, with no age limit. Quick, pain-free, absorbable and requiring no downtime, they enable us to rejuvenate the face, in particular its two main assets for seduction: the mouth and the eyes.
For the eyes, crow’s feet can be treated using botulinum toxin, which immobilises the muscle that causes expression lines. Hollow under-eye circles and tear troughs, which make the expression look constantly tired and sad, can be treated using hyaluronic acid, with the aim of filling the face’s hollow areas and thus erasing dark shadows.
Hyaluronic acid injections can plump the lips, make the mouth look more sensual, reshape it, hydrate it and correct any asymmetry. With regard to the smile, any wrinkles around the mouth, creases or nasolabial folds can also be treated using hyaluronic acid, a natural product that is already present in our body, which provides hydration and recreates volume.
Rejuvenation using radiofrequencies
Radiofrequency is the go-to method for erasing fine lines and firming up the skin. It involves emitting short radio waves, whose frequency can be high or low depending on the aim of the treatment (smoothing or reshaping). It is a gentle, non-invasive procedure which carries no risks or side-effects, except for a slight redness which lasts for less than an hour.
It is very popular among women in their 30s or 40s who are unable to have a facelift because their skin is not saggy enough, but who nevertheless want to firm up their skin and erase fine lines and wrinkles on their face.
Several sessions are required, and the course of treatment is decided by a medical practitioner.
Surgical procedures to erase the signs of aging
Cosmetic surgery is the only way of achieving drastic, quick and long-lasting results.
We may not be able to stop aging in its tracks, but nowadays, thanks to the innovative techniques and technologies available to us, we can slow it down and set it back around ten years.
Blepharoplasty is a procedure that can be carried out on the upper and/or lower eyelids. It is used to treat sagging skin as well as the pockets of fat that can settle under the eyelids. These symptoms are usually due to age but can also be hereditary.
Upper eyelid blepharoplasty involves removing all of the excess skin, leaving just enough so that the closed eyelid covers the eye ball and gives a natural-looking result.
Lower eyelid blepharoplasty involves removing the pockets of fat or fatty hernias under the eyelid by pulling the skin and taking care to trace the line of the scar as thinly as possible along the eyelash line.
To fight against skin sagging in the lower part of the face, a face and neck lift is required. This enables us to reshape the oval of the face and get rid of any excess skin, which is usually around the jowls.
The scars will be as invisible as possible, and hidden behind the ears so that no visible signs of surgery are left.
By Doctor Franck Benhamou
Qualified surgeon specialising in plastic, reconstructive and cosmetic surgery. E.E.S.C. medical specialisation diploma in Plastic, Reconstructive and Cosmetic Surgery. He practises in Paris (Trocadero) and French Guiana.
