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Marionette lines are lines that run down vertically from the corners of the mouth towards (or to) your chin. They get their name because if you imagine a wooden puppet or ventriloquist’s dummy, those are the lines where the mouth block would drop when it is ‘talking’. How can you soften them? Scroll down for all the FAQs.
Marionette lines settle in for all the same reasons as any other lines:
While the above five problems all contribute to lines elsewhere on your face, neck, and body, marionette lines are a particular menace, because once they become etched on your face, they give it a permanently grumpy look and drag the corners of your mouth downward.
Apart from the five factors explained in the lefthand section, the following five habits and factors may contribute to you developing marionette lines:
Yes, anti-wrinkle injections such as toxins can help — especially if pulling faces is contributing to your marionette lines. A touch of toxins in the muscles that pull down the corners of your mouth will damp down this expression, thus helping to reduce your marionette lines.
As usual with using neurotoxins in the face, you’ll want an experienced practitioner with a deft touch who can inject the right muscles with an appropriate dose to limit the muscles’ movements without freezing them fully. The toxin will take between one and two weeks to reach its full effect, so don’t expect instant results.
Yes, dermal fillers can help with marionette lines. This, too, is a subject about which you should consult your practitioner.
Depending on how deep your marionette lines are, your practitioner may choose to use a thicker, longer-lasting type of filler to treat them. The advantage of thicker fillers is that they last longer than thinner fillers, so you won’t need to have the treatment repeated as frequently. The disadvantage is that thicker fillers must be injected deeper into your skin to avoid lumpiness, whereas thinner fillers can be injected closer to the surface of the skin without producing lumpiness.
Which filler your practitioner will use is likely to depend on your facial anatomy and the depth of the marionette lines. The practitioner may also recommend using fillers to augment your cheekbones, which may sound like a bizarre strategy for treating the lower face, but actually it works a treat, by raising everything below the cheek a fraction – and that may be enough to soften the appearance of your marionette lines.
Radiofrequency devices can be highly effective in treating marionette lines by tightening the skin and enhancing the overall appearance of the lower face. They work by using RF energy, which heats the dermis, stimulating new collagen production. This results in tighter, smoother skin over time. Examples include FaceTite by Inmode and BTL’s Exilis Ultra 360.
Ultrasound devices deliver focused ultrasound energy to the deeper layers of the skin, triggering a natural healing response that increases collagen production. This, in turn, can help reduce the appearance of marionette lines by lifting and tightening the face. Ultherapy is perhaps the best-known ultrasound device. It uses micro-focused ultrasound to target the deeper layers of the skin and the SMAS layer (which is what surgeons target during face lifts), without damaging the skin surface.
Yes, laser is another option for treating marionette lines. Different practitioners prefer different types of lasers, but typical treatment would be to use a fractional laser to remove the damaged layers of skin in the marionette lines.
Fractional lasering fires the laser beam through a grid to create micro-channels of damage in the skin, which stimulate the growth of new skin. The laser treatment also stimulates the production of collagen, which gives your skin another boost. Many practitioners use laser resurfacing and then follow up with dermal fillers, which boost your lasered-fresh skin from the inside.
Microneedling is a great treatment for stimulating the growth of new collagen in the skin. The tiny wounds created by the puncture marks made by the needles prompt a cascade of wound-healing substances within the skin, which nudge the skin into regenerating itself from beneath the surface. More collagen means skin that is more firmly supported from the inside, and which is better hydrated which means that it is plumper, too. Both of those factors will soften the look of the marionette lines.
Yes – and by combining two ways of tackling marionette lines (radiofrequency and microneedling) you can get some impressive results over time. RF microneedling combines the collagen-inducing benefits of microneedling with the skin-tightening effects of radiofrequency energy. Morpheus8 is the most famous device to know. Its microneedles create micro-injuries in the skin, promoting collagen production, while the RF energy delivered through the needles further stimulates collagen and tightens the skin.
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Consultant Dermatologist
Sinaesthetics, Unit A, 4th Floor,, 193-195 Brompton Road,, London, SW3 1NE
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Skincare isn’t going to have the same effect on deep lines as tweakments, but a few skincare changes may help reduce their appearance. Try a vitamin C serum in the morning, and a retinol product at night.
There is an enormous number of these products available. Consult your practitioner for a specific recommendation of a cream or serum that will be suited to your skin or pick one of my recommendations, like:
Intradermology Vit C and Anhydrous HA
Vit C and Anhydrous HA serum from skincare pros Intradermology is a powerful weapon for fighting the signs of aging and improving your skin’s texture. The 20% concentration of vitamin C stimulates skin regeneration and strengthens the skin barrier. The anhydrous HA keeps the serum light, which makes the serum also great for facial sculpting massage.
Medik8’s Crystal Retinal series gives you the tools to tackle wrinkles and brighten your complexion quickly. Crystal Retinal comes in five strengths, from 0.01% retinal to 0.2% retinal, enabling you to start with a gentle serum and work up to stronger serums if your skin needs them and can handle them.
Here are two main ways of minimising your marionette lines with makeup:
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