vision_n
mastermind
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- Mar 15, 2025
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What are nasolabial folds/NLFs?
One of the killer features that instantly adds years and weakness to your mug.
A lot of people blame it on “collagen loss”, “bad skincare”, “tight muscles”
However, 90% of the time that’s cope.
Let me clear some things before I will go into explaining:
WEAK MAXILLA = NLFs?
If that were true, then every flat-faced person with 0 midface projection (e.g. most Asians) would be drowning in folds.
But guess what? Many of them have smooth, glass skin in thenasolabial areas despite zero midface.
Maxilla alone is not the full story.
BLOAT IS THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM?
No, but bloating from water retention under the skin can worsen the appearance of nasolabial folds by making the face puffier and pushing soft tissue downward due to gravity.
Especially noticeable if:
You have weak midface projection
Malar fat pads are large and sit low (they retain fluid easily).
It’s not the root cause, but it exaggerates what’s already there.
GRAVITY CAUSES CHEEKS TO SAG?
Yes, over time, gravitational pull causes facial fat pads ESPECIALLY the malar fat pad to shift downward. If your bone support (zygomatic arch, premaxilla) is weak, the tissues have nowhere to rest and slide down more easily, which deepens the nasolabial folds and creates a sagging and aged look.
BONES BEHIND THE NLFs
1) Zygos:
Your os zygomaticum is the real skeleton holding up your face.
Low, flat, recessed cheekbones = no scaffolding = cheeks sag = NLF creases form.
People with tall lateral zygos don’t fold up as fast, even with bad skin or age.
2) Canine Fossa:
This is the depression between your infraorbital rim and upper canine.
Deep canine fossa means tissue collapses inward and your skin folds harder into the nasolabial zone.
Most skullcels ignore this, but it’s a facial death sentence if you have it.
Shallow fossa = smooth, youthful midface.
Deep fossa = carved in folds even at low bf%.
4 examples of canine fossa. Left is shallow (less likely to have NLFs), on the right is opposite.
3) Premaxilla:
Tiny section between nose and upper lip. This area houses your top 4 teeth and gives structure to your philtrum zone.
If your premaxilla is recessed but rest of the maxilla is mid, your philtrum will be long, lip sunken, and NLFs will carve in early.
Seen often in vertical growers and those with thin upper lips.
NLF FIXES (no one size fits all):
Tretinoin
Tretinoin boosts collagen production and speeds up skin cell turnover, which helps thicken the dermis (responsible for your skin’s strength, elasticity, and youthful appearances) and smooth out fine lines like nasolabial folds over time. Although it doesn’t fix the underlying bone structure, it can slightly reduce the visibility of folds caused by skin laxity.
Check malar fat pad, try to reduce your body fat percentage and see:
If folds disappear - it was fat pad puff.
If folds get worse, well, you just revealed your skull.
SURGERIES
Midface filler / fat grafting/ Bimax surgery or implants
If you have quesitons, feel free to ask in the comments
One of the killer features that instantly adds years and weakness to your mug.
A lot of people blame it on “collagen loss”, “bad skincare”, “tight muscles”
However, 90% of the time that’s cope.
Let me clear some things before I will go into explaining:
WEAK MAXILLA = NLFs?
If that were true, then every flat-faced person with 0 midface projection (e.g. most Asians) would be drowning in folds.
But guess what? Many of them have smooth, glass skin in thenasolabial areas despite zero midface.
Maxilla alone is not the full story.
BLOAT IS THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM?
No, but bloating from water retention under the skin can worsen the appearance of nasolabial folds by making the face puffier and pushing soft tissue downward due to gravity.
Especially noticeable if:
You have weak midface projection
Malar fat pads are large and sit low (they retain fluid easily).
It’s not the root cause, but it exaggerates what’s already there.
GRAVITY CAUSES CHEEKS TO SAG?
Yes, over time, gravitational pull causes facial fat pads ESPECIALLY the malar fat pad to shift downward. If your bone support (zygomatic arch, premaxilla) is weak, the tissues have nowhere to rest and slide down more easily, which deepens the nasolabial folds and creates a sagging and aged look.
BONES BEHIND THE NLFs
1) Zygos:
Your os zygomaticum is the real skeleton holding up your face.
Low, flat, recessed cheekbones = no scaffolding = cheeks sag = NLF creases form.
People with tall lateral zygos don’t fold up as fast, even with bad skin or age.
2) Canine Fossa:
This is the depression between your infraorbital rim and upper canine.
Deep canine fossa means tissue collapses inward and your skin folds harder into the nasolabial zone.
Most skullcels ignore this, but it’s a facial death sentence if you have it.
Shallow fossa = smooth, youthful midface.
Deep fossa = carved in folds even at low bf%.
4 examples of canine fossa. Left is shallow (less likely to have NLFs), on the right is opposite.
3) Premaxilla:
Tiny section between nose and upper lip. This area houses your top 4 teeth and gives structure to your philtrum zone.
If your premaxilla is recessed but rest of the maxilla is mid, your philtrum will be long, lip sunken, and NLFs will carve in early.
Seen often in vertical growers and those with thin upper lips.
NLF FIXES (no one size fits all):
Tretinoin
Tretinoin boosts collagen production and speeds up skin cell turnover, which helps thicken the dermis (responsible for your skin’s strength, elasticity, and youthful appearances) and smooth out fine lines like nasolabial folds over time. Although it doesn’t fix the underlying bone structure, it can slightly reduce the visibility of folds caused by skin laxity.
Check malar fat pad, try to reduce your body fat percentage and see:
If folds disappear - it was fat pad puff.
If folds get worse, well, you just revealed your skull.
SURGERIES
Midface filler / fat grafting/ Bimax surgery or implants
Might help if you're 10 or delusional
If you have quesitons, feel free to ask in the comments
