I want to look less sad
Similar to looking tired, looking 'sad' isn't always related to actually feeling sad! Our facial expressions are used to communicate and to signal our mood, but often what our faces express aren't really what we mean. There are a number of signs of 'sadness' (or worry) in our faces can look including:
- the resting position of the eyebrows and over-activity of the frown muscles (that pull the eyebrows excessively downwards)
- over-expressive forehead lines that can make someone look worried or anxious
- drooping of the corners of the eyes (known as a 'lateral canthal tilt')
- drooping of the corners of the mouth leading to what looks like a sad expression
- an overactive chin muscle leading to what is described as a 'baby cry' expression
What makes me look sad?
As we age, our faces tend to lose tone and sag more. The net effect of this is that structurally, our faces start to look more sad as the corners of the eyes and mouth tend to droop over time..
To further compound this, the muscles of the lower face and around the mouth tend to get stronger due to gravity, whilst the ones that pull upwards (like the smile muscles) weaken. This leads to a net down-pulling of the face, leading to a 'sad' mouth shape and can further accentuate the marionette lines and jowls.
How can injectables make me look less sad?
By working through each of the signs of sadness, we can improve the overall message of the face. Anti-wrinkle injections are very commonly use to soften over-active muscles, with the net result that we can make people look more rested.
Fillers are more commonly used for improving the structural support of the face. For softening signs of sadness, we might consider cheek, eyebrow or temple fillers to reduce the look of a drooping corner of the eye or even add support to the eyebrows. In the lower face, to support drooping of the corners of the mouth may involve using filler in the lateral cheek or face to reduce the sagging below, followed by filler around the mouth and lip to restore shape and volume.