Nasolabial folds

Why we treat the cause, not the line

The nasolabial fold is a natural anatomical division between the cheek and the upper lip. On a young face it is faint; with age, it deepens — not because the line itself has changed, but because the cheek above it has descended and emptied. Filling the fold directly to "smooth it out" is one of the most common mistakes in non-surgical aesthetics: it loads volume into the wrong tissue, flattens the cheek, and produces the over-filled look that ages badly and looks unnatural in photographs.

At Aesthetic Clinique we treat the cause first. For most clients, this means cheek filler — restoring volume to the deep mid-face fat compartments and lifting surrounding tissue. The fold softens from above, the smile retains its natural movement, and the result lasts longer than direct fold filling.

When direct fold treatment is appropriate

Direct nasolabial filler still has a role — but typically as a secondary treatment, after mid-face support, when a small residual static line remains. In these cases we use a softer HA product placed in a deeper plane via cannula, in small volumes, and we aim to soften the line rather than eliminate it. Complete elimination is unrealistic and unattractive: the fold is a normal feature of the face even at 25.

What this treatment cannot do

Nasolabial filler cannot fix folds caused primarily by significant skin laxity — those clients often need surgical assessment, skin tightening, or thread-lift consultation rather than filler. It cannot eliminate every line, particularly dynamic creasing on smiling. And it cannot deliver a youthful mid-face on a face that has lost substantial bone projection without addressing the underlying cause.

On the day at Aesthetic Clinique

A 40-minute appointment includes assessment, marking, numbing and treatment. Where mid-face support is the plan, filler is placed deep on bone in the cheek (see our cheek filler page for detail). Where direct fold treatment is appropriate, we use cannula technique through a single entry point per side. Most clients experience only mild bruising and minor swelling.

We always review at two weeks before deciding whether further treatment — direct fold work, additional cheek support, or no further treatment — is appropriate.

Longevity and combinations

Cheek-based nasolabial treatment typically lasts 12–18 months; direct fold treatment 9–12 months. The treatment combines naturally with marionette-line filler for clients addressing the full lower-face line pattern, and with subtle perioral or lip work where appropriate. We always prefer to add one targeted treatment at a time and review, rather than attempt a full lower-face refresh in a single session.