Nasolabial Fold Treatment Melbourne
Upper Fold, Skin Crease & MovementThe nasolabial fold runs from the side of the nose to the corner of the mouth, along the line where the cheek meets the upper lip. Nasolabial fold treatment is designed to to soften how deep the fold sits beside the nose, how sharply it’s etched into the skin, and how much it deepens when you smile. Depending on the cause, a plan may add support at the base of the fold, firm and thicken the skin along it, or treat the muscles that pull it deeper, and many plans combine more than one approach.
Your AHPRA-registered nurse assesses the fold at rest and mid-smile, and checks its upper, middle and lower sections separately, since each can deepen for a different reason. Treatment is available at our Camberwell, Moonee Ponds and Brighton clinics.
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Understanding Nasolabial Folds (Smile Lines)
Everyone has a nasolabial fold, even in childhood. It forms where the fuller skin and fat of the cheek meet the thinner skin of the upper lip, held along that line by fibres from the lip muscles that attach into the skin. With age, that line gets deeper and harder to soften, usually because several of these change at once:
VOLUME CHANGES
mid-face cheek support reduces over time
SKIN QUALITY
hydration, collagen, and elastin shifts
MOVEMENT PATTERNS
smile mechanics that are unique to your face
STRUCTURE & WEIGHT
bone, ligament, and weight changes including genetics
Which factor leads decides the treatment. A fold that’s deep at rest points to changes in volume, bone or skin, while one that mostly appears when you smile points to how your muscles move.
Nasolabial Fold Treatment by Cause
Most folds have more than one cause. When the fold is deep beside the nose and also creased into the skin, the area beside the nose is usually treated first, because the crease can look shallower once the fold above it has support.
The pyriform aperture is the opening in the upper jaw behind the nostrils. With age, the bone around it shrinks, so the top of the fold beside the nostril loses the support underneath it. This leaves a triangular shadow beside the nostril, and the base of the nostril can look sunken, even when the rest of the fold is mild.
Volumising treatment is placed along the bone beside the nostril, where it aims to replace that missing support and soften the shadow. A branch of the facial artery runs close by, so placement stays on the bone and in small amounts.
The depth of the shadow beside each nostril at rest How the base of each nostril sits from the front and in profile Whether the fold is deepest at its top or further down The path of the blood vessels beside the nose How the top of the upper lip sits in profile - “Is the area beside the nose risky?” A branch of the facial artery runs nearby, so placement stays deep on the bone in small amounts, and warning signs are explained before you leave.
- “Will it change my nose?” Support at the base may lift the nostril base slightly, while the shape of the nose stays the same.
- “Will my upper lip change?” Support here can bring the top of the lip slightly forward in profile, so it’s checked as it builds.
- “Why treat beside the nose and leave the line alone?” Volume placed along the line itself can look heavy. Support beside the nose treats the reason the top of the fold deepened.
- A softer shadow beside the nostril at rest
- An upper fold that may look less deep from the front
- A nostril base that may look better supported
- A smoother line from nose to upper lip in profile
- Previous nose surgery or treatment around the nose is reviewed first
- Dental implants or bone loss in the upper front teeth can affect support
- Any earlier treatment along the fold is reviewed before planning
- Each nostril base is measured separately, since they rarely sit evenly
- A deep, triangular shadow beside the nostril
- An upper fold deeper than the rest of the line
- A nostril base that looks sunken in profile
Every smile and every word bends the skin along the fold in the same place. As collagen and elastin thin with age and sun exposure, the skin stops springing back, and that bend sets into a line that stays when your face is relaxed. A static crease like this has lost support beneath it, so it shows clearly at rest, in photos and in overhead light.
Volumising treatment is placed beneath the crease to treat the groove it has worn into the skin. Skin treatments then firm the surface over that support: Fotona 5D warms the tissue behind the fold from inside the mouth and works on the outer skin, Morpheus8 tightens loose skin along the line, and PRF, Rejuran and exosomes support skin repair over a course of sessions.
How deep the crease sits with your face fully relaxed Whether it runs the full length of the fold or only part of it Skin thickness and spring along the fold Sun damage and texture across the cheek and upper lip How the crease reads under overhead and side light - “Why is the line there when I’m not smiling?” The skin has bent along the fold so many times that it now holds the line at rest.
- “Will volume along the line look puffy?” Volume is placed beneath the crease and checked at rest and mid-smile as it builds.
- “Can a crease be removed completely?” It can often be softened, though a long-standing line usually stays faintly visible.
- “Do I need skin treatments as well?” Volume lifts the crease, and firmer skin may help the result sit more smoothly over it.
- A crease that may look shallower at rest
- Less shadow along the line in overhead light
- Firmer, smoother skin along the fold
- A softer line from nose to mouth in photos
- A recent tan or sun exposure is reviewed before laser or RF treatment
- A history of cold sores is noted before treatment inside the mouth
- Active acne or skin infection along the fold delays treatment
- Earlier treatment along the fold is reviewed before more is placed
- A line along the fold that stays visible at rest
- A crease that shows in photos and overhead light
- Thin or crepey skin over a deep line
Two of the muscles that lift the upper lip run down the side of the nose and attach into the skin beside the fold. When they pull strongly, they bunch the cheek against the lip and drag the fold deeper, most of all near its top. A dynamic fold can look mild at rest and much deeper mid-smile, which is why it often shows most in photos and on video.
A muscle activity treatment is placed in small amounts to ease how hard these muscles pull, so the fold bunches less when you smile while your smile still lifts. The same muscles are treated for a gummy smile, so how much gum shows is assessed at the same time. The effect wears off gradually, and the fold’s movement returns unless treatment is repeated.
How much deeper the fold gets from rest to a full smile Which part of the fold bunches most as you smile How high your upper lip lifts and how much gum shows Whether both sides of your smile lift evenly How your upper lip moves when you speak - “Will my smile change?” Small amounts are used so your lip still lifts, and the most common change is a slightly lower lip line when you smile.
- “Can my lip droop?” A heavier upper lip or uneven smile can occur and eases as the effect wears off, which is why amounts start small.
- “Why does my fold look worse in photos?” Photos often catch you mid-smile, when these muscles pull the fold at its deepest.
- “Will it help a gummy smile too?” The same muscles raise the lip, so easing them may also show less gum when you smile.
- A fold that may bunch less when you smile
- A softer fold in photos and on video
- A smile that may show slightly less gum
- A fold at rest that stays much as it is
- Neuromuscular conditions are screened before any muscle activity treatment
- A long upper lip is checked, as easing the pull can make it look longer
- Previous muscle activity treatment around the mouth is reviewed with its timing
- Singers, wind players and public speakers are planned with extra care
- A fold that deepens sharply when you smile
- A fold that looks worse in photos than in the mirror
- A strong smile that also shows a lot of gum
Your Fold, Photographed at Rest and Mid-Smile
Your fold is photographed front-on and from the side, both relaxed and at a full smile, so your review compares the same expressions. Where a plan treats more than one cause, each step is reviewed before the next is added. There’s no obligation to go ahead.
From Fold Assessment to Review
One fold can be deep at the base, creased into the skin and pulled by muscle all at once, so the consultation measures each separately. Your nurse also checks your upper teeth and any dental work, since they support the base of the nose, and screens for anything that rules out treatment around the mouth.
What we cover in your consultation
MEDICAL AND DENTAL HISTORY
medications, conditions and upper dental work
BASE OF THE NOSE
bone support and shadow beside each nostril
CREASE AT REST
depth, length and skin quality along the line
SMILE AND LIP MOVEMENT
how the fold and upper lip move as you smile
RISKS AND WARNING SIGNS
the vessels beside the nose and what to watch for
A STAGED PLAN AND QUOTE
which cause comes first and how many visits
Muscle activity treatment and volume are usually single appointments, while skin treatments run as a course of sessions.
Before Your Appointment
WHAT TO BRING & KNOWBruising beside the nose and mouth shows easily, and some treatments work from inside the mouth, so a little preparation helps.
Tell us if you get cold sores, as treatment near the mouth can trigger one
Avoid waxing or threading the upper lip for a few days beforehand
Arrive without makeup or lipstick around the nose and mouth
Allow around 30 minutes for the consultation
During Treatment
WHAT TO EXPECTYour nurse marks the fold at rest, then again as you smile, so placement follows the line it actually takes when you move. Most appointments take 30 to 45 minutes.
Numbing applied beside the nose and along the fold
The fold marked at rest and again mid-smile
Your smile checked in a mirror as treatment builds
The option to pause at any point
Aftercare & Follow-Up
WHAT HAPPENS NEXTSwelling and tenderness beside the nose and mouth usually settle over a few days, and small bumps along the fold soften as the area settles. Muscle activity treatment tends to show its effect over the following couple of weeks. Your review compares your fold against the photos taken at rest and mid-smile, and our team is reachable 24/7 if anything feels unexpected.
Avoid pressing, massaging or rubbing along the fold for two weeks
Keep your head upright and avoid lying face-down for four hours after muscle treatment
Skip straws and puckering for the rest of the day
Avoid dental work for two weeks after volume beside the nose
Treatment Is a Process, Not a Single Decision
Many people notice the fold in photos first, deepening as they smile, years before it shows at rest. Over time the skin thins and the bend sets into a crease, while the top of the fold deepens as the support beside the nose recedes.
A CT study comparing younger and older adults found the upper jaw around the base of the nose sits further back with age, in both men and women, and its authors linked that change to a more prominent nasolabial fold. That’s why the upper fold can deepen even when the skin and cheek above it have changed very little.
Muscle activity treatment wears off soonest, volume beneath the fold lasts longer, and skin changes fade gradually, so each part of your plan is reviewed on its own schedule.
CLIENT REVIEWS
What our clients say
Explore More Treatment Options
The fold sits where the cheek meets the upper lip, so both shape how deep it looks. A cheek that has flattened or dropped adds weight above the fold, the groove under the eye often deepens as the same midface support thins, and an upper lip that rolls inward when you smile can sharpen the fold’s lower end.
Lip Enhancement
volume and shape for lips that have thinned with age
Wrinkle Treatments
expression lines beside the nose and around the eyes
Thread Lifts
PDO threads to lift loose skin along the lower face
Rejuran
polynucleotide skin booster for thin skin by the mouth
Exosomes Treatment
exosomes after microneedling for texture and tone
3 accessible clinic locations across Melbourne
All locations
Camberwell
1172 Toorak Rd, Camberwell VIC 3124, Australia
+61 477 441 340 Book an in-clinic consultationMoonee Ponds
32 Holmes Rd, Moonee Ponds VIC 3039, Australia
+61 477 441 340 Book an in-clinic consultationHave Questions? Your Consultation Is a Good Place to Start.
Frequently Asked Questions
SAFETY & SUITABILITY
Can I have nasolabial fold treatment after a nose job? 
What warning signs should I watch for after treatment beside the nose?
Can muscle treatment beside the nose affect speaking or eating?
RESULTS & TIMELINE
Why does my fold look different on each side?
Can treatment make the fold disappear completely?
How soon can I judge the result?
AFTERCARE & LOGISTICS
Will I be able to smile normally straight after treatment?
Can I have lip treatment on the same day?
Is a price listed for nasolabial fold treatment?
WHERE TO START
How can I tell if my fold is static or dynamic?
Should I treat my fold or my cheeks first?
MYTHS, WORRIES & 'WHAT IF'
Does sleeping on my side cause nasolabial folds?
Does smiling less prevent nasolabial folds?
Do nasolabial folds change with weight?
COMPARISON
Nasolabial folds vs marionette lines: what’s the difference?
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