Essentially as any person ages beyond about 24 years the face begins to gradually match the mask less and less. This of course is not an overnight phenomenon but as a rule is gradual occurring over a period of years. This “face aging” is actually a function of several physiologic changes that occur with time.

The collagen in the face becomes less elastic and allows the soft tissue features of the face to sag inferiorly. In addition facial fat is generally lost with age making the facial soft tissues thinner. Finally the facial soft tissues gradually atrophy compounding the visual “thinning” of the facial soft tissues, as well as making the facial bones appear more prominent.

As a result the normal aging adult face with time progressively varies from the archetypal adult Mask in the following manner:

• The cheeks sag inferiorly resulting the appearance of jowls
• The corners of the mouth move inferiorly resulting in a slight frown look
• The tissue around the eyes sag inferiorly
• The eyelids, upper and lower, themselves sag inferiorly
• The tissue of the forehead drifts inferiorly, creating wrinkles and dropping the eyebrows downward and giving them a flatter appearance
• The nose may elongate and move the tip inferiorly
• The nose may develop a small to pronounced dorsal hump
• The tip of the nose may enlarge and become bulbous
• Generalized wrinkling of the face may occur

Using the various non-surgical procedures available many of the visible signs of aging can be corrected – without surgery.