Volume Loss

What It Is

Volume loss describes the natural process of the facial skin becoming thinner and less supple over time. This will happen to almost everyone and tends to occur gradually, leading to noticeable changes in the appearance of many facial features, including the eyes, cheeks, lips and mouth. When these areas of the face experience a loss in volume, the skin can appear baggy, hollow and in vital need of moisture.

This inevitable product of age is only exacerbated by the emergence of wrinkles – a number of prominent lines and creases that can contribute to a less-than-flattering facial form.

Why It Happens

As is the case with many skin concerns, changes to facial fullness can be attributed to the inevitable onset of ageing. This is because collagen – an essential protein in the maintenance of firm, plump and youthful skin – stops being produced in such abundance as early as our 25th birthday.

Volume loss can also come about as a result of a number of other lifestyle and environmental factors such as shedding lots of weight, experiencing hormonal changes and spending too much time in the sun. It has been argued that excessive smoking can have some impact on the assumption of a sunken appearance, with volume loss also traceable to a number of underlying health conditions.

How it can be treated

Dermal fillers are capable of restoring volume to the areas of the face that have begun to thin and sag as a result of getting older. These injectable treatments are often composed of hyaluronic acid – a substance that can be used to plump out wrinkles and add lost moisture back into the skin in order to achieve a fresher, less tired appearance.

Microneedling, a non-surgical procedure that inflicts tiny injuries on the skin in order to awaken the production of collagen, can also rejuvenate an aged, withered-looking complexion.