Illustration of ageing part #3 – Deep structures

Ageing is an inevitable biological phenomenon which begins around the age of thirty.

It takes the form of:

• • a/-skin signs, illustrated in the previous section,
  • b/-a more or less significant change in the STRUCTURES BENEATH THE SKIN: fat, muscles and bones.

The structures beneath the skin (fat, muscles, bones) form the shape of the face.

• When we are young, the shape is clear and reflects the light.

When we age, the shape flattens and grows hollow, forming deep furrows in places, and the facial volume seems to shift.

A – UPPER PART OF THE FACE

1. The forehead becomes flat, and horizontal furrows form as a result of muscle contraction,
2. Between the eyebrows, the relentless contraction of muscles is responsible for the famous “frown lines”,
3. The temples grow hollow, making the eyes look less open,
4. The eyebrows lower significantly, partly causing the eyelids to droop,
5. Crow’s feet are a sign of permanent muscle contraction
6. The circles under the eyes seem to get bigger and grow hollow, proof of the movement of fats or, indeed, their atrophy.

B – MIDDLE PART OF THE FACE

1. The under-eye circles extend across the cheek to the tear trough, which crosses the cheek from side to side,
2. The cheekbones become flat and seem to point forwards,
3. Furrows become deeper around the mouth (nasolabial folds), making it look as if it were between brackets, and other furrows cross the cheek vertically,
4. The nasal tip falls and the nostrils rise.

C – LOWER PART OF THE FACE

1. The mouth gets thinner and looks like it has disappeared,
2. The corners of the mouth reverse, forming so-called bitterness lines which make it droop at the edges,
3. The chin becomes flat and raised whilst hollowing out the furrow beneath the mouth,
4. The face shape loses its sharpness, and hollows form at each side of the jowls which emerge,
5. The modification of the upper and lower jawbone is more dramatic here than at any other point in life, and many dental adjustments take place.

The list is alarming but NOT ALL OF THESE THINGS HAPPEN TO EVERYONE!

How obvious these signs are depends on GENETICS and LIFESTYLE.