Why the fold deepens
The nasolabial fold is where the mobile cheek meets the fixed upper lip, and it creases every time you smile. Seeing it in expression is normal at any age. What changes with time is how it looks at rest.
The cheek holds fat in separate compartments, and these change with age. As the cheek deflates and descends, tissue piles against the fold from above. So the fold is usually the shadow of something happening higher up.
That is why Dr Sin Yong starts with the cheek.
Which type do you have?
Most faces have more than one of these. Marionette lines, which run down from the mouth corners, are assessed separately.
| What he finds | How it shows | What is considered | What does not help |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laxity with sagged fat | A heavier lower cheek with fullness beside the fold | Time Freeze Laser LCLR® and its Sculpting mode | Filler in the fold, which adds weight |
| Descent | Cheek tissue sits lower and piles against the fold | Lifting, such as the VF Lift or Time Freeze. Time Freeze does not reach the SMAS. | Filler alone |
| Deflation | An emptied mid-cheek above a deepening fold, often after weight loss | Support at the cheek and mid-face, such as the VF Lift or cheek filler | Filling only the line |
| An etched crease | A line visible at rest, even with good support | Conservative, deep filler as a finishing step | Overfilling, which flattens the cheek-to-lip transition |
| Skin quality change | Fine lines and a crease that reflects light unevenly | Skin-quality treatment such as skin boosters | Smile line creams |
| Heaviness after filler | A flat or puffy mid-face, or a fold that looks worse after filler | Ultrasound mapping and filler correction | More filler |
How Time Freeze is used on the fold
Dr Sin Yong uses Time Freeze Laser LCLR® on nasolabial folds in two ways. Heat at several depths of the dermis is directed at laxity across the cheek and around the fold. Where fat has sagged beside the fold, the Sculpting mode is directed at that fat in zones he selects.
Nothing is injected, so there is no product to add weight or to settle. Lean parts of the face are left out of the Sculpting mode, because heating fat in an area with none to spare can deepen hollows. Time Freeze does not replace lost volume, and if the cheek has deflated, that is planned separately.
Where filler fits
Filler has a place, but usually at the end. Placed in the crease alone, it can add bulk where tissue is already gathering. Dr Sin Yong restores support higher up first, and he uses filler sparingly where an etched crease remains.
He also looks at what is already there. Earlier filler can make the mid-face heavy, which makes the fold look deeper. In that case the first step is ultrasound mapping, and the excess is then targeted. See pillow face treatment.
Marionette lines
Marionette lines run down from the corners of the mouth, and they are a separate question from the fold. Lower-face descent, a jowl beside the line, and mouth corners pulled down by muscle can all play a part. Lifting comes first where descent drives it, and Time Freeze or the VF Lift may be considered. Botulinum toxin may be considered for muscle pull, and any filler is kept conservative. See jowls treatment.
Who should wait or be referred
Pregnancy, freshly tanned or sunburnt skin before laser, infected or inflamed skin, including an active cold sore, and a recent course of oral acne medication.
Recent filler or threads in the area, keloid tendency, melasma and photosensitising medicines.
Marked skin excess or heavy descent goes to a plastic surgery specialist.
A fold that has become swollen, tender or uneven without a clear reason.
What treatment cannot do
Every face has one, and it is part of how the face moves.
No topical reaches its depth.
Marked laxity needs a surgical opinion.
Heat does not add volume. A deflated cheek needs support.
Risks and side effects
Warmth, tenderness where fat was targeted, and less often small crusts or temporary darkening. Rarely a burn, blister, lightening, scarring or more fat loss than intended. Eye injury if eyes are unprotected.
Swelling, bruising and lumps. Rarely a blocked blood vessel, which is an emergency. The area around the nose carries particular vascular risk. Skin turning white, grey or mottled, or worsening pain after filler: urgent assessment by the injector or A&E now. Change in vision or eye pain after filler: call 995. See the warning signs.
What affects the fee
Fees are not published here. They depend on the treatment chosen, the number of zones and how many steps the plan has. A written quote follows the assessment.
Time Freeze before and after, on request
Photographs of treatment results are not shown on this website. If you would like to see Time Freeze before and after photographs, use the button. It opens WhatsApp with your request, and the clinic will reply with a one-page PDF.