REPIC Clinic Myeongdong — Dermatology Clinic
Nasolabial folds (smile lines)
The fold beside your nose can come from lost volume, muscle pull, sagging or fat weight, and usually more than one at once. Filling every fold the same way is how faces end up looking heavy.
What usually causes it
- 01
Structural hollowing (volume loss)
Fat and bone under the cheek shrink with age, and the skin above folds into the gap. The fix is to rebuild support, not just fill the line.
How we tell them apart
- The fold is still there when you lie on your back
- The area next to the nose looks sunken, not just creased
- The front of the cheek is flatter than it used to be
What we'd suggest, by cause
3D Design Filler
Immediate support where the hollow is.
Sculptra
Volume effect that builds over time.
Juvelook
Raises density in the skin rather than bulk.
COLLAUM
Works like Juvelook and is less prone to nodules.
- 02
Muscle-driven fold
Some folds are carved in by strong smile muscles pulling the skin. Filler alone gets pushed around by the movement; the skin itself needs density.
How we tell them apart
- Fold is much deeper when you smile than at rest
- You have a very expressive face
- Cheeks are full, not hollow
What we'd suggest, by cause
Juvelook Volume
Density in the skin holds up against the pull.
- 03
Sagging from lost elasticity (gravity)
The cheek is not smaller; it has slid down onto the fold. Lifting the cheek back up softens the fold more than filling it does.
How we tell them apart
- Fold fades when you lie down or lift the cheek with a finger
- Jowls and a softer jawline started around the same time
- Skin feels looser overall
What we'd suggest, by cause
Thermage FLX / Density (RF)
Ultherapy / Ultherapy Prime
Ultrasound for the deeper layer that holds the cheek up.
- 04
Heavy cheek fat
Extra fat in the cheek weighs the skin down onto the fold. Adding filler here adds weight to the problem.
How we tell them apart
- Cheeks are full or puffy, not hollow
- Pinching the cheek gives a thick fold of tissue
- The face reads as heavy rather than tired
What we'd suggest, by cause
V-Olet (fat-dissolving)
Ultherapy
Tightens over the reduced fat.
Diagnosis comes first
What we look for first is what the fold does when you smile, lie back and press on the cheek. If it fades lying down, gravity is the story. If it stays, there is a structural hollow. If the cheek is heavy, filler makes it worse. The scan adds elasticity numbers to what the doctor sees.
At the Myeongdong clinic a consultant goes through your concern with you, and the Mark-Vu/Meta-Vu scan and report set the plan from there.
Good to know
- Most folds are two causes at once. A little support plus a little lift usually beats a lot of either.
- Filler in a fold that is really a sagging problem flattens the face. We will say no to that.
- Collagen boosters build slowly over months, so they suit people who can wait. Filler suits people who cannot.
- Filler and boosters have minimal downtime. Ultherapy can leave the area tender for a while.
Common questions
Is filler the answer for smile lines?
Only when the cause is a real hollow. For sagging or heavy cheeks it makes the face heavier. That is the single most common mismatch we see.
Sculptra, Juvelook or COLLAUM: what is the difference?
Sculptra adds volume over time. Juvelook builds density in the skin rather than bulk. COLLAUM works like Juvelook and tends to form fewer nodules. The doctor picks by what your fold needs.
Will it look natural?
Treating what actually moved, rather than filling the line itself, is what keeps it looking like you. That is the whole reason we sort cause first.
Other concerns
Results vary from person to person. A doctor decides on treatment after examining you, and nothing on this page is a promise of outcome.