Don’t Worry, Look Happy

Down in the Mouth

Do people ever come up to you and ask, “Why do you look sad?” Even though you may have felt perfectly happy, when people keep asking if you’re sad or angry, it could leave you feeling…well, sad or angry.

A common complaint of patients is they can’t help projecting a sad or angry appearance, even when they’re happy. It’s a matter of DNA. Some people inherit stronger muscles, called the depressor angularis oris, which pull the corners of the mouth downward. You can reverse this expression by smiling continuously, which isn’t practical, and may border on being inappropriate in the wrong situation. Remember Jack Nicholson as the notorious Joker from Batman? While smiling is wonderful thing, you can’t do it all the time without looking strange.

Solution

Fillers such as Restylane, Juvederm or Sculptra along with Botox or Dysport can help turn the corners of the mouth upward. Note that I said help, but not correct entirely. If fillers can’t adequately address the problem excellent alternatives are PDO lifting threads, which can elevate the cheeks, jowls, corners of the mouth and even brows under local anesthesia.
Another option is the Ellacor. This device can remove 8% of the skin virtually anywhere, especially the face and neck, also under local anesthesia. If needed, any combination of these treatments can work well and with minimal recovery time. Weighing these options is an expected part of what each patient should factor into during the decision-making process for any type of procedure. An added benefit of these procedures is improvement of the Marionette lines significantly.

Sad or Angry Eyes

Another feature that makes us look unhappy, angry or sad is the frown lines between the brows. This expression is caused by the corrugator muscles, which become stronger as we grow older and caused by frowning and squinting. We all have a reason to scowl at times, but too much frowning strengthens the muscle and deepens the lines to the point that they contract even when we are happy. As with any muscle—when you exercise it, it becomes stronger.

Solution

The simplest solution is Botox or Dysport injected into the muscle with a fine needle. If you keep up with these products, the muscle becomes weaker, and less pronounced, and then it can be injected less frequently. Using filler is also an option to help elevate the wrinkles as well. This must be done very carefully. For a saggy outer brow causing a sad look, a brow lift can be performed or even PDO lifting threads, which we have found to be quite effective.

So, if your outward appearance doesn’t match your feelings on the inside, your solution may be easier than you think. And that’s something to smile about.