Expert Spotlight

Dr Chris Moss
Cosmetic Plastic Surgeon

Beauty concerns in the mid-face

If you have looked into a mirror and wished you could look 10 years younger, you may want to consider modern cosmetic procedures for the mid-face. This is because the mid-face area, i.e the area between the lower eyelid and the upper lip, has a dramatic impact on how youthful a face looks.

“A young-looking face has a smooth lower eyelid connecting via a smooth lid-cheek junction into the gentle fullness of the cheek, which curves into a smooth nose-lip area,” said cosmetic plastic surgeon Dr Chris Moss.

However, as people age, these smooth contours typically give way to lines and folds caused by a loss in volume, sagging tissue and excessive facial muscle activity.

These may lead to

• wrinkles and bags, especially in the lower lid area
• tear troughs (a furrow that runs from the inside of the eye to the lower eyelid, and which may continue into the midcheek as a cheek furrow)
• dark circles under the eyes
• flattening of the cheeks.

However, for the majority of people in their 30s–40s and even early 50s, these problems can be addressed through non-surgical means, said Dr Moss.

Dr Moss favours using fillers to treat each area of concern so as to rejuvenate the face in a balanced way.

He uses fillers to

• achieve a volumising effect to treat the loss of fullness in the soft tissues of the face
• provide structural support to the skin thus firming and lifting it
• smooth deeper lines and creases.

Filler treatment involves precisely and strategically distributing the filler into furrows and other problem areas. The entire procedure usually takes under half an hour and the majority of patients are able to resume their normal activities immediately.

Dr Moss also uses anti-wrinkle injections in areas, such as frown lines (lines between the brows) and crow’s feet (lines that radiate from the corners of the eyes), to address the lines caused by excessive facial muscle activity.

“We can get great improvements without surgery through the use of fillers and anti-wrinkle injections,” he said.

“However, other options such as laser resurfacing, skin tightening and surgery are available for those who need them.”

Dr Moss usually asks new patients to return a week after the initial treatment for a review.

“I don’t believe in over-treating. Less is often more,” Dr Moss said. At the follow-up meeting, patients can have additional filler if they want added fullness in a certain area but in Dr Moss’ experience, “people usually don’t want extreme correction”.

Because these treatments are temporary, patients generally repeat filler treatment after 6-12 months and anti-wrinkle treatments after 4 months.