How the face changes with age

A simple way to picture it

Think of a table with a tablecloth over it. The table is the bone and deeper tissue, and the cloth is the skin. If the table changes shape, the cloth drapes differently, even if the cloth itself hasn’t changed.

Bone

Facial bones slowly remodel throughout life. The eye sockets can widen, which can make the eyes look more hollow, and the jawline and chin can lose definition.

Fat

The face has separate pads of fat. Over time some shrink and others move lower, which can lead to hollowness in some areas and heaviness in others, such as along the jaw.

Muscle

Years of everyday expressions leave their mark. As skin loses elasticity, the lines made by smiling, frowning and squinting become more visible, first when the face moves and later at rest.

Skin

The skin makes less collagen and elastin with age and repairs itself more slowly. Fine lines, sun spots, dryness, rough patches and small visible blood vessels become more common, especially on sun-exposed skin.

Why this matters for any plan

Because ageing affects every layer, no single treatment addresses all of it. A good assessment looks at the whole face, and good daily skin care and sun protection come first. A practitioner can explain which concerns may be helped, which may not, and the risks of any option.

This article is general information, not medical advice. All procedures carry risks.

Back to Advice