The causes of facial aging are much deeper than wrinkles
People seeking to get rid of signs of aging by any means have long resorted to the services of plastic surgeons performing facelifts and wrinkle removal procedures. However, the results of a study conducted by specialists of the University of Rochester Medical Center (New York State), working under the guidance of Professor Howard N. Langstein, indicate that this is not enough to make a person look young. The authors found that the metamorphoses occurring with the faces of aging people are caused by significant changes in the shape of the facial bones, especially the lower jaw.
The data presented at the annual congress of the American Association of Plastic Surgeons held on March 20-23 in San Antonio and published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in the article "Aging of the Mandible and Its Aesthetic Implications" indicate that in the future the facial rejuvenation procedure will consist of two stages: restoration of the structure of internal organs lost with age tissues and subsequent skin tightening.
The authors analyzed 120 images of the skull obtained during computed tomography, prescribed for various medical reasons to patients of the Caucasian race, and studied the changes that occur with facial bones as a person ages. The study did not include tomograms of patients without teeth. The analyzed tomograms were divided into six groups (20 people each) depending on the gender of the patients and their age: young (20-36 years old), middle (41-64 years old) and elderly (65 years and older).
Using a computer program, they measured the length, width and angle of the mandible in each image and compared the results obtained for each of the patient groups. The use of computed tomography results provided the possibility of accurate three-dimensional reconstruction of the skull bones and increased the accuracy of measurements. The resulting data cast doubt on earlier results obtained based on the analysis of traditional X-ray images, according to which the length of the lower jaw increases significantly with age.
The authors found that the angle formed by the bone of the lower jaw increases significantly with age, which leads to blurring of the lower border of the face. At the same time, the length of the lower jaw in the elderly is significantly reduced compared to middle-aged and young people. In addition, the height of the lower jaw of the elderly is also noticeably smaller than that of middle-aged people. All these changes are equally characteristic of both sexes.
According to Langstein, the lower jaw is the basis of the lower part of the face, and changing its shape affects the aesthetics of the face as a whole. Reducing the volume of bone tissue smoothes the jaw line and chin. At the same time, the soft tissues of the face lose their support, which leads to the formation of a softer oval of the face and sagging skin of the lower part of the face and neck.
Traditionally, doctors have been taught that facial aging is caused by the loss of elasticity of soft tissues and their "sliding". Despite the fact that experts have long been aware of age-related changes in the structure of bones, until now no one realized to what extent this affects the appearance of a person.
Understanding that the structure of the bones of the facial part of the skull predictably changes as we age will allow us to develop more effective facial rejuvenation procedures. Perhaps in the future, in order to restore the shape of the face lost over time, in addition to traditional lifting and removal of excess skin, special implants supporting the soft tissues of the cheeks and chin will be implanted in patients.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru according to the materials of the University of Rochester Medical Center: Facial Aging is More Than Skin Deep.
25.03.2010