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Nasolabial Folds · Kensington, London
Nose to Mouth Lines: Why Nasolabial Folds Deepen and Where Treatment Begins
Nose to mouth lines — nasolabial folds in clinical language — run from each side of the nose to the corner of the mouth. Everyone has them; what changes with age is their depth, as the cheek fat pads deflate and slide downwards and the skin above the fold gives up its elasticity. That is why the cheek, not the fold, is where assessment starts.
- Cheek support assessed before the fold
- Skin beside the nose examined too
- Kensington Church St, Monday to Saturday
- Medically reviewed by Dr Prasad
This page sets out how nasolabial folds and the midface are assessed at Faciem, and is checked for clinical accuracy.
Last reviewed: 15 September 2026.
Patient information only. The skin beside the nose is a common site for skin lesions, so any plan follows a face-to-face examination and consultation with Dr Prasad.
Patients since 2019
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TL;DR
Nose to mouth lines, or nasolabial folds, are the folds running from the sides of the nose to the corners of the mouth. Everybody has one on each side from birth. They deepen when the cheek fat above them deflates and descends, when the bone around the base of the nose recedes, and when skin loses elasticity. Since the depth comes from what has been lost above the fold, the midface is assessed first: treating the fold on its own adds weight where the face is already settling. Assessment at Faciem is by Dr Prasad, a GMC-registered doctor with 20 years in dermatology and facial aesthetics.
- Everyone has the fold from birth
- Depth comes from lost cheek support
- Cheek assessed before the fold is treated
About the Condition
What Are Nose to Mouth Lines (Nasolabial Folds)?
Nose to mouth lines, known medically as nasolabial folds, are the two creases that run from the sides of the nose towards the corners of the mouth. Every face has them: the fold marks the boundary where cheek tissue meets the upper lip. They deepen as volume, bone support and skin elasticity above them are lost.
What do nose to mouth lines look like?
A nasolabial fold behaves like a boundary, not a wrinkle, which is why it reads as a shadow more than a line. Early on it shows only when you smile, and it vanishes when you lie down and the cheek falls back. As the cheek deflates, the fold stays visible at rest, and a fine crease can form in the skin along its lower edge. It looks deepest in overhead light and at the end of a long day. One side is often deeper than the other, frequently the side you sleep on. Run a finger up from the fold to the cheekbone: if the cheek feels flat or hollow, the fold is a consequence of what has gone above it.
At what age do nasolabial folds appear?
Most people become aware of nasolabial folds in their thirties, when the fold stays faintly visible at rest and no longer only on smiling. Face shape counts for more than age alone: prominent cheek fat, a wide smile or a strong midface show a deeper fold earlier, and it often mirrors a parent’s. Thin faces show it once the small amount of cheek volume they had has gone. Significant weight loss deepens the fold quickly, a common complaint after a change in body weight. Smoking, years of sun exposure and sleeping consistently on one side all add to it. In deeper skin tones the fold frequently reads as a line of darker pigment instead of a shadow; treating that pigment while ignoring the volume disappoints people.
What is mistaken for a nasolabial fold?
Several creases in the lower face get grouped with the nasolabial fold and should not be. Marionette lines run downwards from the corners of the mouth towards the chin and are planned as mouth restoration, not at the fold. Fine vertical lines on the upper lip come from movement and sun damage. Jowls and a softening jawline often develop alongside the fold, since both follow the same descent of midface tissue, but they are separate problems needing separate planning. Clinically, the area beside the nose is one of the commonest sites on the body for basal cell carcinoma, and a small pearly or scaly lesion there is easily read as part of the fold.
Causes & Contributing Factors
What Causes Nose to Mouth Lines?
Nose to mouth lines deepen because the support above them is lost, while the fold itself stays exactly where it always was. Cheek fat pads deflate and slide downwards, the bone around the base of the nose recedes, and skin surrenders the elasticity that once held the tissue in position.
Deflation and descent of the cheek fat pads
The fat of the midface sits in separate compartments that shrink at different rates and slide downwards over time. As the upper cheek empties, the tissue above the fold stops holding its position, settles against the boundary and deepens the shadow.
Bone change around the base of the nose
The bony opening at the base of the nose widens gradually through adult life, and the upper jaw loses a degree of forward projection. Less bone behind the soft tissue means less support for the cheek, so the fold carries more of the load.
Loss of skin elasticity
Collagen and elastin decline steadily from the mid-twenties, and more sharply after the menopause. Skin that no longer recoils cannot resist tissue settling against the fold, and a crease begins to form within the skin along its lower edge.
Repeated smiling and muscle activity
The muscles that lift the upper lip pull cheek tissue upwards and inwards with every smile, folding the skin at the same boundary each time. In a face that smiles a lot, this mechanical component contributes as much as the loss of volume.
Weight loss, smoking and sun exposure
Losing weight takes facial fat as well as body fat, and the midface is often where it shows first. Smoking and ultraviolet light both degrade the elastic tissue in skin, so the fold deepens sooner and recovers less well from expression.
Treatments We Offer
How Are Nose to Mouth Lines Treated at Faciem?
Nose to mouth lines are treated by rebuilding what has been lost above them. Support is restored at the cheek so the tissue sits higher and the shadow softens, while skin quality along the fold is handled separately: a shadow and a crease within the skin are different problems.
01
Dermal Fillers
Restoring volume at the cheek lifts tissue that has settled against the fold, so the shadow softens without loading the fold itself. Faciem uses hyaluronic acid filler from the Juvéderm® Vycross range, planned by the MD Codes approach to revolumising the midface and usually placed through a fine cannula in this region.
Best for: folds driven by lost cheek volume and support
Read about Dermal Fillers
02
Chemical Peels
Peels work on the crease that forms within the skin along the fold, and on the pigment that often accompanies it in deeper skin tones. Skin tone is graded on the Fitzpatrick scale before a peel is chosen: Fitzpatrick IV to VI skin is treatable, but the agent, its strength and the number of layers are adjusted, and priming the skin for two to four weeks beforehand matters more, because the risk being managed is post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation rather than the crease itself. Lighter formulations such as the ZO Stimulator Peel treat surface quality; deeper peels reach the dermis and ask for more recovery time.
Best for: skin creasing, texture and pigment along the fold
Read about Chemical Peels
03
Medical-Grade Skincare
A prescribed routine builds the thickness and resilience that let midface skin resist folding, and it keeps any pigment along the fold in check. It also holds on to the result of anything else done in the area between appointments.
Best for: skin quality, pigment and maintaining results
Read about Medical-Grade Skincare
A HydraFacial is sometimes added alongside these for surface condition. Treatment beside the nose sits close to the facial artery and its branches, so it is planned by anatomy and not by following the visible line. Which options suit you, and in what order, is decided at a face-to-face consultation; how much difference they make differs from face to face.
When to Seek Medical Advice
When Should You See a Doctor About the Skin Beside Your Nose?
The skin beside the nose is one of the commonest sites on the body for skin cancer, so a lesion sitting inside a nasolabial fold deserves far more attention than the fold does. Any change after filler treatment in this area also needs prompt assessment, not reassurance.
Worth getting checked
- A pearly, scaly or bleeding spot beside the nose that has not healed
- Sudden drooping or flattening of the fold on one side of the face
- Pain, blanching or discolouration after filler treatment in this area
- A lump or firm nodule within the fold, whether or not you have had treatment
Conditions that can look similar
- Basal cell carcinoma, sebaceous hyperplasia, seborrhoeic dermatitis and filler nodules all occur in the nasolabial region and can be mistaken for part of the fold. A face that suddenly droops on one side, particularly with weakness elsewhere or difficulty speaking, is a medical emergency: call 999 rather than booking a clinic appointment. Anything bleeding, crusting, spreading or failing to settle should be seen in person.
Self-Care & Prevention
What You Can Do About Nose to Mouth Lines at Home
Home care cannot put cheek volume back, but it does slow the changes that deepen a nasolabial fold. Daily sun protection, a steady body weight and stopping smoking all preserve the elastic tissue holding the midface up.
Do
- Apply broad-spectrum SPF 50 across the cheeks and nose every morning, reapplying every two hours outdoors
- Change weight slowly if you need to, around 0.5 to 1kg a week, so the midface is not emptied quickly
- Try sleeping on your back for two to three months if one fold is consistently deeper
- Have any lesion beside the nose that has not healed within four weeks examined, rather than covering it
Avoid
- Smoking — skin quality in the midface improves within 6 to 12 months of stopping
- Sunbeds, and unprotected sun on the middle of the face between 11am and 3pm
- Dermal filler bought online or injected by anyone who is not a medical professional
- Pulling or taping the fold — 10 minutes of daily facial exercise will not lift descended cheek fat
This is general guidance and does not replace individual assessment. How much of a fold is volume, how much is skin and how much is muscle differs from face to face, and that ratio decides what will actually help.
Why Patients Choose Faciem
Why the Midface Is Assessed Before the Fold Is Treated
Nose to mouth lines are where facial filler most often looks obvious, and nearly always for one reason: the fold was treated instead of the cheek. Assessment at Faciem establishes where support has actually been lost before anything is placed.
- Cheek volume, bone support and skin quality assessed before the fold
- Examined by Dr Prasad, a GMC-registered doctor, before anything is treated
- Anatomical planning in a region close to the facial artery
- Lesions inside the fold examined, not treated around
Experience & Expertise
Why Nose to Mouth Lines Need a Doctor
Nose to mouth lines are the area where facial treatment most often looks obvious, and the reason is anatomical. The fold is a boundary between two different tissue layers, so filling it directly, without restoring the cheek support lost above it, adds weight to the very structure that is already descending. The region also sits close to the facial artery and its branches, one of the higher-risk sites for vascular complications, where whoever treats it has to recognise the warning signs and act immediately. Then there is the skin itself, since a basal cell carcinoma beside the nose is easily read as part of the fold. Dr Prasad, a GMC-registered doctor with 20 years’ experience in dermatology and facial aesthetics, assesses the midface before the fold and examines the skin as a dermatologist.
- Dr Anamica Prasad — MBChB (1999), Dip Dermatology (2001), MRCGP, DFFP, DRCOG · a GMC-registered doctor
- Member of the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP), British Medical Laser Association (BMLA), Royal Society of Medicine and the Aesthetic Complications Group
- Clinic operated by Derma Medical UK Ltd, registered with the Care Quality Commission for diagnostic and screening procedures, surgical procedures, and treatment of disease, disorder or injury · CQC Location ID 1-25573003746
- Face-to-face medical consultation and examination before any treatment is planned
- 20 years’ experience in dermatology and facial aesthetics across every skin tone
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Nose to Mouth Lines FAQs
Your Questions, Answered
Nasolabial folds bring up the same handful of questions in clinic. If yours is not answered below, put it to Dr Prasad at your consultation.
What causes nose to mouth lines?
Nose to mouth lines exist from birth, marking where cheek tissue meets the upper lip. They deepen as the fat pads of the cheek deflate and descend, the bone around the base of the nose recedes and skin loses elasticity. Smiling adds a mechanical crease at the same boundary, and weight loss, smoking and sun exposure all speed the process up.
How soon after nasolabial fold treatment can I go back to work?
Most people return to work the same day after filler in the nasolabial region. Expect swelling and tenderness for 24 to 48 hours, and any bruising to settle over 7 to 10 days, so a wedding, a photograph or a public event is best booked at least two weeks after treatment. A peel runs to a different clock: the skin flakes around days three to five, and a week is the sensible allowance.
How do I get rid of nose to mouth lines?
Nose to mouth lines are softened, not removed, because the fold is part of normal facial anatomy and does not disappear. Restoring support at the cheek lifts the tissue resting against it, and skin treatment improves any crease that has formed within the fold. Depth also fluctuates day to day with weight, fluid and tiredness.
Is it a bad idea to fill nasolabial folds directly?
Placing filler into the fold without addressing lost cheek support adds volume to tissue that is already descending, which is the usual reason a treated face looks heavy. At Faciem, assessment establishes how much of the fold comes from volume lost above it before any product is placed.
Can I wear makeup or exercise after nose to mouth line treatment?
Leave makeup off the nasolabial area for 12 to 24 hours after filler, until the injection points have closed, then apply it with clean hands or a freshly washed brush, pressing rather than dragging across the fold. Exercise, saunas and steam rooms wait 48 hours, since heat and a raised heart rate make swelling and bruising worse. After a peel, makeup goes back on once flaking has stopped, usually five to seven days.
Should I see a doctor about a spot beside my nose?
Yes. The skin beside the nose is one of the commonest sites for basal cell carcinoma, and a pearly, scaly or bleeding spot that has not healed within four weeks should be examined. Lesions here are easily dismissed as part of the nasolabial fold, so Dr Prasad examines the skin as well as the shape of the midface.
What determines the cost of treating nose to mouth lines?
Cost follows the plan: whether the cheek needs volume restored, how much product that takes, whether skin treatment is added for the crease or the pigment along the fold, and how many appointments are involved. Prices for each option are published on the treatment pages — dermal fillers for volume and chemical peels for skin quality — and your own figure is confirmed with you in writing before treatment goes ahead.
Sources & Further Reading
- Dermal fillers — safety, risks and what to consider — NHS
- Ageing skin — DermNet NZ
- Sun protection — DermNet NZ
These are general sources of patient information and do not replace individual medical assessment by a doctor who has examined your face.
Nose to Mouth Lines in Kensington, London
A Doctor-Led Clinic in the Heart of Kensington
Assessment of nose to mouth lines is available at Faciem Dermatology & Medical Clinic on Kensington Church St, London, led by Dr Prasad. High Street Kensington is the nearest tube station, Notting Hill Gate is roughly ten minutes away on foot, and the Kensington council underground car park is close by. A first appointment is always a consultation: the midface has to be seen at rest and smiling, in good light. Opening hours run Monday to Saturday, 10am–7pm, so an after-work slot is straightforward for anyone in Kensington, Chelsea or Notting Hill.
Plan Your Visit
- Faciem Dermatology & Medical Clinic
- Phone: +44 20 7131 3539
- 7 Kensington Church St, London W8 4LF, United Kingdom
- Tube: High Street Kensington (few minutes’ walk) · Notting Hill Gate (~10 minutes)
- Parking: Kensington council underground car park nearby
- Open Monday–Saturday, 10am–7pm · Sunday closed
- Midface consultations bookable online; treatment planned afterwards
- Consultation-first — no treatment without medical assessment
- Serving Kensington, Chelsea, Notting Hill & Central London
Continue Exploring
Related Conditions & Treatments
Mouth Restoration
Marionette lines, thinning lips and downturned corners — the lower-face concern below the fold, planned separately from it.
Read more →
Jowls
The descent of midface tissue that deepens the fold also softens the jawline, so jowls are assessed alongside it.
Read more →
Wrinkles
How creases made by movement differ from folds made by lost volume, and why each needs a different approach.
Read more →
Faciem Dermatology & Medical Clinic · Kensington
Book a Midface Assessment in Kensington
A consultation with Dr Prasad works out how much of your fold comes from lost cheek support, has the skin beside the nose examined properly, and plans treatment for the cause. Book online or call +44 20 7131 3539.
Prefer to talk? +44 20 7131 3539