A war is being waged on an obscure facial feature: the nasolabial fold. Celebrities and influencers are aggressively employing PhotoShop, Facetune, plastic surgery and cosmetic dermatology to vanquish the common “smile lines” that run from the side of the nose down the side of the mouth. Fans are eagerly joining the fight against what was once a normal part of facial anatomy — and one associated with joy — but is now the latest beauty boogeyman.
Google searches for nasolabial folds have more than doub l ed since 2021, and Beverly Hills boutique plastic surgeon Jonathan Sykes told The Post that nasolabial folds are one of the most common complaints he gets in consultations. Social media pressure and unrealistic beauty standards compelled 27-year-old Sabrina Patriarca to pay $800 to get filler injected into her nasolabial folds last year. “I always felt like I had more lines than the average person, and it was just an insecurity of mine,” the Miami real estate agent said.
“I felt like it was aging me and adding a little bit of heaviness to my lower face.” At first she was happy with the results but, as soon as the swelling went down, Patriarca saw the filler begin to migrate down in an unfortunate manner. She’s had numerous cosmetic procedures — lip filler, Botox, a rhinoplasty and a breast augmentation — and never regretted anything she’s had done, except for the fold filler.
Ultimately, she underwent a painful procedure to get the filler dissolved by i.