How the face ages.

Layer 1 – bone: from about 35 the facial skeleton slowly remodels: eye sockets widen, the upper jaw recedes, the jaw angle loses definition. The scaffold on which everything rests becomes smaller – and the soft tissue above it sinks. That is why tear trough and chin-jaw line look different over the years, even without a single wrinkle.

Layer 2 – fat: facial fat lies in about two dozen compartments. Some shrink (temple, cheek, around the eyes), some increase or descend (nasolabial, jowls, double chin). The result: the mid-face flattens, tissue gathers below. The nasolabial fold usually does not arise in the fold but from the loss in the cheek above.

Layer 3 – ligaments and muscles: retaining ligaments stretch; soft tissue follows gravity. Expression muscles stay active and carve their lines into skin that no longer smooths out: forehead, frown line, crow's feet. Some muscles pull downward more strongly with the years (mouth corners, neck) and reinforce the tired look.

Layer 4 – skin: collagen decreases by about one percent a year from around 25; elastin becomes brittle; hyaluronic acid dwindles; cell renewal slows. The skin becomes thinner, drier, more uneven, pigment spots and fine crinkles appear. Sun and smoking accelerate this layer most – it is the only one you can influence markedly through behaviour.

Which treatment fits where: bone and fat loss – volume with hyaluronic acid at the right support points (cheek, temple, chin), not in the fold itself. Muscles – botulinum toxin for expression lines. Skin – skin boosters, polynucleotides, microneedling, PRP, care and sun protection. A good concept treats the layer that actually changes the picture – sometimes a different one from the one that stands out in the mirror.

What aesthetics does not change: ageing itself. The aim is not a 30-year-old face but a 50-year-old one that looks rested. Those who understand that are happier with treatments – and usually need fewer of them.