Laugh Lines (Nasolabial Folds): Why They Form and How to Prevent Them Getting Deeper

What Are Laugh Lines and Are They the Same as Nasolabial Folds?

Yes, laugh lines and nasolabial folds are the same thing. "Nasolabial fold" is the clinical term for the crease that runs from each side of the nose down to the corners of the mouth. "Laugh lines" or "smile wrinkles" are the everyday names for exactly the same fold.

Everyone has them. Infants have them. They are a normal anatomical feature, not a flaw. The conversation about prevention and treatment is really about depth, not presence. A soft nasolabial fold in a relaxed face is normal. A pronounced, static groove that is visible even when the face is completely relaxed is where the concern typically begins.

What makes the difference between soft and deep? Collagen density, fat pad volume, and how much sun damage has accumulated in the mid-face over the years.

What Causes Laugh Lines on Face?

Laugh lines on face form from several compounding factors rather than a single cause.

Natural Facial Movement and Muscle Action

The zygomaticus major (the muscle that pulls the corners of the mouth upward when you smile) creates the same fold thousands of times per day throughout your life. Over years, the skin along that fold gets trained into the crease, first as a fine line visible when you smile, then as a resting fold that does not disappear when your face relaxes.

This is genuinely unavoidable. Eliminating expressions to prevent laugh lines is neither realistic nor desirable. What you can do is make sure the skin on either side of the fold has enough structural support (collagen, hydration, elastin) to recover between expressions rather than holding the crease.

Collagen and Fat Pad Loss With Age

The mid-face sits on a series of fat pads, small cushions of fat underneath the skin that keep cheeks full and skin taut. From the mid-30s onward, these fat pads gradually deflate and shift downward. As they lose volume, the skin above loses structural support and folds forward along the nasolabial line.

Simultaneously, collagen production is declining. Less collagen means less dermis density on either side of the fold, so the crease looks sharper and deeper. These two processes compound each other.

Sun Damage and Photoaging

UV breaks down collagen fibres in the dermis and degrades elastin. The cheek and mid-face area typically receives heavy daily sun exposure, and most people apply SPF less carefully to the mid-face than to the forehead. Accumulated photoaging in this zone accelerates the structural breakdown that makes laugh lines deepen.

Dehydration and Barrier Weakness

A dehydrated skin barrier cannot plump the skin enough to soften the nasolabial fold. When skin is chronically dehydrated, from low water intake, heavy caffeine or alcohol, or poor skincare, laugh lines look visibly deeper. This is not permanent structural change; it is surface dehydration amplifying what is structurally already there. But chronic dehydration over years does accelerate barrier damage and collagen decline.

Sleeping on Your Side

Side-sleeping compresses the mid-face for 6 to 8 hours nightly, pressing the cheek skin into the nasolabial crease repeatedly. Over years, this mechanical compression reinforces the fold formation. Sleeping on your back, or using a silk pillowcase to reduce friction, genuinely reduces this contribution.

At What Age Do Laugh Lines Start Forming?

Most people start noticing soft nasolabial folds in their late 20s to early 30s. At this stage they are typically dynamic, visible during expression and gone when the face is relaxed. The transition to static laugh lines (visible at rest) usually happens in the mid-30s to 40s as fat pad and collagen loss accelerate.

Sun exposure history, genetics, and lifestyle make a significant difference. Someone who used consistent daily SPF throughout their 20s and someone who did not can differ in mid-face aging by a visible decade by their 40s.

What Causes Deep Nasolabial Folds at a Young Age?

This surprises a lot of people in their 20s. Deep laugh lines on face in younger skin tend to come from a combination of:

• Genetics, as some people are simply born with more pronounced nasolabial anatomy or thinner mid-face fat pads
• Significant weight loss, where rapid weight reduction deflates mid-face fat pads faster than the skin can adapt
• Heavy sun exposure without SPF, which accelerates collagen and elastin breakdown significantly ahead of the biological timeline
• Chronic dehydration, which amplifies the appearance of depth
• Smoking, one of the most aggressive accelerators of mid-face collagen breakdown

If you are in your 20s noticing pronounced laugh lines that concern you, the most impactful intervention is daily SPF and a collagen-supporting antioxidant serum. The earlier you start, the longer you can slow the structural progression.

Can You Reduce Laugh Lines Without Fillers?

Partially, with realistic expectations.

Dermal filler remains the most effective single intervention for deep, established laugh lines. But topical care both prevents progression and maintains results between filler appointments, which is why dermatologists who fill also recommend the daily serum.

What Is the Best Serum for Laugh Lines on the Face?

A serum for laugh lines needs to work on three things simultaneously: protect existing collagen, support the skin's natural renewal, and provide deep enough hydration to plump and soften the fold area.

The Kinoko Labs Anti-Wrinkle Serum is built around a botanical active profile calibrated for this. All ingredients are from the verified formulation:

• Ganoderma Lucidum (Reishi) Mushroom Stem Extract Antioxidant that protects existing collagen from UV and environmental oxidative damage. Central to why the formula supports long-term structural skin health rather than just surface brightening.
• Sodium Hyaluronate Multi-depth hydration that plumps the skin on either side of the fold, making laugh lines look visibly softer.
• Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis Flower Water Natural alpha-hydroxy acids that support surface cell renewal without the irritation risk of synthetic AHAs.
• Hydrolyzed Plukenetia Volubilis (Sacha Inchi) Seed Extract Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids supporting skin elasticity and membrane integrity in the mid-face dermis.
• Saccharide Isomerate Sustained deep hydration for longer-lasting plumping effect.
• Withania Somnifera (Ashwagandha) Root Extract Adaptogenic antioxidant that helps reduce cortisol-driven collagen breakdown, which is a real factor for stress-related accelerated aging.
• Centella Asiatica Extract Long-studied for collagen synthesis support and anti-inflammatory action in the dermis.
• Rosa Rubiginosa (Rosehip) Seed Oil Natural vitamin A precursors supporting cellular renewal without retinol's photosensitivity.
• Ocimum Sanctum (Tulsi) Leaf Extract Additional antioxidant support.
• Hydrolyzed Plant Proteins (Wheat, Oat, Sweet Almond) Light firming proteins for surface smoothness.
• Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) + Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oils Botanical emollients that nourish the mid-face barrier.

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Anti-Wrinkle Serum

Formulated with Reishi mushroom, Centella Asiatica, and Ashwagandha to protect existing collagen, deeply hydrate, and visibly soften the nasolabial fold over time. Start early. See the difference.

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How to Prevent Laugh Lines From Getting Deeper: Daily Routine

Start this in your mid-20s for best prevention outcomes. The earlier, the more impact.

Facial Habits That Help

• Apply with upward strokes, never pulling the fold downward
• Avoid sleeping with your face pressed into the pillow
• Use a silk or satin pillowcase if side-sleeping is unavoidable, as it reduces friction and compression
• When applying moisturiser or SPF, use gentle lifting pressure rather than rubbing down

For the perioral area, lip lines and the mouth border that sit adjacent to the nasolabial fold, the Lip Plumping Serum addresses the surrounding lip zone. For the eye-to-cheek transition where periorbital and mid-face aging converge, the Under Eye Serum covers the periorbital zone specifically.

Not sure which formula to start with? The Discovery Box includes 5ml of all five Kinoko Labs serums to trial before committing.

Realistic Expectations: Laugh Lines Before and After Topical Care

Frequently Asked Questions