The nasolabial folds, commonly known as "smile lines" or "laugh lines", are
facial features. They are the two
skin folds that run from each side of the
nose
A nose is a protuberance in vertebrates that houses the nostrils, or nares, which receive and expel air for respiration alongside the mouth. Behind the nose are the olfactory mucosa and the sinuses. Behind the nasal cavity, air next passe ...
to the corners of the
mouth
In animal anatomy, the mouth, also known as the oral cavity, or in Latin cavum oris, is the opening through which many animals take in food and issue vocal sounds. It is also the cavity lying at the upper end of the alimentary canal, bounded on ...
. They are defined by facial structures that support the
buccal fat pad
The buccal fat pad (also called Bichat’s fat pad, after Xavier Bichat, and the buccal pad of fat) is one of several encapsulated fat masses in the cheek. It is a deep fat pad located on either side of the face between the buccinator muscle and s ...
. They separate the
cheek
The cheeks ( la, buccae) constitute the area of the face below the eyes and between the nose and the left or right ear. "Buccal" means relating to the cheek. In humans, the region is innervated by the buccal nerve. The area between the insi ...
s from the
upper lip
The lips are the visible body part at the mouth of many animals, including humans. Lips are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake and in the articulation of sound and speech. Human lips are a tactile sensory organ, and can be ...
. The term derives from
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
''
nasus'' for "nose" and ''
labium
Labium is the Latin word for lip. In English, it may refer to:
* Labia, a part of the female external genitalia
* Labium (botany), a modified petal in certain monocot flowers, which attracts insects for pollination
* Labium (arthropod mouthpart), ...
'' for "
lip
The lips are the visible body part at the mouth of many animals, including humans. Lips are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake and in the articulation of sound and speech. Human lips are a tactile sensory organ, and can be ...
".
Nasolabial fold is a misnomer, however. The proper anatomical term is melolabial fold, meaning the fold between the cheek and lip.
Cosmetology issues
With
ageing
Ageing ( BE) or aging ( AE) is the process of becoming older. The term refers mainly to humans, many other animals, and fungi, whereas for example, bacteria, perennial plants and some simple animals are potentially biologically immortal. ...
the fold may grow in length and depth.
Dermal fillings may be used to replace lost fats and collagen in this facial area. Facial exercises give effective results in erasing the appearance of nasolabial folds.
See also
*
Epicanthal fold
An epicanthic fold or epicanthus is a skin fold of the upper eyelid that covers the inner corner (medial canthus) of the eye. However, variation occurs in the nature of this feature and the possession of "partial epicanthic folds" or "slight e ...
*
Nasalis muscle
References
Facial features
Cosmetics
Skin anatomy
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