Surgical softening of the nasolabial folds by liposuction and severing of the cutaneous insertions of the mimetic muscles.

[BACKGROUND] A surgical technique was developed to soften the nasolabial folds by liposuction and severing of the cutaneous insertions of the mimetic muscles. This procedure was used for 11 patients from September 2006 to June 2009.

[METHODS] With the patients under local tumescent anesthesia, extraoral incisions were made in nine cases and intraoral incisions in two cases. Liposuction was performed superior and lateral to the nasolabial fold using an order-made one-hole 2.5-mm cannula. After liposuction, the fibrae septa and the cutaneous insertions of the mimetic muscles in the nasolabial region were severed by a sharp-edge eye scissors. Compressive dressings were maintained for 3 days.

[RESULTS] All the patients, followed up from 3 months to 3 years, were satisfied with the aesthetic results. Both the depth and the length of the nasolabial folds were decreased conspicuously. The most obvious change was improvement in the lateral part of the nasolabial folds. The extraoral scars were almost imperceptible. Severe complications were not observed in this series.

[CONCLUSION] Surgical softening of the nasolabial folds by liposuction and severing of the cutaneous insertions of the mimetic muscles is especially suitable for 40- to 60-year-old women with aging faces who are unwilling to undergo a face-lift. The procedure is simple, and the anatomic causes for deepening of the nasolabial folds can be corrected. Patients usually are satisfied with the final postoperative results.