Facial aging is multifactorial. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved hyaluronic acid fillers specifically because the underlying changes (bone resorption, fat-pad atrophy and migration, collagen and elastin loss, and skin laxity) are predictable and well understood. Around the orbit and midface, bone gradually thins and the deep fat pads shrink, which causes the cheeks to flatten and the under-eye area to hollow. As superficial fat pads slide downward, the nasolabial folds deepen and jowls form along the jawline.
Lifestyle accelerates these changes. Cumulative sun exposure (a major issue for Polk County residents), smoking, rapid weight loss, hormonal decline (especially during perimenopause and menopause), poor sleep, and chronic stress all speed collagen breakdown. For many of Erin's patients, combining filler with in-house aesthetic services like radiofrequency and skin-quality treatments addresses both lost volume and declining skin quality at the same time.
