Men and women today are turning to doctors not just for medical help, many are seeking doctor’s help to groom themselves to feel good and look the best. These types of aesthetic treatments are so popular that in the US, there is a research survey on women’s preferences for Facial Aesthetic Treatment.

This survey titled “Facial treatment preferences in Aesthetically Aware Women” was published in the Journal of Dermatologic Surgery in April 2015. It showed for the very first time what female American patients are most interested in “fixing first “ to improve their facial appearance. A total of 603 aesthetically oriented American women, age 30-65 years, were included in this online research survey.

The study focused on the following main objectives:

1. To rank the 14 facial areas (see Fig 1 for details) that women most likely to have aesthetic treatment.
2. To understand the relationship between the most bothersome facial area and the area first planned for treatment.
3. To see if there were differences in treatment preference between younger and older women.

The survey results showed that:

A. Women of All Age Group

Have the most concern on the following Facial Area: (Please see Fig 1 for reference)

1. Crow’s feet lines: area (D)
2. Oral commissures (down turning of the angle of the mouth): area (K)
3. Tear trough (hollow area below the eye): area (E)

B. Women 50 years old and above

Have more concern on their Lower Face Area:

1. Smile lines / nasolabial folds, Area (G)
2. Wrinkles around the mouth/Marionette lines, Area (H)
3. Sagging jowl, Area (L)

C. Women 45 years old and below

Have more concern on their Upper Face Area:

1. Crow’s feet lines, Area (D)
2. Tear trough, Area (E)
3. Frown lines, Area (B)
4. Forehead lines, Area (A)

D. The Most Preferred Areas of Treatment for All Women are :

1. Crow’s feet lines: 82% indicated this area as their most preferred area for treatment
2. Oral commissures: 74%
3. Tear trough: 72%
4. Forehead Lines: 66%
5. Glabellar Lines: 65%

These findings concur with my practice of aesthetic dermatology in the clinic. Young women in Singapore have similar concerns about facial areas where lines and wrinkles appear and stay. For example, the crow’s feet lines, tear trough, frown lines and forehead lines. They mainly wanted to get rid of these lines to maintain their youthfulness or to improve their facial harmony.

Older women (over 50 years old) in Singapore are also more concerned about the ageing signs of their lower face. As women age, they are less concerned about upper facial lines because these lines have become consistent with their self-image and that of their peers. What bothers them the most is the sagging skin changes of the lower face. For example, the smile lines, Marionette lines and sagging jowl.

In both upper & lower facial areas, the skillful use of botulinum toxin and fillers injections at the right place has continuously delivered wonders. Many women have taken up these aesthetic injections to pamper themselves and went home happy. There are also more and more men coming to seek help for their facial aesthetic concern.

In summary, younger women seek aesthetic treatments to retain a youthful appearance, whereas older women seek treatment with the aim of softening the sagging and wrinkled appearance. That is why the first line treatment for doctors to treat these aesthetic concerns is still botulinum toxin & dermal fillers injections because they directly address these concerns safely and effectively.