After the eyes, the area around the mouth, known as the perioral area, is one of the first places that patients become conscious of as they get older. Unsurprisingly, as there are many factors behind ageing around the mouth.

Bony reabsorption of the jaw that flattens the lower face combines with volume loss in the mid-face that causes soft tissues to descend. Decline in our natural levels of collagen and elastin causes the lips and surrounding area to become less plump and the skin to thin. The mouth is also a highly mobile area supported by strong facial muscles that are constantly contracting and relaxing. Lifestyle factors such as sun exposure and smoking can also accelerate ageing.

There are several ways that ageing around the mouth presents and an experienced aesthetic practitioner can advise you on how best to treat them – often a combination of treatments is required.

Weight loss drug Ozempic has been heralded as a miracle cure for people struggling with obesity and associated conditions such as type 2 diabetes. In March, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) approved the use of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic, for adults that have a high BMI combined with at least one weight-related comorbidity.

Semaglutide works differently to other previous weight loss treatments. It mimics a hormone that is produced in the gut after food consumption. As a result, it reduces the appetite and leaves you feel fuller for longer. Administered through a once-weekly injection, it also manages insulin levels and, at its highest dose, is proven to cause up to 10 kg weight loss in about one-third of users.

Although Ozempic is considered a relatively safe medication, it has can have several unpleasant side effects including nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and constipation. The rapid and extreme weight loss that typically results from taking Ozempic also causes facial fat to deplete and skin to sag. The term ‘Ozempic face’ has now been coined to describe the gaunt, ageing look associated with drastic weight loss.

Blame it on Barbie! The global hit that is the Barbie film is already influencing fashion and beauty trends with increased demand for clothes in Barbiecore pink and hairdressers reporting that requests for Barbie blonde hair are up 83%. It’s also been claimed that men are turning to ‘brotox’ as they aren’t feeling ‘Kenenough’.

This is not necessarily a new phenomenon as last year it was reported by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons that anti-wrinkle injections had risen by 400% since pre-pandemic levels.

More and more men are focusing on rejuvenation treatments as they feel that ageing changes to the face leaves them looking unnecessarily tired or cross. Reducing prominent facial wrinkles can enhance confidence in social or professional settings. The increasingly competitive job market is often cited as older men feel they must look dynamic and refreshed to retain or advance their position.