Study Finds Favorable First Impressions after Wrinkle Fillers

Hyaluronic acid fillers, such as Restylane and Juvederm, are effective at correcting smile lines, and a new study shows they also favorably affect the first impression you make on others.

The Chicago Center for Facial Plastic Surgery conducted the study with 22 participants who received injections of hyaluronic acid fillers into their nasolabial folds. Photos were taken of the patients’ faces in a relaxed pose at baseline, optimal correction visit and four weeks after optimal correction.

Then 304 evaluators completed a survey rating first impressions in several categories for each photo. Over 5,700 first impressions were recorded.

The findings indicated a significant improvement in mean first impression in several categories at the optimal correction visit. The categories included dating success; attractiveness; financial success; relationship success; athletic success; and overall first impression.

The authors wrote in their conclusion, “Full correction of the nasolabial folds with hyaluronic acid filler significantly and positively influences the first impression an individual projects.”

Commenting on the study, dermatologist Dr. Kenneth Beer wrote, “When used correctly, they [hyaluronic acids] help restore more youthful proportions. For women, this includes higher cheekbones, fuller temporal areas, and more sculpted facial features. Hyaluronic acids may also be used to camouflage the bone loss associated with menopause and its loss of reproductive capacity. Transforming a postmenopausal face into one that has the features of a premenopausal face will have a profound effect on first impressions.”

The study appears in the November issue of the Dermatologic Surgery journal, and the abstract is available for free online.