You’re looking in the mirror at 8:00 AM. The light from the bathroom vanity is unforgiving. There they are. Two lines, faint but definitely present, running from the corners of your nose down toward your mouth. You’re 24. Or 27. Or maybe just hit 22.
Panic sets in.
Is this aging? Already? Most people assume "smile lines" are a gift reserved for the 40-plus crowd, but the reality is that nasolabial folds in 20s are incredibly common. They aren't always about "getting old" in the traditional sense. Sometimes it’s just how your face is built. Other times, it’s a signal that your skin is thirsty or your lifestyle is catching up with your collagen levels faster than expected.
Let's be real: social media has ruined our perception of what a human face looks like. Between the "Paris" filter and AI-generated influencers, we’ve forgotten that faces are supposed to move. Faces have shadows. If your face was a flat, line-free surface, you’d look like a thumb.
The Biology of Those Lines Around Your Mouth
The nasolabial fold isn't actually a wrinkle. It's a structural feature. It’s the boundary between your cheeks and your upper lip. Everyone has them to some degree. Even babies have them when they smile.
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In your 20s, if these lines are becoming more prominent when your face is at rest, it usually boils down to a few specific biological shifts. First, consider the fat pads in your cheeks. In your early 20s, these are usually high and firm. If they start to descend—even by a millimeter—due to weight fluctuations or genetics, they press against the skin around the mouth. This creates a shadow. That shadow is what you’re seeing.
Genetics play the biggest role, honestly. Look at your parents. If your mom or dad has a deep mid-face structure, you likely inherited the same bone density and fat distribution. No amount of $200 cream can "fix" a bone structure that is predisposed to shadowing in that area. It’s just the architecture of your skull.
Then there’s the collagen factor. While we’re told collagen production drops at 25, it’s not like a light switch flipping off. It’s more like a slow leak. If you’ve spent your teens baking in the sun or using tanning beds, that "leak" started early. UV radiation breaks down the elastin fibers that keep your skin "snappy." When skin loses snap, it sags. When it sags, the nasolabial fold deepens.
Is it a Wrinkle or Just Dehydration?
Before you book a consultation for filler, check your water intake and your moisturizer.
Dehydrated skin is thin and crepey. When skin lacks moisture, it collapses into every natural groove, making a shallow fold look like a canyon. This is especially true for people in their 20s who are using harsh acne treatments like benzoyl peroxide or tretinoin without a proper barrier cream. You might be "drying out" the lines into existence.
Try this: pinch your cheek. Does it bounce back instantly, or does it take a second to smooth out? If it’s slow, you’re dealing with a surface-level hydration issue, not a deep-set structural fold.
Why Some People Get Nasolabial Folds in Their 20s Faster Than Others
Life happens.
If you’ve recently lost a significant amount of weight, your face is often the first place to show it. "Ozempic face" is a trending term, but rapid weight loss from any source causes the malar fat pads (the ones on your cheekbones) to shrink. When that volume disappears, the skin has nowhere to go but down.
Smoking is another massive culprit. It’s not just the chemicals; it’s the physical act. Constantly pursing your lips to inhale strengthens the muscles around the mouth while simultaneously restricting blood flow to the skin. It’s a double whammy of structural deepening and surface-level damage.
And then there's the "tech neck" phenomenon. Spend eight hours a day looking down at a phone. Gravity is pulling your cheek tissue forward and down. Over years, this micro-pulling contributes to the deepening of the mid-face folds. It sounds like a reach, but dermatologists are increasingly seeing "gravity-related" aging in younger patients who spend the most time in a downward-facing posture.
Treatment Realities: What Actually Works (and What’s a Scam)
If you Google nasolabial folds in 20s, you’ll be bombarded with ads for "face yoga" and "miracle serums."
Let's cut through the noise.
Topical Retinoids
Tretinoin (Retin-A) or high-quality over-the-counter retinals are the gold standard. They won't lift a sagging cheek, but they will thicken the dermis over time. Thicker skin shows fewer shadows. If you’re starting in your 20s, you’re playing the long game. You won't see a change tomorrow, but in five years, you’ll be glad you started.
The Filler Debate
Hyaluronic acid fillers (like Juvederm or Restylane) are the most common "fix" people seek. But here is what most injectors won't tell you: filling the fold itself is often a mistake.
If you put heavy filler directly into the nasolabial line, it can make the face look "puffy" or "muzzle-like." Modern, high-end injectors usually suggest putting a tiny bit of filler in the cheeks instead. By restoring volume to the mid-face, you "lift" the skin away from the mouth, softening the fold naturally.
However, filler in your 20s is a big commitment. It migrates. It lasts longer than the "six months" the brochure claims. According to MRI studies by doctors like Dr. Gavin Chan, filler can stay in the face for years, potentially leading to a distorted look over time.
Microneedling and Radiofrequency
Treatments like Morpheus8 or standard microneedling create "micro-injuries." Your body responds by pumping out fresh collagen. For someone in their 20s, this is often a better route than filler because it uses your own biology to tighten the area. It’s more expensive than a cream but less "fake" looking than filler.
The Mental Game: Zoom Dysmorphia and Lighting
We have to talk about front-facing cameras.
The lenses in smartphones are wide-angle. They distort features that are closest to the camera—your nose and the center of your face. If you’re judging your nasolabial folds in 20s based on selfies, you’re looking at a distorted version of reality.
Overhead lighting is also a killer. If you’re standing directly under a pot light, it’s going to cast a shadow under your cheek. Walk two feet forward into natural light, and the line disappears.
Professional dermatologists often suggest the "Two-Foot Rule." If you can't see the lines from two feet away in natural light, they aren't a clinical concern. They’re just... a face.
Actionable Steps to Soften the Lines Today
Stop stressing and start doing.
- Sunscreen is non-negotiable. 90% of skin aging is UV damage. If you aren't wearing SPF 30 every single day, no other treatment matters. You are pouring water into a leaky bucket.
- Hydrate from the inside and outside. Use a serum with polyglutamic acid or hyaluronic acid on damp skin. Seal it with a ceramide-rich moisturizer to "plump" the surface.
- Change your sleeping position. If you sleep on your side, you are literally smashing your cheek into your nasolabial fold for eight hours a night. Try sleeping on your back, or at least switch to a silk pillowcase to reduce friction.
- Watch your "resting b*tch face." Some people naturally clench their jaw or hold tension in their mid-face. This constant muscle contraction deepens the grooves. Practice relaxing your tongue at the roof of your mouth and dropping your jaw.
- Get a professional skin consultation. Before buying "anti-aging" kits from TikTok, see a licensed esthetician or dermatologist. They can tell you if you’re dealing with genuine volume loss or just a compromised skin barrier that needs repair.
The biggest takeaway? Don't rush into permanent or semi-permanent procedures in your early 20s for a problem that might just be a lack of sleep and a need for better moisturizer. Your face is still changing. Give it a chance to settle before you start trying to "freeze" it in time.
Focus on skin quality and health. A radiant, glowing complexion with a few natural character lines looks infinitely better and more youthful than a perfectly smooth, frozen face that has lost its natural movement.
Immediate Next Steps:
Identify if your folds are visible only in harsh overhead lighting or in all lighting conditions. If they persist in natural light, prioritize a high-potency retinoid at night and a daily SPF to prevent the breakdown of the dermal matrix. Check your current skincare routine for drying alcohols or excessive acids that may be causing "dehydration lines" masquerading as deep folds.