UK consumers unaware of the causes of facial ageing

Most UK women do not realise the biggest contributor to an ageing face is loss of volume, more so than fine lines and wrinkles.

“Lifting the Lid”, a study carried out on behalf of Allergan Medical Aesthetics, found that only 23% of women surveyed were most concerned about volume loss.

The report examined the awareness among UK consumers of facial volume loss and its causes, to highlight public misconceptions about the causes of an ageing appearance and the most effective treatments to tackle them.

While most women were keen to slow down the effects of ageing, the results indicated that many are unaware of the real underlying causes of facial ageing and which treatments to pursue to counteract them.

Jowls, eye bags and crows' feet were the top three concerns for women in the UK, who worried less about lines and wrinkles near the eye and mouth.

Only 5% of British women surveyed identified reduction in the fat layer beneath the surface of the face as the main reason for volume loss, while 37% believed that sagging skin was caused by a loss of collagen.

The participants were generally cautious about pursuing more invasive anti-ageing procedures, with 67% admitting to not really understanding how clinically tested injectable treatments work.

On the other hand, most respondents believed that a healthy lifestyle and good diet were the most effective defences against the effects of ageing.

Many women surveyed expressed permanent facial changes and treatment side effects as main concerns regarding volumising injectable treatments, and nearly 25% said they had been put off by negative images of celebrities.

"These findings reflect what my patients often say to me quite accurately - that they have been put off by images of celebrities with overly-plump looking faces, whereas before that is exactly who they wanted to look like,” said Allegan's Dr Raina Zarb Adami.

He added: “A natural fresh look today is most sought after. Our patients would rather not exhibit evidence of having been subjected to our needle or scalpel. This shift in attitude also reflects the need for a high quality consultation with an experienced medical aesthetic practitioner."