Women & Men
Cheek wrinkles (accordion lines) consultations
Provided by our trusted team in a clinical setting.
Recommendations made with your comfort and recovery time in mind.
Results aligned with your preferences.
Plans that prioritise ongoing supportive care.
At Cosmetic Connection, our consultations for cheek wrinkles (accordion lines) allow you to explore non-surgical options for addressing the creases that form on the lower cheeks.
Our experienced medical professionals use various techniques tailored to your personal preferences. During your consultation, we’ll review your goals, outline potential risks, and explain the range of possible outcomes based on your individual assessment.
If you’re ready to move forward, contact our team for a free suitability assessment or schedule a confidential consultation.
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Why book a consultation for accordion lines and cheek wrinkles?
A consultation with our experienced clinicians helps you understand your options and choose the approach best suited to your preferences. You’ll receive clear guidance tailored to your individual needs.
Professional Guidance
Learn which non-surgical options are suitable for your personal aesthetic concerns.
Personalised Plan
Receive recommendations customised to your goals and lifestyle.
Tailored Improvement, Without Permanent Commitment
Enjoy the peace of mind that comes with tailored and non-permanent changes.
Holistic Approach
Can be integrated into a holistic non-surgical plan to balance facial features and reduce signs of ageing.
Treatment info
What the treatment can do
Suitability
Preparation
Aftercare
Results
Your Journey
Step 1 of 3
Your personalised consultation
Your journey starts with a private consultation where our friendly, experienced clinicians listen to your goals and assess your unique needs. We’ll explain your options clearly, including how treatments work, expected results, longevity, risks, aftercare, and costs—giving you the knowledge and confidence to make an informed decision in a supportive, trusting environment.
Your Journey
Step 2 of 3
Professional treatment & care
Once you’re ready, our skilled practitioners perform your treatment with care and precision. To ease any discomfort, we offer a range of numbing options. Your safety, comfort, and natural results are always our priority, with emergency equipment on-site and generous appointment times to ensure your treatment is never rushed.
Your Journey
Step 3 of 3
Your bespoke results
After your personalised treatment, we’ll provide you with detailed post-treatment care instructions to ensure a swift and smooth healing process.
To further support you, all treatments performed at Cosmetic Connection include an optional complimentary follow-up appointment and are backed by our satisfaction guarantees, ensuring your complete peace of mind.
What are accordion lines (cheek wrinkles)?
Navigating the lines that form on your cheeks can feel confusing, particularly when they seem to deepen every time you smile or laugh. These lines, sometimes referred to as accordion lines or cheek wrinkles, are the vertical creases that appear on the outer parts of your cheeks, extending from the nose down towards the mouth. While they are a natural part of expressing ourselves, their deepening can be a point of concern for many.
Understanding accordion lines (cheek wrinkles)
Accordion lines are the fine vertical creases that appear on the outer cheeks, running downwards from the nose toward the mouth. They are most noticeable when you smile or laugh, which is why they are often called cheek wrinkles or smile-related lines. Over time, these lines can become more visible, even when the face is at rest.
Unlike forehead or frown lines, which are caused by repeated muscle movement in smaller areas, accordion lines extend across a larger surface of the mid-face.
The anatomy behind accordion lines
Accordion lines form in the mid-face, an area that includes:
- Cheek fat pads – providing volume and support in youth but gradually thinning and shifting with age.
- Skin and dermal layers – losing collagen and elastin, leading to less structural resilience.
- Underlying facial muscles – repeatedly folding the skin during smiling or laughing, which over time creates visible creases.
Because they involve both skin quality and changes to deeper facial support, effective treatment needs to address more than just surface-level smoothing.
Why do accordion lines appear?
The appearance of these lines is tied to several interconnected factors, making them different from the wrinkles that might appear on the forehead or around the eyes. Instead of just a single cause, accordion lines are the result of how a few different elements work together as we get older:
- Changes to your skin’s foundation: Over time, the supportive structures in your skin, like collagen and elastin, gradually diminish. These are the components that help your skin stay firm and bounce back after being stretched or folded. As they decrease, your skin loses some of its natural resilience.
- The effect of facial expressions: The muscles we use for smiling and laughing repeatedly fold the skin in the same places. When your skin is young and plump, it springs back into place quickly. However, as it loses its structural support, these repeated folds leave behind visible creases that remain even when your face is at rest.
- Loss of volume in the mid-face: The natural fat pads that give your cheeks volume and lift can begin to thin and shift downwards with age. This subtle change means there is less underlying support for the skin, allowing it to fold more easily and deeply.
- Environmental and lifestyle influences: External factors, such as UV radiation from the sun, pollution, and smoking, can accelerate skin ageing and wrinkle formation. Lifestyle choices like dehydration, poor sleep, and stress also contribute to the appearance of lines by impairing the skin’s ability to repair and regenerate itself.
All of these factors combined mean that accordion lines are not just a surface-level concern; they reflect a more comprehensive change in the facial structure. This is why a simple approach may not address the issue as fully as a comprehensive, tailored one.
The impact of accordion lines
Many people find accordion lines make them appear older. Because they sit beside the mouth, they can draw attention when you smile, creating a contrast between expression and skin smoothness. For this reason, people often seek treatments that soften these lines while preserving natural facial movement.
Treatment approaches for accordion lines
A personalised approach
There isn’t one single solution for accordion lines. Instead, the most effective approach combines improvements to skin quality, structural support, and stimulation of collagen. Treatment choice depends on your skin type, the depth of your lines, and how much natural support remains in your mid-face.
Improving skin quality
Healthier skin responds better to any treatment. A focus on skin quality can:
- Hydrate the skin and improve elasticity.
- Smooth fine surface wrinkles.
- Create a fresher, more radiant complexion.
Skin-rejuvenating treatments often work by stimulating collagen, increasing hydration, or improving cell turnover. Supporting these treatments with a consistent skincare routine at home (including sun protection and hydration) also helps to maintain results.
Structural volume and support
One of the key reasons accordion lines form is the gradual loss of mid-face support. When cheek fat pads shift downwards with age, the skin folds more easily during smiling and laughing. Adding gentle support in this area can soften the creasing effect and create a smoother contour across the cheeks.
Stimulating collagen and elasticity
Collagen is the skin’s natural support network, while elastin allows skin to bounce back after movement. With age, both decline. Treatments that stimulate new collagen and elastin production can:
- Strengthen skin from within.
- Slow the progression of wrinkles.
- Improve long-term skin resilience.
This makes collagen stimulation an essential part of long-term management, not just short-term smoothing.
The role of preventative care
It’s not only about correcting existing lines — preventing them from deepening is also important. Preventative care may include:
- Protecting skin from UV damage.
- Maintaining hydration and a balanced skincare routine.
- Considering early treatment when lines are first visible with expression (before they remain at rest).
By combining both correction and prevention, treatment plans offer more natural-looking improvements.
Goals, results & ongoing care
Treatment objectives for accordion lines
Every treatment plan for accordion lines is designed with two main objectives:
- Softening existing wrinkles so that the cheeks appear smoother and more refreshed.
- Preventing future deepening of the lines by supporting skin health and structure.
The overall aim is to create natural results that keep your expressions dynamic and your face looking like you.
What are the potential results?
After treatment, most people notice:
- Smoother cheek contours.
- Less visible creases when smiling.
- Softer wrinkles at rest.
Because the approach often strengthens skin and provides subtle support, the results appear natural — not “frozen” or overdone.
Ongoing care and maintenance
Just like any aspect of skin health, ongoing care is required if you wish to maintain results. This may include:
- Follow-up treatments – tailored to your needs and how your skin responds.
- Daily skincare – including hydration, antioxidant use, and consistent sun protection.
- Lifestyle choices – healthy nutrition, sleep, and limiting smoking or excess alcohol help prolong results.
Why personalisation matters
Everyone’s skin ages differently. Some develop fine accordion lines early due to expressive smiles, while others only notice deeper lines later in life. By focusing on personalised plans, treatment can address not just the visible lines, but the underlying skin and support structures unique to you.
We want to answer any questions you may have.
If you can’t find the answers to your questions, get in touch with us and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Accordion lines are vertical wrinkles that appear on the outer cheeks, extending from the nose towards the corners of the mouth. They are also commonly known as cheek wrinkles or peri-oral lines, as they are most noticeable when a person smiles or laughs.
These lines form as the skin on the lower cheek bunches and creases due to repeated muscle movements. With age, the skin becomes thinner and weaker, and the volume of fatty tissue under the skin decreases, making these folds and wrinkles more prominent.
Accordion lines and nasolabial folds are distinct but related types of facial lines. Nasolabial folds are creases that extend from the sides of the nose down to the corners of the mouth. Accordion lines, on the other hand, are the vertical lines that sit further out on the cheeks, beside the nasolabial folds. While both are affected by ageing and repeated expressions, accordion lines are specifically related to the folding of the cheek skin during smiling.
Accordion lines typically appear as people age, often becoming more noticeable around the ages of 25 to 30. While they may initially only be visible with facial movement, they can eventually become permanent creases as the skin loses elasticity and the underlying fat and muscle tissue diminish.
Several factors contribute to accordion lines becoming more noticeable. As people age, a decrease in collagen and other naturally occurring components in the skin leads to a loss of volume, which makes the lines more visible. Other contributing factors include repeated muscle movements from facial expressions, the effects of gravity, and sun damage.
Yes, lifestyle habits can significantly affect the appearance and progression of accordion lines. Habits such as smoking and excessive sun exposure can accelerate skin ageing by breaking down collagen and elastin. Additionally, dehydration, poor nutrition, and stress can impact skin health and make fine lines and wrinkles more pronounced.
There are a range of non-surgical options that may assist with the appearance of accordion lines, including approaches designed to work with the body’s natural processes, such as those that stimulate new collagen formation, or that add supportive volume. In some cases, a combination of different techniques may be recommended to achieve the best results.
The most suitable treatment is highly personal and depends on several factors, including your specific concerns, the depth of your lines, and your overall skin condition. The best way to determine the right approach is through a private consultation with an experienced practitioner. They will be able to assess your accordion lines and provide honest advice on the most appropriate options to help you achieve your desired outcome.
The cost of treating accordion lines and cheek wrinkles varies depending on your individual needs, which can only be determined after an assessment. If you’d like pricing information, you can:
- Complete our free online suitability assessment for general pricing information.
- Schedule a consultation (free spots available in Sydney) for a personalised treatment plan and quote.
Many non-surgical treatments for accordion lines are minimally invasive and generally well-tolerated. While some procedures may involve minor discomfort at the time of the treatment, many clinics offer local anaesthetic options to help minimise any potential pain. People’s experiences of discomfort vary, and if you are concerned, it’s a good idea to discuss your pain threshold with your practitioner during your consultation so they can ensure you are as comfortable as possible.
The immediacy of results can vary depending on the type of treatment chosen. Some approaches may offer improvements that are visible relatively quickly. However, treatments that focus on stimulating the body’s natural processes, such as collagen production, may require a series of sessions over time for the full effect to become apparent.
The timeline for seeing results can vary depending on the treatment method used. Some procedures, such as those that add volume, may show an improvement relatively quickly. In contrast, treatments designed to stimulate your body’s natural processes, like collagen production, may require several weeks or even months for the full effect to become apparent.
The longevity of results from non-surgical treatments for accordion lines is highly individual and depends on the specific approach taken. Some treatments may provide improvements that last for several months, while others may offer more lasting results. Your practitioner can give you a more precise estimate during your consultation.
Following a treatment for accordion lines, it is generally recommended to avoid certain activities to minimise swelling and bruising. For the first 24 hours, it’s often best to refrain from strenuous exercise, intense heat exposure like saunas, and consuming alcohol. You may also be advised to avoid applying pressure to the treated area and to use a gentle cold compress.
It is normal to experience some minor side effects immediately after a treatment, such as mild tenderness, swelling, redness, or bruising at the procedure site. These effects are temporary and usually subside on their own within a few days. Your practitioner will provide you with specific aftercare instructions to help manage any discomfort and support the healing process.
When performed by a qualified and experienced practitioner, treatments for accordion lines are generally considered safe. However, as with any medical procedure, there are potential risks and side effects. A comprehensive consultation is crucial to ensure you are a suitable candidate and that all of your questions and concerns are addressed.
Common side effects after treatment may include redness, swelling, bruising, or tenderness at the injection site. These are typically mild and temporary. While rare, more significant risks can include infection, or prolonged swelling. Your practitioner will discuss all potential side effects and complications with you during your consultation to ensure you are fully informed prior to proceeding.
Why people choose Cosmetic Connection
We have implemented strict safety and hygiene protocols aligned with industry-leading standards.
Medical-grade clinical environments led by doctors and designed with your privacy, comfort and convenience in mind.
We prioritise what’s right for you. With us, you’ll receive personalised, expert advice–without any pressure or obligation to proceed with treatment.
With our standardised photography, we can plan your treatment collaboratively and comprehensively, while tracking your progress with remarkable accuracy.
When it comes to your care, we don’t subscribe to trends.
We choose our products, techniques and technologies based on quality, safety, reliability, and efficacy.
Our clinicians strive to remain up-to-date on best practice, and make no compromises on the quality of your treatment.
Receive a customised treatment package and pay your preferred way with our range of flexible payment options, including cash, card, Afterpay*, Zip Pay*, and payment plans via Total Lifestyle Credit* (*Subject to approval: required before your appointment).
Your satisfaction is one of our top priorities.
Our treatments come with a range of guarantees because we are confident in our ability to deliver.
