This limp symbol of the tail end of a party is the crux of the issue. Today, defying age has become something of an obsession for humankind. And while science would surely be better placed focusing its energies on delaying our own extinction through war or climate change, when a craggy fizzog seemingly 65 million years in the making is staring back at you in the mirror, vanity tends to take over.
When it comes to laugh lines, as with anything, prevention is probably the best place to start. So what answers does Mr Ashley Ogawa Clarke, MR PORTER’s Deputy Editor and resident grooming expert, suggest as a fix? “Never smiling again should do the trick,” he says. “But for something more realistic, try incorporating an eye cream into your routine. They’re usually formulated to be gentler and more easily absorbed by the delicate eye area than regular moisturiser, and can help to hydrate and plump the skin to make fine lines look less noticeable.”
Ogawa Clarke also points to the daily application of SPF as an essential – come rain or shine. “If you want to stave off wrinkles for as long as possible, a decent SPF will be the most solid weapon you have,” he says. Although, for the more adventurous, he also suggests an LED mask to boost collagen levels.
This latter option is just a glimpse into the high-tech solutions now available to treat this condition. From laser resurfacing to derma-fillers, peels and injectables, all are routinely available – and most aren’t even as scary as they sound. However, the days of our features being preserved like a mosquito trapped in amber may be behind us.
“In the 1990s and early 2000s, Botox was almost always used to paralyse muscles of facial expression,” says Jack. “A bit of an all-or-nothing approach. Nowadays, thankfully, most practitioners practise sensible dosing of Botox and fillers, so you can keep some lines and expression, but just reduce the severity and depth of lines as they develop over time.”
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