Quantifying soft tissue loss in the aging male face using magnetic resonance imaging

Quantitative data on soft tissue aging of the face are scarce, particularly in men.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to quantify and compare facial soft tissue loss in men.

Two thousand thirty-seven MRIs were screened and 30 male subjects were divided into young, middle, and old-aged groups. A blinded radiologist measured temporal, infraorbital, and medial and lateral cheek areas.

The mean thickness of the subcutaneous tissue in the temporal area was 12.5, 10.9, and 9.6 mm in the young, middle, and older age groups, respectively (p < .001). A 40% reduction in the skin thickness was seen in the infraorbital areas. Finally, a decrease of 1.5 and 2.7 mm in medial cheeks (p < .001), and 0.9 and 1.6 mm (p = .03) in lateral cheeks were measured in middle and old age groups.

A steady and significant decline in the soft tissue thickness was noted at all measured sites in men over time. These findings are in contrast to our recently study in women showing dramatic loss of soft tissue between the ages of 30 and 60 with no significant differences between the middle and old-aged groups. These results have implications for volume correction and maintenance of a youthful appearance in the aging male face.