The term is derived from the Latin words “nasus” (nose) and “labium” (lip). Other names are nasal lip furrow and cummerfold. Furrow is quite apt, because pronounced nasolabial folds look more like furrows than narrower wrinkles. Calling them cummerfolds is a bit paradoxical, since nasolabial folds, just like crow’s feet, are favored by frequent laughter. However, when pronounced, they sometimes give the face a sorrowful, sad or even haggard expression.
At a young age, the line running from either side of the nostrils to the corners of the mouth usually does not show at all, or only during certain facial expressions such as laughter. More clearly visible, even when the face is at rest, is the nasolabial fold at 30 to 40 years. Its course is determined by your facial muscles, which are active in the mouth-nose region during various facial expressions, but also during chewing. By the age of 40, the nasolabial fold may extend even further beyond the corners of the mouth, depending on predisposition. At the same time, it merges into the marionette folds and runs down to the chin on both sides of the corners of the mouth.