Marionette lines are folds or depressions that begin at or just below the corners of the mouth and travel towards the chin or lower jaw. A crease beside the nose is a nasolabial fold, a hollow lower along the jaw is the prejowl area, and a mouth corner that turns down only during expression is a movement pattern. Corey compares the area at rest and in natural movement before discussing what the observation may mean for you.
Begin with where the line starts
Look for the upper end of the feature. A marionette line begins at or just below a mouth corner and travels down towards the chin or jaw. If the crease begins beside the nose, or the hollow appears mainly along the jaw, you are looking at a neighbouring landmark instead.
You do not need to arrive with the correct label. Tell Corey where the line begins, when you first noticed it and whether it changes while you speak or smile. That gives the consultation a more useful starting point than choosing a treatment from a photograph.
Four lower face landmarks that can look connected
Nasolabial fold
This crease travels from the nose towards the mouth corner and belongs to the midface conversation.
Marionette line
This oblique fold begins near the mouth corner and extends towards the chin or lower jaw.
Chin crease
The mentolabial crease runs mainly across the face beneath the lower lip, rather than down from a corner.
Prejowl hollow
This lower depression sits beside the chin and in front of the jowl, where it can continue the same shadow.
The fold is part of a connected lower face
Anatomical literature also calls the marionette line the labiomandibular or melomental fold. Research describes it as a natural boundary influenced by skin attachments, muscle relationships and the soft tissues around the mouth and jaw. It is not a defect, and one structure rarely explains its appearance by itself.
The mouth corner, chin support, skin, dental context, surrounding volume and inherited anatomy can all change how the fold reads. The nasolabial fold guide stays above the corner, while the lower face landmark guide follows the outline farther along the jaw.
That wider view helps Corey describe what is actually present before any personal option, waiting period or no-care pathway is discussed.
Which question best matches what you notice?
The line changes with expression
Compare rest, ordinary speech and a natural smile. A moving corner is not automatically a fixed fold.
The hollow sits lower than the fold
The prejowl area, chin and jowl may be shaping more of the shadow than the mouth corner.
You want to understand your own face
The marionette line consultation guide covers the appointment pathway without replacing this landmark guide.
Side light can deepen a shadow
A low phone angle, a turned head or directional light can make a small change in tissue height look like a deeper line. Compare the mirror with a front and three quarter view taken from a comfortable distance.
An ordinary photograph can help you show what caught your attention. It is a timeline clue, not a diagnosis or an appearance target.
Rest and movement tell different parts of the story
At rest, Corey looks at where the fold begins, whether it remains visible and how it relates to the chin and jaw. Ordinary speech shows how the mouth corner, lower lip and chin move together. A natural smile may soften, deepen or redirect the line.
He also asks when the change began and whether dental work, weight change, facial surgery, trauma or previous cosmetic care altered the baseline. Bring relevant dates and records if you have them, plus one or two ordinary older photographs when they genuinely help with timing.
The aim is a clear explanation of the observation. That may lead to reassurance, consistent photographs, waiting, another health pathway, a suitable cosmetic discussion or no cosmetic care.
Bring three details that make the conversation useful
| Bring or notice | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| The exact starting point | Point to the mouth corner, chin crease or jaw hollow rather than relying on one broad label. |
| Your timeline | Note when the feature became noticeable, whether it is stable and whether one side changed first. |
| Relevant context | Share health and dental history, medicines, allergies and records from previous facial or cosmetic care. |
When another kind of assessment should come first
Arrange appropriate medical or dental review for a changing bite, dental pain, a persistent sore, unexplained bleeding, a new lump or another focal skin change. Seek urgent medical care for sudden facial weakness or numbness, severe pain, rapid swelling, colour change, fever, trauma, or difficulty speaking or swallowing.
A cosmetic appointment should not delay the right care. For a gradual, stable appearance question, you can still use consultation simply to understand the area and decide whether any next step is worthwhile.
What to expect at your visit
You will meet directly with Corey for a calm, private conversation about the fold, corner movement or lower jaw shadow that has been catching your attention.
Corey compares the area at rest and in natural movement, then explains whether reassurance, observation, another care pathway or a personal cosmetic discussion makes sense. If an option is suitable to discuss, its limits, material risks, aftercare and costs come before your decision.
Come in for a clearer view of the lower face
You can use the appointment to understand what you are noticing, ask questions and decide whether any next step feels useful.
Is this for you?
Consider booking a consultation if
- Adults who want to identify a gradual fold or shadow below the mouth
- People unsure whether the mouth corner, chin crease or prejowl area is shaping the concern
- People who want a personal explanation before considering any cosmetic option
- People comfortable with reassurance, waiting, referral or no cosmetic care as possible outcomes
This may not be for you if
- Anyone seeking diagnosis or a treatment recommendation from photographs
- People with sudden weakness, numbness, rapid swelling, severe pain, fever or difficulty speaking or swallowing who need urgent medical assessment
- People with dental pain, bite change, a persistent sore, bleeding or a new lump who need appropriate medical or dental review
- Anyone expecting consultation to guarantee treatment or a particular appearance
Suitability is confirmed at consultation. This list is general guidance, not a substitute for clinical assessment.
Frequently asked questions
Where does a marionette line actually start?
It starts at or just below the corner of the mouth and travels downwards towards the chin or lower jaw. Anatomical papers also call it the labiomandibular or melomental fold. If the crease begins beside the nose, it is in the nasolabial region. If the main hollow sits lower along the jaw in front of a jowl, the prejowl region may be the more accurate landmark.
Is a downturned mouth corner a marionette line?
Not necessarily. The mouth corner can change position during speech, smiling or another expression without a strong fold being present at rest. The corner may also influence the upper end of an existing fold. Corey compares the face at rest, during ordinary speech and with a natural smile rather than using an exaggerated frown to define the everyday concern.
What is the difference between a marionette line and a nasolabial fold?
A nasolabial fold runs from beside the nose towards the mouth corner. A marionette line begins lower, near the mouth corner, and travels towards the chin or mandible. They may look connected in a photograph, but they cross different facial regions. Identifying the upper end of the line is the simplest way to separate them.
Is the prejowl hollow part of the marionette line?
It can visually continue the lower end, but it is a separate lower jaw landmark. The prejowl is the depression in front of the jowl and beside the chin. A shadow that is strongest along the jaw may need broader chin and lower face assessment rather than being treated as a mouth corner concern by default.
Why does the line look deeper in some photographs?
Side lighting creates a dark trough beside a brighter ridge, and a low or wide angle phone camera can strengthen lower face shadows. Head position, neck posture and expression also matter. One ordinary photograph can help show the concern, but Corey needs front and angled views in consistent light plus natural movement before deciding what the photograph represents.
Does one visible fold mean something is medically wrong?
Usually a gradual fold is a normal anatomical and ageing feature, but a webpage cannot assess a new change. Seek appropriate medical care for sudden facial drooping, weakness or numbness, rapidly increasing swelling, severe pain, colour change, fever, trauma, speech or swallowing difficulty, a persistent sore, unexplained bleeding or a new lump.
Can previous cosmetic or dental care change the assessment?
Yes. Previous procedures, facial surgery, dental work, dentures, a changing bite or trauma can change the baseline and the meaning of the same shadow. Bring dates, provider details and records if available. Corey may recommend records review, observation, dental or medical input, or waiting rather than adding further care while the history is uncertain.
Can the consultation end without treatment?
Yes. The outcome may be education, reassurance, consistent photographs, observation, previous records, dental or medical review, broader lower face assessment, time to think or no cosmetic care. If an option is appropriate to discuss, Corey still needs to explain relevant risks, alternatives, uncertainty, cost, consent, aftercare and follow up before you decide.
What should I bring to a marionette line consultation?
Bring your current medicines and supplements, allergies, relevant health and dental history, previous procedure dates and records, and the timing of any change. One or two ordinary older photographs may help establish the timeline. Be ready to point to the exact corner, fold or jaw shadow you mean rather than arriving with a fixed treatment request.
Clinical references
- TGA: Advertising health services that involve therapeutic goods
- TGA: Advertising health services and cosmetic injections FAQs
- Ahpra: Advertising higher risk non-surgical cosmetic procedures
- Ahpra: Performing non-surgical cosmetic procedures
- PubMed: The anatomy of the labiomandibular fold
- PubMed: Labiomandibular fold anatomy using micro computed tomography
- PubMed Central: Facial fold and crease development, a morphological classification
- PubMed Central: Development and validation of a scale to assess marionette lines