The jawline and chin are common areas of concern among men and women faced with the prospect of aging (which means all of us). We often meet with people who are interesting in knowing how they can prevent the formation of jowls, or how they can tighten up the skin that has begun to sag at the sides of the face.
There are both surgical and non-surgical options for jowl treatment. Which you choose is determined by your personal preferences. However, it is also advantageous to consider the severity of jowls and the longevity of the results that are possible with any given treatment. Here, we break down a few popular options. But first, we need to look at what jowls actually are.
More than a Little Loose Skin
Jowls look like small pockets of loose and sagging skin at the sides of the face, just behind the chin. Most people develop this problem at some point. Once they start, jowls will worsen. The rate at which this occurs is associated with genetics, lifestyle, and the ways in which the skin is managed. We get jowls in part because the skin because weak due to lack of collagen. We also get them because this loss of collagen leads to the depletion of volume in the mid face. The tissue that was once on the cheeks doesn’t disappear, it goes to your jaw line.
Jowl Treatments
Surgery
The development of jowls doesn’t necessarily mean that a full facelift is in order. Many people are able to restore a more youthful aesthetic with a mini-lift or mid-face lift. This procedure is more than skin tightening; it restores the optimal height to superficial muscle and connective tissue beneath the skin. One of the benefits of the mini facelift is that results are subtle. You’ll notice them, and other people might, too, but not in a way that screams “you’ve had work done!”
If the neck is an area of concern, the surgery of choice may be a neck lift. This procedure tightens the tissue beneath the chin and jaw line, ultimately reinstating the sharpness that this part of the face needs.
Energy
Energetic treatments like radiofrequency skin tightening have become increasingly popular due to the non-invasive nature of this technology. The way that radiofrequency devices, like our Venus Viva, work is by heating up the tissue deeper beneath the skin – the tissue where collagen strands live. The directional heat of radiofrequency treatments affects collagen stands in a way that causes constriction. Additionally, fibroblasts that make collagen are prompted into action. To achieve optimal results from radiofrequency skin tightening, we may need to schedule a few treatment sessions. The results that we do achieve can be maintained with occasional repeat treatments.
Fillers
Dermal fillers are often used to smooth lines and wrinkles, and to reduce the appearance of undereye bags. This makes sense because fillers actually bring creased skin up to a level surface, literally making it smooth. For jowls, there are two ways that fillers may be beneficial. First, a dense filler like Juvederm Voluma can be introduced into the cheeks. By increasing the volume in this area, the skin beneath is lifted somewhat. Additionally, if needed, we can administer a filler product right at the jawline to smooth the transition from the chin to the area of jowls.
We love helping our patients attain the look they want. To learn more about our facial rejuvenating treatments, call (801) 776-2220.