Along side the eye area one of the main causes of dissatisfaction as we age is the lower face.
It can be hard to articulate what we are seeing that makes us feel older, look tired or sad but understanding why we see changes can help you start to pinpoint what your concerns are. And off the back of this pick treatments that will actually get results.
Why do we get jowls?
I bet when you look at your lower face, you reach up your hands to pull skin tight to imagine the improvement. Well, there you have it, you have inadvertently shown yourself what is leading to your jowls and shadows. Loose and lax skin that is being pulled tight, so sags and then folds.
Aging isn’t just skin deep. Our whole bodies change from a cellular level right up to bones, muscle, fat and skin. So lets address this loose sagging skin from on every level.
What happens to skin as we age?
The structural support; collagen in the skin; weakens as we age. This is because less collagen and elastin are made, that that is made is not as ordered, and when it is made repair mechanisms do not keep it in check as efficiently. All meaning skin hangs more
What happens to facial muscles as we age?
I know I am aware of clenching and tightness around my lips, any many of my patients report the same. This sensation is an illustration of the fact that our facial muscles never fully relax and tend to be overactive the older we get. This means they tug on the overlying skin more and lead to shadowing and worsening folds. This is especially with the muscles that pull the corners of our mouths down. It just so happens that these muscles also sit just in front of where we see the jowls, kindly highlighting them!
Other muscles that tug on the jowls include neck muscles; platysma bands. Chin muscle activity tends to cause the chin to turn upwards which further causes shadowing around this trouble area.
So why do we get down turning mouth corners, marionette lines and jowls?
In addition to lax skin and over-active muscles, weakening support in the jaw lead to less traction on the skin (less pulling tight of the loose skin). The jaw bone and chin and fat in these areas sadly weaken and receded as we age. This, combined with laxer skin and tugging muscles lead to the classic signs of aging.
So what are the best treatments for jowls, marionette lines and chin shadows?
The best treatments are the ones that target the causes that YOU have of these issues. Whilst the above 3 issues happen in all of us, they can be present to varying degrees.
How do you treat lax and sagging skin?
Always start at home and make sure you are including skincare that contains good quality active ingredients. The big players when it comes to repair of collagen and elastin are retinoids, vitamin C and peptides. Investing in good quality products after discussing what would be the best for you through a consultation means you get products that actually contain the best forms of these actives at a dosage that will do something.
In clinic, regenerative treatments such as SkinPen microneedling and injectable treatments like polynucleotides and skin boosters all include as part of their benefits, boosting collagen. Certain energy based devices such as RF microneedling and ultrasound can help tighten skin in the right patients, however their results tend to be very subtle.
Can you use anti-wrinkle treatments in the lower face?
Toxin if a fantastic treatment to relax muscles around the jaw line. For jowling it is great to combine treatments to the DAOs (that pull the corners of the mouth down), the platysma (neck muscles) which both help reduce downward pull on loose skin. Relaxing the chin helps create a more sleek jaw line profile and improves traction on skin that causes jowling.
How to use filler for jowls and marionette lines.
Filler replaces volume and support in the face. You may be surprised to hear that I would always assess whether you need to help support in the cheek area first, even if your main co
ncern is the lower face. The cheeks provide upwards traction and support for the whole skin, so if you are looking a little flat in these areas, treating here first helps reduce filler need in the lower face and makes for a more cohesive look.
Then it is a question of replacing volume in the key areas of the angle of the jaw and the chin and then shadows filled in around the mouth and around the jowls themselves. Filler should be chosen to suit your face shape and the quality of your tissues, placed both deeper on the bone and just under the skin to emulate bone and fat.
What are the best treatments for my lower face?
As you can see there are a ranges of ways we can help improve aging in the lower face. Many people need a combination of these approaches as it is often not just one element of aging that is causing your jowls. In addition to what would medically be best for you, you also need to be comfortable with the approach and treatments themselves and aware of what results to expect. So let’s sit down together, talk things through, show you why things could work and come up with a plan that fits you. Head to book a consultation to start your journey.
Comments