What Are Jowls?
The term jowls literally stand for describing sagged or extra skin just below the jawline or chin. The condition develops in people as they age and their skin loses its elasticity. The more fat we lose over time the more volume is gone – resulting in a sagging jawline.
But jowls may be less pronounced in people having more fat, thicker skin and in some cases environmental factors may also mitigate the severity of the process or can even thwart the process.
Causes Of Jowls
Jowls can be caused by a number of factors but the factor that is quite an inevitable one is undoubtedly aging, as we age, we start losing collagen which makes our skin more prone to gravity and hence causing it to sag.
However, some other common factors for jowls are;
- Rapid weight loss:
When you lose weight drastically, beyond safe limit- your body cannot make up for the lost volume and instigate the sagging process.
- Smoking:
Nicotine in cigarettes can cause a potential damage to the collagen and it can also constrict our blood vessels.
- Family history of jowls:
If you have a history of jowls running through your family, you may start to develop jowls early in your life.
- Using cell phones and other gadgets:
Jowls caused by using gadgets is also known as tech neck. As using these gadgets require you to look down for extended periods of time which can make your skin to sag around the jawline.
- Facial expressions:
Repetitive facial expressions such as chewing and excessive talking can also cause the jawline to sag.
- Sun exposure:
Exposing our skin to the harmful UV rays can potentially destroy the collagen in our skin causing it to sag.
Other factors might include;
- Skin allergies
- Unhealthy diet
- Physical trauma to the jaw muscles
- Chronic dehydration
- Inadequate skin hygiene
- Excessive intake of alcohol
- Severe stress
- Lack of exercise
Do Facial Exercises Really Work For Sagging Jowls?
Had drooping jowl a muscle issue, it would have easily been ruled out by some facial exercises. But here the matter is of the lost volume that can only be fixed by adding fillers to makeup for the lost volume.
Are There Any Possible Treatments For Jowls?
With the world advancing at an unfathomable rate, the world of beauty and glam is also no exception. With each passing day we hear of some new technologies and treatments to grapple with some inevitable human problems such as aging which causes a number of other issues including jowls.
We have a pretty good amount of procedures and strategies to deal with the drooped jawline issues;
Dermal Fillers
Fillers have gained popularity over the years because of the ease and satisfaction it brings to its receivers. According to a recent statistical data 95.6% of people claimed that they were satisfied and happy with the results.
Basically, fillers are compounds that are injected into the cheeks to compensate for the lost fat. Lifting the cheeks ultimately lifts the jawline.
Some various types of fillers are;
- Silicone
- Polymethyl methacrylate
- Hyaluronic
The result of fillers lasts differently for different people depending on a number of factors including their lifestyle and environmental factors.
Neck Lift
It is an incision involving procedure – the surgeon gives an incision along the side of the face and under the chin to reshape the jaw and cheek tissue.
Despite being deemed as the most effective method it has some cons to it as well;
- Takes long recovery time
- Leave scars behind
- It is quite expensive
- You may run the risk of infections as well
Radiotherapy
It is a collagen and elastin fibers’ stimulation process by using radiating heat. These fibers are about 2mm deep in the skin – the heat causes the bundles to spring back to give skin a revitalizing and rejuvenating effect.
This procedure needs repeated sessions for maximum results.
Ultherapy
As the name indicates, this procedure makes use of ultrasound therapy for the collagen stimulation in the deep layers of skin.
it requires one session only and there is a continual progress in skin tightness making it among the most effective procedures.
Liposuction
This technique uses microcannula to remove excess fat from the chin area. The surgeon may also go for reshaping the skin and jawline to help prevent future sagging.
Jowls And Your Age – Overview
In your 30’s when you just start noticing jowls kicking in, you can go for lighter treatments such as laser, radio frequency.
But in your 40’s when jowls become visible to a considerable amount you need more robust treatments such as thread lifts.
And in your 50’s or above when you have an accentuated sagging, you may go for conventional face lifting procedures to see the best results.