Aging is truly a gift, but as birthdays go by and we gain wisdom with the years, we can sometimes see some unwanted changes in our faces. Enter: jowls.
The term jowls refers to the laxity in the lower face around the chin and jaw area, meaning this part of the face ‘hangs’ differently that it used to.
So what exactly causes jowls to appear? As we age our body and skin goes through lots of changes, like atrophy of facial muscles & fat, loss of elasticity, and thinning of the bones in the face that support the structure of our muscles and skin. These changes are natural and everyone sees them at some point in their lives. Lifestyle factors, such as sun exposure, and
genetics play a big role in how soon and how dramatically these changes appear for each one of us.
So how do we reverse or minimize these changes? Glad you asked! We work on thickening the skin and stimulating your skin to produce the proteins that make our skin feel thick and bouncy like when we were kids. There are a few different ways to go about this so let’s talk about them.
Laser resurfacing
Laser resurfacing is a great way to reverse the signs of aging and lift skin as we age. Lasers induce the skin to make collagen and elastin to smooth out and improve texture and laxity of the skin. There are many different lasers available such as fraxel, halo, CO2 resurfacing, and clear and brilliant to name a few. Talk with your dermatologist about which one might be best for your skin.
Energy based devices
Energy based devices use heat to stimulate and wake up the skin to make structural support proteins, which in turns plumps the skin and makes it more youthful and bouncy. While similar to laser resurfacing, sometimes it’s best to use both modalities together in a treatment plan to maximize results. It’s like going to the gym - there’s lots of ways to stimulate muscle growth from
lifting heavy weights for low reps, to lifting lighter weights for higher reps, both have benefits and often work best in conjunction with each other!
At home products
Using skin care products that stimulate collagen are a great supplement to professional treatments. They are your long term maintenance program, but won’t necessarily get you the same results as in-office treatments. I formulated my MDAiRE line to help reverse the signs of aging by stimulating collagen production and fibroblast activity.
Fillers & threads
As I mentioned above, sometimes it’s best to use a combination of treatments to get the most natural and beautiful results. That’s where fillers and threads come in - they are a great option to add structural support in the chin and jawline, but are often best used with other modalities like thermal/tightening devices. It’s important to make sure you go to a doctor who is relatively
conservative with fillers, however, because putting too much filler in your face is when you start to look unlike yourself and get that ‘overfilled’ look that we all want to avoid. Threads are another great supplement to tighten and lift the face but you want to make sure you see someone who is extremely skilled and knowledgeable in this treatment.
As always, every person is different and we will all benefit from a slightly different treatment protocol. And sometimes, these non-invasive treatments might not be enough for some people so surgery is always an option! Cosmetic dermatology is a very nuanced practice and every patient truly is unique, so seek out a doctor who will work with you and thoroughly listen to your
needs and wants.
For a little more in-depth info on the above modalities check out my YouTube video below all about jowls!
