Jowls — that sagging skin around the jawline — are a very common sign of aging that lots of people want to fix.
If you’re looking for a solution that doesn’t involve going under the knife, dermal fillers can offer a less invasive way to improve the appearance of jowls, restoring volume and creating a more youthful-looking contour.
This article will walk you through what causes jowls, how fillers can help, the different types of fillers used in jowl filler treatments, and other potential treatment options you can consider.
What causes jowls?
Jowls are the saggy bits of skin that droop below your jawline. They tend to give your face an undefined and aged look. But what causes them?
The biggest culprit is aging. As you get older, you lose fat, and your skin starts to lose collagen and elastin. Collagen and elastin are proteins that keep your skin firm and tight. Without them, your skin starts to loosen.
Other things can make jowls worse. Sun damage speeds up collagen breakdown. Your genes can affect how elastic your skin is and where you store fat. And bone loss in your jaw can also lead to sagging.
How Dermal Fillers Address Jowls
Dermal fillers offer a non-surgical approach to minimizing the appearance of jowls. Here’s how they work:
The Mechanism of Action
Fillers work in a couple of ways to combat jowls:
- Restoring Volume: As we age, we lose volume in our faces. Fillers replace that lost volume, which can lift the surrounding tissue and make sagging less noticeable.
- Providing Structural Support: Certain fillers can add structure to the lower face, helping to redefine the jawline and improve its overall shape.
Direct vs. Indirect Treatment Approaches
There are two main approaches to using fillers for jowls:
- Indirect Treatment: Mid-Face Volume Restoration: Sometimes, the best way to improve the appearance of jowls is to address volume loss in the mid-face. By adding hyaluronic acid fillers to the cheeks, the lower face can be lifted, indirectly softening the appearance of jowls.
- Direct Treatment: Targeting the Jowl Area: This approach involves injecting fillers directly into the pre-jowl sulcus (the area in front of the jowls) and the gonial angle (the corner of the jaw). This directly addresses the sagging skin and helps to create a more defined jawline.
Types of Dermal Fillers Used for Jowls
If you’re interested in using fillers to address sagging jowls, here are some of the options your doctor may suggest:
Hyaluronic Acid (HA) Fillers
Hyaluronic acid is a substance that occurs naturally in the body. These fillers tend to last for 6 to 12 months.
- Juvederm: The Juvederm line offers different products targeted to different areas of the face. Juvederm Voluma is often used to build up the cheek area, and its effects can last from 18 months to 2 years.
- Restylane: Restylane Lyft works quickly and can last for about a year.
Other Filler Options
- Radiesse: Radiesse is designed to provide structural support and can last for 12 to 18 months. It also stimulates your body to produce more collagen, which can provide longer-lasting results.
- Sculptra: Sculptra also helps your body produce more collagen, and it can last for up to 2 years. You’ll likely need a series of treatments to get the best results.
The Importance of G-Prime
If your doctor recommends fillers, they may suggest a filler with a high G-prime, meaning it will provide a good deal of structural support to the face.
What else can you do about jowls?
If fillers aren’t for you, there are other options for treating jowls and skin laxity along the jawline.
Non-injectable options
Treatments such as radiofrequency microneedling and ultrasound or laser devices can help tighten the skin and stimulate collagen production.
Other injectable treatments
Botox injections can help with fine lines and wrinkles around the mouth and jawline.
Surgical options
For more significant skin laxity, a facelift may be a good option. Keep in mind that a facelift is more invasive than fillers or other non-surgical treatments.
Important considerations before getting filler for jowls
To get the best results from fillers and avoid problems, keep these points in mind:
- Find the right injector. Look for someone who’s experienced and qualified.
- Have realistic expectations. Know that fillers have limits.
- Avoid injecting filler directly into jowl fat. This can actually make jowls look worse.
- Treat the mid-face too. Sometimes, softening jowls requires addressing volume loss in the cheeks.
To Conclude
If you’re bothered by jowls, dermal fillers offer a nonsurgical way to address the problem. Fillers can restore lost volume, improve the contour of your jawline, and create a more youthful look. Often, a combination approach works best, including treatments to the mid-face as well as the lower face.
To determine the best treatment plan for you, it’s important to consult with a qualified and experienced medical professional. A skilled injector can assess your individual needs and recommend the most appropriate filler and injection technique to achieve the results you’re looking for.