What Are Jowls?

When talking about jowls, we refer to the area below the jawline and leading into the neck. The jowls are one of the first parts of the face that show visible signs of aging as it loses elasticity and starts to sag. Jowl skin is thinner, has less collagen content, and is more prone to wear and tear.

Drooping jowls make the face look heavier and less defined, creating an imbalance in overall facial appearance. If you notice jowls becoming more pronounced in the lower face, we offer several aesthetic treatments that can give you immediate and lasting results to define and restore your facial silhouette.

What Causes Jowls?

Aging is the number-one cause of jowls. As we age, our skin doesn’t replenish collagen and elastin—both of which are vital to maintaining the flexibility and elasticity of the skin. Age-related skin tissue volume loss and reduced skin resilience result in a connective tissue breakdown; combined with gravity, facial and neck skin drift downward.

Age, however, is not the only factor that contributes to jowls. Some people have a genetic predisposition. Exposure to sunlight, chronic stress, dehydration, a sedentary lifestyle, and tobacco smoking are all factors.

Treatments for Jowls

Whether your jowls result from aging or something you’ve dealt with your whole life, there are several medical and cosmetic approaches to tighten the skin and define your facial profile.

Dermal Fillers For Jowls

Juvéderm
There are many different brands of dermal fillers. Essential Aesthetics recommends Juvéderm® for sagging jowls. It’s an effective injectable dermal filler treatment to replenish lost HA and plump and rehydrate creased areas around the mouth, cheeks, and forehead, softening deep lines and lifting the corners of the mouth.

For the jawline, cheeks, and chin area, we recommend Juvéderm Volux XC for a more contoured lower face. Juvéderm Volux XC is a long-lasting treatment that adds volume beneath the skin’s surface while lifting and contouring the cheek area. Results are immediate and can last up to two years.

Radiesse
Radiesse is an injectable dermal filler that stimulates new fibroblast and collagen production, providing immediately visible, long-lasting results.

Hyperdilute Radiesse is used to address thinning skin over larger treatment areas. The hyperdilute method effectively defines the neck and jawline while promoting healthy, firmer-looking skin, improving skin tone, and resulting in a more defined neck and jawline.

Scupltra
Sculptra Filler crystals replenish facial collagen, encouraging new collagen production deep within the skin’s jawline foundation. The result is a natural-looking, robust, and structured look that can last up to two years or more.

Gloved doctor hand injecting a vial of hyaluronic acid (HA) base

Energy-Based Treatments for Jawline

Energy-based treatments are minimally invasive methods of addressing skin laxity and provide excellent, long-lasting results using a combination of liposuction and radiofrequency using a single device.

Radiofrequency (RF) therapy uses energy waves, penetrating the deepest dermal layers, to stimulate collagen production and tighten the skin. RF skin tightening combined with RF microneedling is highly effective at diminishing the appearance of sagging jowls.

We first apply the RF skin tightening applicator to heat the skin and contract the muscles, creating an immediate tightening effect. Then, the RF microneedling device creates tiny micro-wounds in the skin, stimulating the body to produce more collagen and tightening the skin from the inside out.

Visible results are immediately noticeable and will continue to improve over time. To achieve the best possible results, we recommend a course of six to eight treatments at four- to six-week intervals.

Other Energy-Based Treatments for Neck and Jawline

Ultherapy uses focused ultrasound energy applied beneath the skin’s surface to stimulate the production of new collagen. Ultrasound therapy penetrates deep at optimal temperatures, delivering treatment to specific areas of concern, such as the jawline, neck, and jowls.

Kybella treatment for Jowls at Essential Aesthetics

Kybella For Jowls

Jowls are sometimes caused by excess fat in the lower face. Kybella is an injectable procedure that dissolves facial fat deposits using deoxycholic acid. The process also stimulates collagen production by activating the body’s natural healing response. When injected into the jowls, Kybella shrinks the fatty pockets to create a tighter look in the lower face.

Though every patient differs, we recommend two to three treatments at four to six-week intervals for the best results with Kybella.

CoolSculpting For Jowls

CoolSculpting targets fat cells within a specific body region, exposing them to below-freezing temperatures from which they cannot survive. Dead fat cells are then processed through the liver and expelled from the body. The CoolSculpting Mini applicator is specifically designed to target small pockets of fat, such as the jowls and the area under the chin.

A more sculpted jawline and tighter jowls emerge over time, usually noticeable anywhere from four to 12 weeks after the procedure.

PDO Thread Lift For Jowls

PDO threads treat sagging skin by repositioning the underlying tissues, giving your skin an immediate and noticeable lift.

PDO threads are made of a complex sugar called polydioxanone (PDO), a safe suture material that is eventually absorbed by the body, stimulating collagen production for a lasting result.

PDO threads can beautifully contour the jowls and jawline, visibly reducing signs of aging in the lower face.

Are you a candidate for a PDO thread lift? Set up a consultation today!

Improve Your Saggy Jowls Today

Sagging jowls and jawline skin can make you feel self-conscious about your look. Essential Aesthetics provides a variety of treatments to tighten and tone lower face skin and turn back the clock on mother nature. If you want a firmer, more defined neck and jawline, our office is conveniently located for clients from Livermore, Alamo, Blackhawk, San Ramon, Orinda, and various other Bay Area locations! Call or text our office at 925-855-1773 for more information or Schedule a consultation today, and let us find the best treatment option for you.