Jowls on Face: All the Important Information About It

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The fact is, you are likely to develop jowls on your face as you age. This is because the skin tends to lose its elasticity due to the reduction in collagen production as a sign of aging. Jowl is a term used to define saggy skin below the chin or jawline. 

However, you may never develop jowls, especially if you have thick skin or more collagen around your jawlines. Also, environmental factors and some lifestyle choices can influence the development of jowls. 

Read ahead to learn more about the causes, treatments, and ways to prevent the development of jowls on your skin.

What Causes Jowls on the Face?

Aging is the number one factor that causes jowls on the skin. It is normal for your body to lose some of its fat and consecutive tissues due to a reduction in collagen and elastin production. 

Collagen and elastin are proteins that help to make up connective tissues in the skin. Elastin is particularly responsible for the skin’s elasticity and ability to stay in shape. When the body loses or produces less of these proteins, the skin becomes saggy and loses its firmness.  

This makes the skin thin and dry, causing it to start sagging gradually. Once this happens to the skin on the face, the skin droops around the chin and jawline, or the side of the mouth.

This forms into jowls on the face. While it is not life-threatening, you may feel uncomfortable with it. Other factors can be responsible for the severity of jowls on the facial skin. They are:

Genetics

Your genes not only determine if you will develop jowls, but it also influences how prominent and severe the appearance will be. You are more likely to have it if either of your parents has jowls.

Also, if you naturally have a limited amount of collagen in your skin, you may start to develop jowls and other skin concerns like saggy cheeks earlier than expected. 

Environmental aggressors

Environmental aggressors are also referred to as free radicals. These include the sun, dust, pollution, and any other factor that can damage the skin in the environment. The number one environmental factor that can cause jowls is the sun.

Exposing the skin to the sun’s UV rays is responsible for premature aging of the skin. This is because the sun’s UV rays can cause a breakdown of collagen production in the skin. This causes the skin to sag and develop jowls. 

Other factors that can cause jowls include:

  • Excessive intake of alcohol
  • Smoking
  • Severe dehydration
  • Chronic stress
  • Lack of antioxidants, healthy fats, and other nutrients in the diet
  • Skin allergen
  • Lack of exercise
  • Sudden weight loss

How Do You Prevent Jowls From Forming on Your Face?

The development of jowls can happen due to factors out of your control. However, there are plenty of ways to reduce the severity of the appearance of jowls. 

You may also be able to prevent premature sagging of skin by incorporating good lifestyle changes. Below are some of the preventive measures you can take to prevent severe saying of the skin:

  • Steer clear from cigarettes and other forms of tobacco as they can damage your skin’s elasticity
  • Protect your skin from the sun by applying sunscreen to your face and neck
  • Avoid prolonged exposure to the sun
  • Drink enough water to hydrate your skin, as that will help to keep your skin plump
  • Moisturize your skin properly every day to avoid dryness
  • Apply creams that contain antioxidants that can help to boost the production of collagen and elastin in the skin. These ingredients include retinol, and vitamins C and E. 
  • Avoid chewing gum, frowning, or making other facial expressions that can affect the muscles around your cheeks
  • Engage in facial exercises that can help to promote flexibility of the muscles around the face

Can Exercise Help to Reduce the Appearance of Jowls?

Research shows that facial exercises can help to reduce the visibility and severity of jowls. Facial exercise helps to strengthen the facial muscles to be flexible enough to hold their shape.  

Engage in exercises that stretch the facial muscles without outstretching them to reduce the visibility of jowls. When trying out these facial exercises, ensure that you do them one after the other so that every facial muscle will be worked evenly. 

You can do the exercises repeatedly several times throughout the day. Below are exercises you can try out to work your facial muscles: 

Exercise one: Yawn and open your mouth as wide as you can. Close your mouth slowly without letting the teeth touch. Repeat the process for as long as you can.

Exercise two: Crease your lips outward and use your fingers to draw the sides of your mouth backward. This exercise is best done lying down. 

Exercise three: Chew with your head tilted upwards slightly.

Exercise four: Grin wide, but ensure that you are comfortable. While grinning, tilt your head up and down slowly. 

Exercise five: Lay down flat and curl your neck towards your chest while your tongue presses on the top of your mouth.

Can You Get Rid of Jowls Completely?

You can’t get rid of jowls completely. However, there are several ways of treating or reducing the saggy appearance of jowls on the face. 

You can opt for surgical procedures, such as neck lifts, to tighten saggy skin. There are also several non-surgical procedures, such as thermage, lasers, and peels, that can help enhance the creation of collagen in your skin.

You can also conceal your jowls using clothing and makeup. You can also use fillers to mask recessed areas around the jowls.

Can You Get Rid of Jowls on Face With Fillers?

You can reduce the appearance of jowls with dermal fillers but you can’t get rid of jowls completely with them. Most dermal fillers are made of hyaluronic acid. This ingredient is injected into the neck and chin to fill up the jowls and reduce the saggy appearance. 

Can You Tighten Your Jowls With Thermage Jawline Tightening?

You can tighten the saggy jowls on the face. This is a non-surgical procedure that uses a tool called the Thermatip to tighten the saggy skin around the chin and jawline. 

This procedure is done multiple times with heat and radiofrequency energy to ensure the building and retaining of collagen in the skin.

Does a Facelift Get Rid of Jowls? 

A full facelift can help to rid the skin of saggy jowls and prevent future jowls from developing. This procedure is done by removing fat and tightening the facial muscles. It also involves the rearrangement of the skin in the lower part of the face. 

Why Do You Still Have Jowls After a Facelift?

There are several categories of facelifts. Opting for mini lifts is one of the reasons you may have visible leftover jowls. Mini lifts may not work effectively on the deep layers of the skin. If the type of lift is not the cause, it could be that the lift wasn’t performed by an expert. 

To correct that, you may have to redo the lift by going for a proper facelift done by an excellent plastic surgeon.

How Long Does a Jowl Lift Last?

A mini facelift can last up to 10 years if done properly by a plastic surgeon. A properly done full facelift may help to rid the bowl on the face. 

Face/neck lifts help to tighten the tissues and muscles in the jowls to reduce the saggy appearance. It also helps to prevent the formation of jowls on the face. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can makeup reduce the appearance of sagging jowls?

Yes, it can. You can use makeup to conceal the appearance of sagging jowls. 

Contouring your chin and neck with a concealer can help to make the jowls on your face less noticeable. Check out tutorials on YouTube to help you with the process.

Does liposuction work for tightening jowls on your face?

Yes, it does. Liposuction is a surgical procedure that can be done to tighten jowls. 

The procedure is done by using a microcannula to extract data from the chin area. It helps to reshape the skin to prevent future sagging or formation of jowls.

Can jowls appear on only one side of the face?

Yes, it can. Jowls can appear on one side of the face as a symptom of an underlying condition called Bell’s palsy.

Bell’s palsy is also known as acute facial palsy. It’s a condition that causes the muscles in the face to become weak or paralyzed. This causes that side of the face to droop.

Conclusion

Several factors contribute to the development of jowls on the face aside from aging. These factors include sun damage, poor diet, sudden weight loss, and so on. 

However, this can be prevented by simple lifestyle changes like improvement of dietary plan, reduced intake of alcohol, and so on. To get rid of jowls, it is best to opt for medical treatments as they work effectively to reduce the appearance of jowls on the face. 

Thanks for reading.

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