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Laser Surgery for Jowls?

asked 3 years ago by Angie in KC in Kansas City, Kansas
Latest answer by Vivek Bansal, MD
Question viewed 1,779 times
Tags: jowls

I had laser surgery about 12 years ago on my entire face. I got a staph infection and toxic blood poisoning. I ended up on a respirator for about 3 weeks in the ICU. My lungs kept filling up with fluid. I smoked two and a half packs of cigarettes per day, and I drink beer daily. I am now 47 and starting to get sagging jowls; I'm wondering, what risk would I be in by having laser for jowls only? Is there be a better alternative without surgery?

9 answers to Laser Surgery for Jowls?

Surgery is not for you unless you make lifestyle changes.

Angie, you were 35 years old when you had laser resurfacing and ended up with a life-threatening infection, ICU and respirator for 3 weeks, and now at age 47 you use alcohol daily and smoke 2 1/2 packs of cigarettes daily. If your health were better, and you weren't a smoker, sagging jowls could be treated by facelift, or perhaps lower facelift. There is no laser that will tighten loose skin, just smooth the surface. Laser treatment would just give... more

Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS
Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon

A healthy life style supports healthy skin

Lasers and fillers can all help with sagging skin if you do not want an operation. Nevertheless, good effects of a medical treatment last longer with a healthy life style.

Robert Kasten, MD
Mainz Dermatologic Surgeon

Laser Surgery

Smoking will increase your risks. A surgery is a big risk for you. Anyone who wants to do your surgery is taking you and them on a very dangerous journey until you can reduce your risk profile.

Vivek Bansal, MD
Danville Plastic Surgeon

Laser Surgery will Not Help Jowls

My first observation is as follows: if you are still smoking, don't do anything. A Facelift (properly performed) should significantly improve the contour of your jaw and neckline. There is no laser or laser technique that will significantly improve jowls and I would be careful of any advertising which implies this.

Stephen Prendiville, MD
Fort Myers Facial Plastic Surgeon

Laser Surgery will NOT correct Jowls

I have never heard of a CO2 Facial laser resurfacing resulting in Sepsis (bacterial blood poisoning) with Pulmonary Edema (lungs being flooded by fluid). Such complications MAY be seen in major surgery and only when the intestine leaks or in severely immunocompromised people (AIDS, cancer etc). Your smoking history suggests you have some level of lung disease (COPD) and drinking daily may suggest you have some liver damage as well. A thorough evaluation, probably a treadmill examination,... more

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

Filler injection more helpful for sagging jowls than Laser surgery

Sagging jowls come from loss of volume along marionette areas along corners of mouth as well as the overall diminised volume along upper 1/2 of the face. Other than surgical facelift, your best bet is to consider combination of localized filler injection along marionette areas and cheek augmentation with Radiesse or Sculptra. Fractional CO2 laser resurfacing can be helpful to tighten the jowl sagging but should be performed in conjunction with judicious filler injection to achieve... more

William Ting, MD
Bay Area Dermatologic Surgeon

Laser surgery will not help jowls

After your experience I would not even think of doing laser surgery. You had laser resurfacing which is a skin treatment. Although laser resurfacing can tighten skin slightly, the laser cannot sufficiently tighten skin to lift jowls. A facelift is required to lift the jowl, but you would have to stop smoking completely and undergo an exam and clearnace by your internest before you would be considered a candidate for surgery.

Brooke R. Seckel, MD
Boston Plastic Surgeon