Jowls/excess fat, nearly 30, considering buccal fat removal or FaceTite, what do you think is best? (Photos)

Question

I am turning 30 in 2 months and I am particularly unhappy about my jowl area. I feel there is a lot of loose and excess skin in that area. I feel too young for a mini facelift I’m unsure what my next next alternative is. I’m considering face tite or Buccal fat removal. What do you think is best? I am worried face tite will only give very minimal results

Anna Chacon, MD, FAAD · Answer

From your photos and description, I can understand why you're focusing on the lower face and jawline. The good news is that at nearly 30 years old, you still have a number of options, and I don't think your age alone means you need a facelift.

One thing I'd be cautious about is buccal fat removal. While it can create a more sculpted appearance in carefully selected patients with fuller mid-faces, it doesn't directly treat jowls. In fact, removing too much buccal fat can make the face appear more hollow over time as natural facial fat decreases with age. That's why many surgeons have become much more selective about recommending it, particularly in younger patients.

FaceTite can be a reasonable option if your main concern is mild skin laxity and a small amount of excess fat along the jawline. It uses radiofrequency energy to tighten tissue and reduce fat, and many patients see noticeable improvement. That said, it's important to have realistic expectations. The results are generally subtle to moderate, not comparable to what a surgical facelift can achieve. If your concern is primarily loose skin rather than excess fat, the improvement may be more modest.

Looking at your photos, I don't see significant jowling that would automatically point toward surgery. Sometimes what patients perceive as "jowls" at your age is actually a combination of facial anatomy, slight volume imbalance, or early skin laxity rather than true tissue descent.

Depending on the underlying cause, other approaches may provide a more balanced result. For example:

If there is mild skin laxity, collagen-stimulating treatments or radiofrequency-based devices may help improve firmness.
If the jawline lacks definition, strategic filler placed along the chin or jawline, not in the jowls themselves, can sometimes create a sharper contour.
If there is localized fullness beneath the jaw, treatments targeting submental fat may be beneficial.

Your concern that FaceTite may produce only a minimal change is understandable. Its effectiveness depends on how much laxity and excess fat are actually present. Patients with mild to moderate changes tend to see the best outcomes, whereas those with more advanced skin laxity may ultimately require surgical lifting for a more dramatic result.

At your age, I would also think about the long term. Procedures that permanently remove facial fat, such as buccal fat removal, deserve careful consideration because facial volume naturally declines over time. Preserving volume often contributes to a more youthful appearance as the years go by.

Overall, based on your photos, I would be hesitant to recommend buccal fat removal solely to improve the appearance of your jowls. A treatment plan focused on enhancing jawline definition and addressing any early skin laxity is often a more predictable and natural-looking approach.

Paul Flashner, MD · Answer

Facetite would be a great option for your concerns. The procedure is minimally invasive using radio frequency to liquefy the fat. Using a small cannula, we will remove the liquefied fat. We do recommend following this procedure with Morpheus 8 to tighten any lax skin. Morpheus 8 uses radio frequency and micro-needling to promote collagen production to tighten and help with overall tone/texture of the area treated.

Nelson Lee Novick, MD · Answer

Before jumping into expensive facelift surgery (especially at such a young age) with its risks for infection, scarring, and prolonged post-surgical downtime, or investing in expensive RF or ultrasound gizmos whose hard science to prove their usefulness lags well behind the heavy marketing hype and social media buzz, you may wish to consult with an experienced, board certified cosmetic to discuss the use of a robust HA filler for contouring the lower face and straightening and tightening the jawline. In experienced hands, this should take no more than about fifteen minutes to perform and engenders little to no significant downtime. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Lisa Vuich, MD · Answer

Thanks for your question. You will likely get more of what you are looking for with PDO Thread Lifting. Thread Lifting is a procedure which utilizes dissolving suture material (the barbed threads) to reposition the soft tissues of the face. The threads gradually dissolve but they leave new collagen formation behind. A thread lift is usually done once a year initially, but after a few sessions you'd likely find that you can do it every 2 years (due to the collagen accumulation which extends the life of the result). MINT PDO threads are some of the best on the market. The result will depend significantly on the expertise of the provider and the number of threads used. More threadsmore result and longer effect. 8 to 10 per side is a generous number. Much less than that and you may be disappointed.

Camille Cash, MD · Answer

I think you will have the best results from a combination of treatments.  You can consider FaceTite or even Morpheus8 to address the skin tone and texture of the lower face.  Fillers can also be used to help define contours and lessen the appearance of early jowling.  I encourage you to visit with an expert injector near you to learn more.

Jowls/excess fat, nearly 30, considering buccal fat removal or FaceTite, what do you think is best? (Photos)

Answers (5)

More FaceTite Questions

Tightening up the jawline - would FaceTite be a good option? (Photo)

Am I a candidate for FaceTite or would something else work better? (Photo)

Can I get FaceTite now and Facelift later?

6'3, 245 & lost 100+lbs 2 yrs ago, surgeon recommended chin liposuction with FaceTite

Facetite for reducing face fat?

6 months after FaceTite/NeckTite. Is it normal to have sagging neck skin? (Photo)

WE SEND PRETTY
EMAILS