Sagging jowls/ugly jawline- what can I do? (Photo)

This is an area of concern for many of my patients. Thank you for the question. There are many techniques and a mini facelift along with a mid face lift can lead to a very natural rejuvenated appearance. For most patients, recovery from a facelift surgery can vary widely and it really depends on which procedures they get done. It is best to talk to your surgeon because everybody has different techniques and recovery time is usually based on a number of factors.

If we are just talking about a mini facelift, this can typically be done in the office under local anesthesia. Usually there are no drains, no outside stitches, and patients can go out in public the same day, although I usually recommend they low for the first couple days. Most of the initial swelling is from the numbing medicine and your body absorbs it within the first 4-6 hours.

I'd recommend not getting into the mindset of thinking the jowls will be 100% gone however with any facelift as this might lead to disappointment. It is always best to consider that an area will be improved. Looking for something to be completely gone sets up unrealistic expectations and will usually lead to disappointment after surgery. There are never any guarantees of course with any procedure whether it is surgical or nonsurgical in nature.

Surgery is not for everyone, there are many nonsurgical options to consider although surgery usually gets the most improvement specifically of the jowls.

I would recommend that you see a board-certified plastic surgeon in your area that is a member of both ASPS & ASAPS and performs a lot of facelifts but also offers all the nonsurgical options such as injectables and laser treatments. Go over your concerns with them and make sure above all, you walk out of there with several options and an idea of the pros and cons to each of them as well as realistic expectations.

I hope this helps and wish you all the best in your surgery and event. If it does, please take a moment to up vote this answer on the “respond” button on the top right.

Hi @Terrific9993! I recommend Morpheus 8. Morpheus8 is a non-surgical treatment for full body skin resurfacing, skin tightening, and fat reduction of stubborn areas. It uses minimally invasive fractional radiofrequency energy (RF) to penetrate the skin deeper than other microneedling devices, triggering the skin’s natural healing response to promote skin tightening and lifting. Best of luck, Dr. Nima!

There are several non-invasive treatment options for sagging jowls. 1) You mentioned that you already have full cheeks. I use Juvederm voluma along the back lower jawline (just under the ear) to "pull back" and support the sagging jawline. Then, I put finishing touches by injecting Juvederm Voluma along the "sagging jowl" area to provide extra support. 2) You could also consider a PDO threadlift. The insertion site of the threads would be in the temple area, down to the "sagging jowl" area, which would help to provide an overall lift. 3) If you are the appropriate skin type, you could also get a plasma pen treatment along your entire jawline to help stimulate collagen regeneration, resulting in a tightening/lifting of the jawline.

Hello, thank you for your question. It is hard to tell from this photo, but you can benefit from fillers and if your are considering surgery you can benefit from a lower face lift. I recommend you too schedule a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon.

the most dramatic improvement with be a facelift/neck lift, followed by morpheus, threads, and thermage.

most of my younger patients do buccal fat pad reduction, facetite/liposuction of the neck, and fillers to chin/cheeks/jawline/temples,  to give them a more chiseled face.  see my IG and links. at home derma-rolling should be started to Improve texture and tone and tightening along jawline (see link where we have a recommended daily skincare and weekly MTS + anteageMD derma-rolling protocol).

For facial slimming a combination of treatments are always needed. Options include:

1. Buccal fat pad removal to reduce fat on the lower face
2. Factite or Renuvion/J Plasma to tighten the lower face, jawline, and chin to reduce fat and give the jawline and neck tightening and shaping.
3. Botox to the masseter to reduce the muscular size of the jaw giving the face an illusion of being more slender
4. Fillers to the jawline, chin, cheeks, temples and brow help to shape the face and make it more angled and defined

most of my younger patients consider...
5. deep microneelding RF like morpheus every 2-3 months forever to further improvement tightening
6. early face/neck lift if you want a really tight contour and the most extreme improvement in jawline and neck shaping
7. threads, PDO or Instalift, after neck surgery/facetite to further improve the outcomes and give them long term collagen production and shaping
8. Thermage (radio frequency heating) and Ultherapy (ultrasound muscle tightening) yearly to prevent sagging in the future

See an expert who does facial shaping with surgical and non surgical methods to get a comprehensive option. Best, Dr. Emer.

Thank you for sharing your question. You did not mention your age, but options include dermal fillers along your jawline and a lower face lift. Best to see a series of surgeons in consultation to discuss.

Your problem is not bad. Some might approach this with RF skin tightening, such as Facetite. However, remember that it may produce good results but its effects are temporary. A focused mini lift might address your concerns better.

I agree with you. If you already have high or strong cheekbones, adding filler to that area to correct your lower face could result in an “overfilled” and unnatural look. Minimally invasive energy-based devices can be helpful but may not be fully satisfying. It depends on your expectations. Your jowls would best be corrected by tightening the underlying SMAS + skin. This can be done under local anesthesia with a fairly quick recovery time. Seek an experienced surgeon and have an in-person consultation. I wish you the best!

Your age would be crucial in deciding what treatment you should consider. The photo however suggests you are relatively young, perhaps 30s. I appreciate there would be many providers out there recommending fillers. In my experience however, particularly having operated on many patients with previous fillers, this is likely to give you a poor outcome. Even if you do get some improvement, this is likely negligible and very short lasting. The same goes for thread lifts and I personally would advise against these options if you are looking for anything that lasts longer than 18 months. I would suggest non-invasive energy based therapy or alternatively a very limited lower face/neck lift that works brilliantly in enhancing the jawline and tissue specifically over mandible. A minor surgery that can be performed under local anesthesia, highly effective and relatively safe. I do my own modified technique and have seen amazing results with this.

You might consider an energy based treatment, such as FaceTite, to improve your jawline and jowls. This is a procedure which involves using radio frequency to deliver heat to the tissue under the skin to produce tightening. I have used it specifically for the purpose of improving the jawline and jowls and have seen good results with it.