34F, 5’3”, 120lbs - soft jawline could be genetic/shape of submental area, can I sharpen it? (Photos)

Hello there,

Thank you for sharing your question and photo — it’s something I hear often, and your observations are very insightful. What you’re describing sounds like a combination of subtle skeletal anatomy (a slightly recessed chin or jaw position) and soft tissue distribution under the chin and along the jawline — both of which can contribute to a softer jaw contour even in someone at a healthy weight.

When you slide your jaw forward and notice that the line becomes more defined, it does suggest that skeletal projection plays a role — essentially, your natural bone structure sits a bit further back, which makes the transition from jaw to neck appear smoother rather than sharply angled.

The good news is that there are several ways to enhance definition, depending on what you’re most comfortable with. Dermal fillers along the chin and jawline can help bring more projection and balance without surgery. For some, small pockets of submental fat or skin laxity can also be refined with treatments such as Kybella, radiofrequency tightening, or even energy-based devices that lift and sculpt the lower face.

If bone structure is the main factor, more permanent options like chin or jawline implants could be considered, though many patients find that a combination of subtle filler contouring and skin tightening gives a very natural improvement.

Your features appear balanced and delicate. A gentle approach that respects your natural shape can make a significant difference while maintaining a harmonious look.

Ultherapy is a non-invasive procedure that lifts the neck, chin and brow, and improves lines and wrinkles on the upper chest. As we age, collagen breaks down, resulting in loss of skin strength and elasticity. For tissue tightening, Ultherapy is ideal for the lower face and neck and we often combine it with CO2 laser or Morpheus8 to further enhance results. Chemical peels and skin resurfacing should be done at least 5 to 7 days after, but can be performed earlier, depending on treatment severity.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Since you are so young, I would not recommend a terribly invasive procedure for your neck. And examination would be necessary to determine your candidacy for neck liposuction to improve your jawline. Please consider meeting with a reputable facial plastic surgeon who provides computer Imaging so you could see what to expect after surgery. I hope this helps. Sincerely, Dr Joseph

Understanding facial aesthetics is not easy or straightforward.
Facial aesthetics, especially in young people is primarily determined by bone structure.
It is facial skeletal structure that gives each person their unique facial appearance.
It is facial bone structure that computers use to identify individual people Through security systems.
What determines who is considered attractive and who is not is therefore determined by bone structure and soft tissue coverage has less to do with it.
Soft tissue coverage tends to be much more consistent from person to person.
What makes us unique is in the end, skeletal structure.
Issues related to the lower 1/3 of the face and neck are therefore related to the mandible.
When the mandible is lacking in size and projection, the soft tissues don’t have an ideal foundation to rest on, and this causes all of the issues you describe.
The chin is only one small region of the mandible.
The chin is referred to as the mentalis in Latin.
And your case your mentalist projects adequately, but the body of your mandible is slightly insufficient for ideal facial aesthetics. This is the genetic component. It’s also why your jawline looks better when you push the mandible forward.
I’m guessing that you have a mild overbite dental occlusionOn your profile picture, your upper lip has more forward projection than the lower lip.
Lip position is related to dental position.
You don’t have an abnormal fat distribution.
You don’t need liposuction.
The definitive treatment for a smaller mandible is generally too involved into invasive for most people to choose the correct surgical option.
This leads people to look for softer gentler solutions which tend to be soft tissue oriented.
Because these treatments don’t address the primary problem they typically leave unsatisfactory outcomes.
To see the impact of having a large mandible, you can look at pictures of George Clooney or Carmen Del’Orafice.
Understanding this part of the face is fairly involved and you may find different people will have different opinions, including different treatment, options and solutions.It is to some degree subjective and I’m simply expressing the way I see things and the way I understand it
Best,
Mats Hagstrom MD