Is "pulling up" the skin between my jawbone and neck a solution/option?

There is an intricate aesthetic relationship between the anatomy of the neck and jaw. For a well defined jaw line in both genders one needs favorable bony anatomy of the jaw as far as its angles and projection (prominence) of the chin and also a well positioned hyoid bone. Hyoid bone is a bony structure in the middle of the neck, just above the Adam's apple where it connects and supports many muscles of the neck and throat. Its relative position in the neck can vary between the individuals with significant aesthetic implications for neck and jawline definition. Lastly, the quality and texture of the skin and potential excess of underlying soft tissue/fat in the neck and lower face comes into play. As such, a thorough aesthetic evaluation, by in person examination of all the above factors is needed to asses the candidacy of a patient for the most appropriate procedure. This can range from nonsurgical (fillers) and surgical (implants) chin and angle of the jaw augmentation to address the bony component, and for the soft tissue component it can range from less invasive neck procedures such as skin tightening technologies, liposuction to surgical soft tissue rejuvenations such as neck/lower face lift, or lipectomies.

You are not alone as many
women lack a well defined jaw line. There are several options but without
seeing in person there is no way to be sure which if any of these is an option.
If you do not have an existing prominent jaw and chin bone, pulling the
skin will not correct the issues you may have. Skin pulling known as a
face/neck lift is for individuals who have excess skin obliterating their neck
line but have a normal bone structure. As you described that is not an
option for you. Otherwise you can look into Jaw surgery which tends to
work on moving the mandible forward. It is a large surgery and will have
an impact on your teeth. Finally you can give the illusion of a stronger
jaw line by manipulating the chin. This can be done with either an
implant or sliding the bone forward with Oral Surgery. I am a big fan of
the chin implant as it is quick, easy and can lead to very natural results if
done correctly. There are many different chin implant shapes and sizes
that could be specifically sized for you, in ways that will leave you with a
very natural looking chin. Hope this has helped.

No operation works IN CONCERT with other procedures than the chin implant.  I just about never do a chin implant alone.  For a more angular look, oft times I will also liposuction the neck or reduce the buccal fat pad.  For profile make-overs, doing the nose and chin together is common.  When face lifting, a chin implant often adds to the jawline overhaul.  Your photos are not that informative, but I'd an open mind to combining chin and buccal fat for a more angular look.  That looks great at any age.

Hi Kitty15
I understand that you would prefer to avoid a chin implant, but as you describe your goals I believe it is still the best solution to your condition. “Pulling up” the skin from a facelift or neck lift will not provide the degree of change you desire. Although the chin can be augmented without an implant I would not recommend this procedure in your case. This type of surgery would require advancing a part of your jawbone to give it more projection. Placement of a chin implant would provide a similar change and is a much easier procedure. For a thorough education and discussion I would recommend a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon.
I hope this is of some help to you as you make your decisions. I believe your goals are realistic and can be achieved.

Without a physical exam or a photo, it would be difficult to describe what might specifically be right for you, as many different factors can contribute to a weak jawline. Speaking in general terms, however, if your weak jawline is due to excess fat in the upper neck and under the jaw, you might benefit from liposuction to better sculpt the jawline. (This option is better suited for younger patients, by the way, because when a patient is older, the skin has less elasticity and therefore less ability to contract and “shrink back” to reveal a sharp jawline.) Another option could be Kybella, which is an injectable enzyme to facilitate breaking down fat permanently. If you have a lack of chin projection from the side, the best approach would be a chin implant. I know you mentioned that you wanted to avoid surgery because you have seen results that look overdone, but if done properly by a surgeon with a sophisticated aesthetic, the result can be elegant, natural, and appropriate. When I perform a chin-augmentation surgery, I use the intra-oral approach, meaning that I make a tiny incision on the inside of the mouth, so that no visible scars will result. One other option, less effective and not permanent, is to use a filler such as Radiesse to give more definition and projection to the chin. It is possible that a combination of the procedures described above would be the solution, so please do feel free to contact a board certified plastic surgeon to help you make your decision.

Young skin and muscle tightens quite well. That is a good thing. Plus now a days we have plenty of options to tighten the skin in this area. Those range from energy devices such as radiofrequency or laser to liposuction and muscle tightening with surgery.  Even well placed botox and fillers can help to define the jawline. It seems simple and many surgeons describe fillers and botox as simple solutions but to really get a defined jawline they need to be well place and combined with tightening and/or volume repositioning procedures such as buccal fat pad sculpting in my experience. I hope this is helpful,Best of luck,DrC

It is understandable to want a well defined jawline without the implants, however because of what you're expectations are a chin implant is what will give you the added volume you need for the maximum definition. The pulling and lifting of the skin will not enhance you're jawline, on the contrary it would give a unnatural lift to you neckline. You may want to consider fillers. Fillers are non surgical, not permanent however they will give you temporary volume and definition which is what you're looking for. 

It's best to begin by consulting with a surgeon in-person to discuss your options. During your initial examination, your #chin will be evaluated along with the neck and jawline. A weak #chin implies a lack of chin support for the skin along the neck line. In younger individuals a chin implant alone is usually all that is needed to improve the appearance of the neck. Subsequently, it will also improve the overall #balance of the face and can create the illusion of a smaller nose. As a stand-alone procedure, chin augmentation can be performed in the office under local #anesthesia. For individuals with signs of #aging in the neck, a chin implant added to one of the recommended procedures above, will provide optimal results.
If you are not a candidate at the time of your #consultation, your board certified plastic surgeon can recommend alternatives to address your concern. Consulting with a board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in #face, #neck and #chin procedures is important to ensure you are receiving the best advice, care, and surgical experience possible.

Thank you for your question.  There are  a number of different approaches that can be used to improve a weak jawline.  The choice of which intervention may depend on the underlying anatomic cause which would best be assessed in an in person consultation or with photos.  In a young patient with a weak jawline, a chin implant may be a good answer.  That said the effect of a chin implant can be achieved with fillers which would be a temporary and reversible intervention if you were unsure about it.  Sometimes there is excess fat /fullness beneath the chin that can contribute to a weak jawline - this can be treated with liposuction or Kybella depending on the severity of the fullness.  Filler along the mandible body can emphasize the jawline as well.  Also an important aspect of the profile view to anyones face is the balance achieved between the nose and the chin.  Many times patients who are unhappy with the appearance of their nose can benefit from a chin implant to balance out the profile appearance.  The converse can be true as well that rhinoplasty can also help bring the appearance of a weak chin into balance.  

The elegant jawline is a defined jawbone that  is easily differentiated from the underlying neck. Poor jawline definition may be due to 1) a truly smaller jawbone or 2) poor neck definition.
In the first case, a chin implant is the best way to improve projection of the chin in a patient who has normal bite alignment. Incisions may be concealed under the lower lip. A variety of implant shapes and sizes are available to provide a customized treatment. The implant is solid and adheres to the underlying bone so it feels like a natural extension of the chin. There is far less chance of asymmetry and more permanence than fillers. 
If neck definition is lacking, a combination of liposuction and lifting procedures may tighten the neckline and create a sharper transition between the chin and neck. This will make the jawline appear more defined and better projected.