If you’ve ever found yourself at a carnival growing up playing that game where you’re hitting a gopher on the head with a mallet, but once one gets hit, another just keeps popping up – well this is a great foreshadowing into what aging is like as an adult! If we’re not targeting those fine lines and wrinkles, we’re combatting the loss of collagen and subsequence facial sagging that comes with it. One of the more prominent places we see this gravity in action is in our jowls, but thankfully there are treatments that can help prevent them from developing prematurely and can treat them once they do.
Where did these jowls come from? We’ve touched on the inevitable aging and loss of collagen, but outside of aging, extreme weight gain and loss can also play a role. If you think of your skin like a balloon, you blow it up and let the air out and the elastic shrinks down. But if you blow it up and let the air out several times, the balloon loses its elasticity – and the same is true with your delicate facial skin! Other factors that can contribute to sagging jowls are genetics, smoking, sun damage and your sleeping position. Clearly not all areas we can control, but we control the controllable! Keeping ourselves as healthy as possible and taking preventative measures like daily application (and reapplication!) of medical grade sunscreen will put you in the best position to keep those sagging jowls at bay – ask us for our SPF recommendations, we’ve got some great options at Skin Iowa, PC!
How can I combat these jowls? So the jowls are here, now what to do? While we’ve learned about some of the inevitable factors, there are absolutely ways for you to improve and prevent this sagging skin! First of all, know that your skincare routine MATTERS! Medical grade skincare made with the latest in cutting-edge formulas and technologies will be one of your best lines of defense. ZO® Skin Health’s philosophy is that skin health can and should be supported by science and it’s why we’ve been proud to recommend their products to our patients year after year. We also love utilizing Morpheus8 to tighten the skin where we already see signs of sagging. Using “micro-pins”, Morpheus8 targets and heats the deeper layers of the skin with fractional “RF” (radio frequency) energy. This helps to boost natural collagen production and give us healthier, firmer skin, pulling those jowls back into place! Facial balancing with filler is also a great option to restore support. Specifically, we’ve seen great results by adding JUVÉDERM® VOLUX® XC to the jawline which improves definition and gives an overall more symmetrical look. Lastly, our old standby BOTOX® Cosmetic can help add support along the jawline and beneath the chin by targeting those muscles responsible for pulling the skin downwards. The relaxing of those muscles helps to lift the jowls and restore a more youthful contour to the face.
I’ve improved my jowls; how can I best prevent them moving forward? As we all know, prevention is the best medicine – and it’s important to protect our investments! One treatment we love to prevent sagging jowls from setting in is microneedling with PRF (platelet-rich fibron). Microneedling entails creating micro injuries in the skin via tiny needles, which sends your body into wound response mode, initiating collagen and elastin position and keeping your skin firm and resilient. By adding in your own platelet rich fibron into these micro wounds, we are introducing a concentration of platelets and growth factors to help enhance the skin’s natural healing process. This can help to maintain your results or be a preventative option if you know that your jowl genes run strong.
If one thing is for certain, it’s that we all experience aging in different ways. If sagging jowls is one area that you struggle with more than others, know that there are solutions designed specifically for you and that at Skin Iowa, PC we have the tools, education and expertise to help you regain that youthful facial structure and protect it for years to come! Are you ready for your comprehensive jowl consultation? Reach out to our skin professionals today: 515-223-0119
