When you think of facial fillers, the words ‘plumping’ or ‘wrinkle erasing’ may spring to mind. But fillers are not all about ‘anti-ageing.’ Yes, they can help you to appear younger, given that they’re rebuilding the volume that we lose with the passing years, but they can do so much more than that.
We have entered a new era of injectable procedures. One that involves making minor, structural alterations to the face instead of merely injecting into lines and wrinkles to ‘bulk them out’. As injectors, our understanding of facial balancing has changed, and the general public’s awareness of how these treatments work has increased, too
Now we take a more thoughtful approach to the face, looking at it as a whole and thinking strategically about where we should inject for a more youthful, balanced appearance overall.
One of the most requested treatments areas that I see is the chin and jawline. It’s popular amongst both the younger generation and more mature patients. This is because it’s a good option for those with a genetically weaker jaw or chin, but it’s also almost always the first area to suffer in the ageing process.
So, how do dermal fillers work in the lower face, and are they the right treatment for your concerns?
Why do we lose volume in this area with age?
We begin to lose bone in our skull in our forties, and our facial fat pads deflate, dropping downwards with gravity. The bone loss that occurs in our jaw means that the lower face no longer has a robust framework, and our skin and fat can hang loosely, resulting in a saggy, jowly look. The lower face may also lose its youthful oval shape and appear squarer, and thanks to the loss of elasticity, it may even look like we have a double chin.
But it’s not just for ageing faces
Like all facial features, the chin and jawline come in various shapes and sizes. A well-defined chin creates a better balance between your nose, neck and cheeks. A small chin that lacks projection can make the nose appear bigger, even if it isn’t big at all. And a recessed chin often doesn’t provide enough structure to give a visual distinction between the face and neck.
Once this has been addressed, the nose suddenly looks more proportionate, and the face appears more balanced and aesthetically pleasing.
What are the benefits of jawline fillers?
Facial fillers have grown enormously in popularity over recent years, thanks to both their rejuvenating and enhancing properties and the ever-improving skills of aesthetic practitioners.
Fillers can be used to recontour the jawline, helping to redefine this area of the face. They work by augmenting the shape of the chin and jawline and rebuilding lost volume, bringing balance to the facial features whilst enhancing the side profile.
In more mature patients who have lost the strength of their jawline with age, we often need to address the cheeks before we address the jawline to ensure that we give all the facial tissues enough support.
It can also be combined with a skin tightening treatment such as the Profound RF, which combines microneedling and radiofrequency technologies for an advanced skin tightening effect or Ultherapy which uses ultrasound energy to tighten the deeper skin tissues. They’re both ideal for improving significant signs of ageing such as sagging and drooping skin, jowls and pronounced wrinkles.
How long do results last?
I tend to use Juvéderm Volux in this area which can last for up to two years. However, the result will change over time as the body very gradually breaks down the filler. I usually recommend that my patients see me every six months for a small top-up to maintain their results.