WHAT ARE JOWLS
Jowls are commonly used to describe the skin below the chin and jawline specifically sagging skin that appears baggy or loose, or has lost elasticity and definition. While jowls aren’t a medical concern and aren’t harmful to the body, their appearance can be damaging to your self-esteem and confidence, often making you look older than you are. Everyone is liable to getting jowls to some extent as they age, but the severity of the problem can vary from person to person, and the age at which they develop can too.
WHAT CAUSES JOWLS TO DEVELOP?
There are a number of factors that can cause jowls to develop – some are within our control to an extent, while there are others we can’t influence. The two main causes for jowls are simply age and genetics which are sadly out of our control.
As we age, the skin in the cheeks and below the jawline is prone to losing the collagen and elastin which are produced naturally in the body. Both of these proteins work to create elasticity in the skin, connecting it to tissue and helping it spring back into shape as we move.
Our jowls become more apparent as this elasticity is lost over time – with collagen and elastin depleted, the skin is less able to fight against gravity and so the skin sags and droops. Tied into this are our genetics. Some people will suffer from collagen and elastin depletion earlier than others, sometimes even as early as the teens. For others, it won’t be until decades later, well into old age.
While the impact of genetics can’t be overridden, the good news is that there are other lifestyle factors that we can control. The following all have the potential to make prominent jowls more likely:
SMOKING
As with so many other conditions, smoking has a negative impact. Smoking causes blood vessels to narrow which makes it harder for the body to circulate nutrients. This dulls our skin and collagen and elastin production can also be impacted.
SUN DAMAGE
High levels of exposure to the sun can cause premature ageing. Specifically, the ultraviolet rays can lead to reduced collagen creation. So, if you’re someone who regularly tans and doesn’t take precautions to use SPF, you could be ageing your skin faster than necessary.
WEIGHT LOSS
Weight loss, especially crash diets, can result in sagging skin all over the body, including the face. As we gain weight, the skin stretches, but losing this weight can then create a problem whereby there is excess skin, and inevitably sagging.
There are other minor factors to be mindful of, such as ‘tech neck’ – some claim that a large amount of screen time can lead to prominent jowls because of our tendency to look down for long periods of time.
QUICK FIX FOR SAGGING JOWLS
NON-SURGICAL PROCEDURES at BAYUTY
The benefit of non-surgical treatments is that they’re quicker and more affordable than a full surgical procedure, and yet they still have a visible impact.
With a non-surgical procedure, you can also still go about your usual routines as there’s minimal, or even zero, downtime required after the procedure. For example, dermal fillers are a popular option. Often Yasmin will add fat-dissolvers in the area of the jowl are added into the treatment plan.
This treatment uses an injection of hyaluronic gel to stimulate the creation of collagen and elastin, boosting the levels of these natural proteins to give the face more volume and tightening the skin. The results of expertly applied dermal fillers can be relatively long-lasting, often up to two years, which can make a profound difference to your appearance and confidence.