Losing the definition along your jawline can add years to your appearance. Whether from excess fat or skin laxity, jawline contouring is possible. Double chin surgery is always an option, but it’s not your only option. There are a variety of at-home fixes and a few innovative med spa treatments to consider.
Let’s explore the top causes of lower face fat and laxity and how to lift and refine your jawline without surgery.
Top 4 Causes of Lost Jawline Definition
Submental fat is the clinical name for chin fat. However, fat isn’t the only factor to consider if your once-chiseled chin is fading.
Age
As you age, your body produces less skin-firming collagen and elastin. Combine this with gravity constantly pulling down on your skin and decreasing bone density, and your jawline will inevitably lose its definition.
Weight gain
Whether rapid or gradual, when you gain excess body fat you may develop a double chin. Even if weight gain is short-term, such as pregnancy weight, your submental fat cells may grow.
Weight loss
If you’ve lost a significant amount of weight, you may experience loose skin throughout your body. Even though your fat cells are smaller, they remain larger than before—making your chin skin more apparent.
Genetics
Look at the generations before you for insights as to how you may age in every way. Don’t just look at your parents, aunts, and uncles as genetics can skip generations.
Do You Have Jowls or a Double Chin?
Before we dive into the top options for jawline contouring, let’s define the difference between jowls and a double chin.
Jowls: If you have loose sagging skin below your jawline, you have jowls.
Double chin: If you have excess volume and layers of skin, it’s fat not just skin.
Regardless of the cause, refining and restoring your jawline requires a targeted approach.
#1 Chin, Neck, and Face Exercises
There are over 60 muscles in the face and neck, but most workouts only focus on major muscle groups. This is why you may have lost weight everywhere else you want to, but your face remains full.
Target your face and chin layers, with exercises designed just for your face. Head to YouTube and search for ‘face yoga’. You can also find a variety of aesthetic devices designed to exercise your face. Search for ‘fascia tools’ and ‘face exercisers’ to explore your options. Unlike whole body workouts, you won’t break a sweat!
Exercise your face, neck, and chin for 2 to 5 minutes per day for at least 8 weeks before you see initial results.
#2 Facial Rollers
Another way to define your face and jawline is with facial rollers. You can find facial rollers and Gua sha devices made from metal, jade, rose quartz, and textured materials online and in cosmetics stores. These anti-aging tools have the added benefit of improving circulation, releasing tight muscles, and stimulating collagen and elastin production.
In addition to jawline contouring, they help your serum and moisturizer penetrate your pores better.
With consistent use, they may also minimize:
- Puffiness below the eyes
- Dark eye circles
- Fine lines and wrinkles
Use as directed on a cleansed face. Consistency is key.
#3 Chin Straps
Chin straps, chin masks, and face tape won’t permanently eliminate your chin, but they may provide temporary results. They work by relaxing the face and chin muscles in a manner that provides a short-term lift.
If it fits in with your schedule, wear your chin strap for at least 2 hours before an event you want to look your best for.
For a similar effect, you could do an at-home or in-spa lifting face and neck massage.
#4 Kybella
Kybella is an FDA-approved double chin injection that rivals surgical results! This revolutionary treatment permanently dissolves the fat cells underneath your skin without harming other tissues. This multi-session jawline contouring treatment consists of 20 to 50 microinjections spaced about 1 centimeter apart. Your skin is numbed beforehand with a topical anesthetic to ensure the treatment is completely painless.
Most require 3 or 4 sessions spaced 2 to 4 weeks apart to see results. Results begin 4 to 6 weeks after the first session, with gradual sculpting.
Kybella is only FDA-approved for the chin, but some practitioners use it to target other areas of the body.
#5 Radiofrequency (RF)
Most often sought out for skin tightening on the face and body, radiofrequency is another treatment that permanently dissolves fat cells!
Radiofrequency sends painless bursts of energy into the deep tissue layers of the skin. Most compare the treatment to a hot stone massage. You’ll feel vibration and warmth, but not pain. You’ll need 4 to 6 treatments to see results and a maintenance session every 3 to 4 months.
This FDA-approved skin tightening treatment can be used on multiple areas of the body—and you can find at-home RF devices.
#6 Morpheus8
Kybella and solo RF are ideal for double chins, but if you have skin laxity or both laxity and chin fat—Morepheus8 is a more effective option.
Morepheus8 is an advanced aesthetic treatment that combines radiofrequency and microneedling. It’s FDA-approved to firm, tighten, contour, and resurface the skin.
Microneedling is a fractional treatment that utilizes ultra-thin pins to penetrate 0.5mm to 8mm into your dermal layers. The pins stimulate collagen, elastin, and the body’s natural anti-aging process. They also allow the RF to penetrate deeper into the dermal layers for better results. While you don’t need a topical anesthetic for solo RF, you will need either a topical anesthetic or Pro-Nox (laughing gas) to ensure Morpheus8 is pain-free. Even with Pro-Nox, you’ll be able to drive yourself home from the med spa!
You’ll need 4 to 6 treatments to see results and a maintenance session every 3 to 4 months.
Morepheus8 can be used for jawline contouring, smoothing your face and neck, and sculpting multiple areas of the body.
Which Jawline Contouring Options Will You Try First?
Leave a comment below to let us know what products, devices, and treatments you turn to sculpt and define your jawline!
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