Sagging jowls are a condition where the skin of the face becomes slack and begins to sag along the chin, jaw line and neck. There are several causes of sagging jowls, many of them age related.
The loss of important elements including collagen and the skin’s ability to retain water, will cause the skin to lose thickness and elasticity, which causes gravity to take effect. As time progresses, the skin will begin to droop or sag, often leading to baggy pouches along the jawline and neck. These pouches are called jowls.
When Do Jowls Start?
Jowls can start at an early age (early forties are when most women begin to notice them). Many different factors can contribute to early onset jowls. These include things like diet, lifestyle, weight fluctuation over the years, genetics, and exposure to the sun. And in today’s digital world – the term ‘tech neck’ lead to jowls. Constantly looking downward at devices like cell phones, laptops and tablets, can weaken the muscles of the neck, causing the skin to pull downward.
At first, you may simply notice a lack of definition along your jaw line. Over time, this slackness will increase. The corners of your mouth may develop ‘marionette’ lines, pulling your mouth downwards with the chin also losing definition. The longer you leave jowls untreated, the more pronounced the sagginess will become.
BOOK A JOWL LIFT TREATMENT
What Types of Treatment Can Reduce My Jowls?
At Vancouver Cold Laser, we use a combination of different types of treatment to help with jowls. These treatments can include one or more of the following:
Ultrasound
This type of treatment consists of using an ultrasound device to send ultrasound waves deep into the subcutaneous tissue of the face and neck. These waves of energy help to re-stimulate the growth of collagen, which in turn will restore the skin’s tone and elasticity.
Micro Current
This type of treatment uses micro currents to help stimulate the muscles and tissues of your face and neck – similar to a work out at the gym, only for your face. The result is improved firmness, tightening and smoothing of the skin around the jaw line.
Light Therapy
Light therapy treatment involves the use of special types of light deep into the neck and facial tissues. The light stimulates the cells that are responsible for healing and tissue regeneration. Light therapy also stimulates collagen growth, which is what the skin needs to retain its youthful appearance.
How Many Jowl Lift Treatments Will I Need?
In order to effectively reduce the look of your jowls, Vancouver Cold Laser recommends a treatment course of at least six to eight sessions, spaced every other week. This will encourage constant cell regeneration and collagen stimulation.
How Long is Each Treatment?
The length of each treatment depends on which device(s) your technician has prescribed. Typically however, a session will last between 30 and 60 minutes.
Will I Experience Side Effects?
In general, the side effects from the various treatment types are minimal. You may experience a little bit of redness, tightness or mild swelling if anything. Most of our jowl lift patients at Vancouver Cold Laser report that these side effects typically subside within an hour or two of their treatment.
For some, these side effects are an indication that the treatments are working to tighten and smooth out the skin of the neck and jaw line, reducing the appearance of jowls.
How Should I Treat My Skin After Jowl Lift Treatment?
As with any other area of your skin, treating your jowl area post-treatment should involve lots of TLC and care. While the treatments are non-invasive, you can encourage the benefits of treatment by treating your skin right.
We recommend using our line of medical grade skincare. Our products are loaded with antioxidants, peptides and vitamins, and are specifically formulated for our patients to use post-treatment. All of our products also include a very strong SPF which is one of the most important things you can apply to your skin, whether or not you’ve recently had treatments.
Ultimately, the sun is responsible for a lot of premature aging to all areas of the face and neck. It should go without saying, that the use of a good strong sunscreen should be a regular part of your skin care routine. Failure to include this important step in your skin care regime can lead to disastrous results, one of which is premature aging and loss of skin’s firmness and elasticity.
If you are experiencing warmth, redness or uncomfortable tightness (which occurs very rarely), using an ice pack wrapped in a soft towel applied to the chin, jaw line and neck can also help.
We do recommend that patients undergoing jowl treatment try to avoid the ‘tech neck’ we mentioned earlier. To encourage tightening of the skin, you should hold your head high and try to avoid looking downward unnecessarily or for prolonged periods of time.
When Will I See Results?
Many Vancouver Cold Laser patients will being to see results after their very first jowl treatment. The way our treatments work, the skin of your jaw line and neck will have an almost immediate ‘reaction’ to the treatments, causing the muscles and tissues to contract and tighten. Think of this the way you think about your gym work out – as you work your muscles, they become firm and ‘plumped’ up. This is exactly what happens when you have jowl treatments.
By the end of your course of treatments, you will see a new face looking back at you in the mirror. With tight smooth skin and a well defined jaw line, it will take years off of your looks.
If you are interested in receiving non-invasive pain free treatments for your jowls, contact Vancouver Cold Laser. We have targeted and unique treatment plans for each of our patients, that will lead to a renewed and youthful appearance.
