Dermal fillers can be used to restore mid-face (cheek) volume and sculpt the jawline, in order to reduce the appearance of sagging jowls. The procedure is not painful, does not require any significant down-time and is excellent at lifting and sculpting the skin, where volume needs to be replaced.
When the dermal filler is used as a jowl filler, it is injected along the jawline in the pre-jowl sulcus and the marionette lines to regain jawline definition. Treatment of jowls with jawline fillers often involves treating the chin area.
“It is possible for cheek filler to provide lift for the lower half of the face,” says Dr. Marisa Garshick, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City.
The best treatment for jowls include a facelift and neck lift. The best procedures for sagging jowls are undoubtedly a neck lift and full facelift. For one, a neck lift and full facelift are permanent fixes. This means that you only have to get them once.
We typically recommend injecting the cheeks with at least 1 ml of Filler along strategic points on each side.
Treating with 1ml at a time is certainly appropriate for some areas, such as volumising lips or having smaller tweakments into other areas of the face. Sometimes, however, more than 1ml may be required – in the cheeks, for example – as 1ml may not make a discernible difference.
Dermal fillers are applied to the marionette lines and the corners of the mouth. This hides the shadow between the 2 areas creating a flatter shape. This smoothens out the marionette lines and reduces the appearance of the jowls.
Botox works by relaxing the muscles around the mouth, but it cannot soften the deep folds in the nasolabial area. In this case, a volume-adding injectable like dermal fillers is often the better choice because it can fill the deep wrinkles and smoothen the skin.
By adding volume to the cheek area and contouring the shape of your cheek, you can visibly lift your cheekbones and the lower face while filling out fine lines and wrinkles in the process.
Square: Square shape faces will tend to have a prominent square like a jawline that is equivalent in width to their forehead. A great treatment for this face shape is cheek filler. Because your face is already quite structured, adding gorgeous cheekbones will make you turn heads!
Ultherapy is the number one treatment for jowls and is FDA approved meaning it is clinically proven to lift the face. Ultherapy uses micro-focused ultrasound to create micro-wounds into the deep tissues (SMAS) of skin.
Swelling is completely normal after your procedure, so don't freak out if your cheeks look "bigger" or more lifted than you intended. Swelling can distort the shape, so give yourself about five days for the volume to settle before you assess your filler.
After receiving dermal fillers, the cheeks may appear red and swollen which is normal and expected. To reduce swelling at home, you can apply ice to help reduce any mild discomfort. If you also experience bruising, using arnica products can help relieve this.
With most types of cheek filler, you'll usually see some results immediately after the procedure. But it often takes several days and sometimes several months to see full results. PLLA results can take up to two to three weeks.
Using a patented device, researchers have shown that jowl massage by mechanical stimulation of the face can trigger biochemical mechanisms that lead to skin remodeling in the aging face. To be reminded that time is indeed undefeated, one just needs to look in the mirror.
So what can we do to prevent jowls? Prescribe a topical Retinol cream to stimulate your collagen production to give support and structure back into your skin.
While a loss of elasticity can start happening in your late 20s depending on your genetics, Shafer says that it's especially common in late 30s to early 40s patients. “This is most often when patients start looking in the mirror and noticing that their skin is not as 'tight,'” he explains.
“There are many muscles that attach your jaw to different parts of your skull and neck, and facial massage can help to reduce the tone in those muscles to assist in getting it moving again,” O'Brian explains.
Dermal fillers are most commonly used in the lips, cheeks, temples, and forehead. Generally speaking, a facelift is recommended when patients are experiencing more advanced signs of aging, whereas dermal fillers might be more suitable in treating the early stages of facial aging.
For flattened cheeks, or if you've lost a lot of volume due to age, this area can require a considerable amount of filler. Many patients need 1cc to 3ccs per side to get the desired results.