Jowls is a term that many people use when describing sagging skin that appears below the jawline or chin. Jowls are common, and almost everyone gets them with age because the skin loses elasticity and becomes thin as we grow older.
However, some people have more visible and prominent jowls than others, mainly because of genetics, lifestyle, or both. Jowls are less visible in people who have more fat, thicker skin, or more collagen in the skin around the jawline and chin.
Other people could go without developing jowls due to their environmental factors, gees, and lifestyle behaviors.
What Causes Jowls?
There are different reasons why people develop jowls, but some of the most common causes of jowls in women above 35 years include;
Elastin and collagen loss
Elastin and collagen are responsible for keeping the skin tight and looking young. Collagen is a protein that makes connective tissues throughout the body. It is found in the muscles, tendons, bones, and skin.
It also helps replace and restore all the dead cells in the dermis, which ensures that the skin remains young and firm.
Elastin is a connective tissue protein that allows the skin to go back to its normal shape even after stretching it.
As you get older, collagen and elastin levels in the skin decrease. That reduces the elasticity, tightness, and firmness of the skin. It also slows down the renewal of skin cells causing them to become loose and sag.
Genetics
Genetics determine whether you will develop jowls and how prominent they will become if you get them. If one of your parents or other close relatives has jowls, you have a high chance of developing them later in life.
Genetics also determine how your body produces collagen and how good the collagen your skin produces is. They also determine how thick your skin is, which means you could have thinner skin, which increases the chances of getting jowls and makes them more noticeable.
With low levels of collagen and elastin plus thin skin, you might start noticing jowls earlier in life, and sometimes it could happen as early as in your teen years or early twenties.
Lifestyle and environmental factors
How you live your life and where you live could determine whether you get jowls, when you get them, and how prominent they will be. Some of the main factors include;
• Smoking- Nicotine from cigarette smoke and other chemicals could damage your elastin and collagen and reduce the levels of collagen and elastin you produce. The nicotine also makes the blood vessels under your skin narrow. That reduces blood circulation around the skin, limiting oxygen and nutrient supply.
• Sun exposure- Exposure to the sun for a short time could make the skin look rejuvenated. However, long-term exposure to UV rays damages the collagen and elastin in the skin, causing it to wrinkle and sag.
• Weight loss- After losing a lot of weight, the skin around your chin and jawline will sag. That is because when you had a lot of weight, your skin had stretched to cover the increased body mass. However, after losing weight, the stretched skin has no body mass to cover, making it sag.
• Facial expressions- Making some facial expressions that overuse the mouth, jaw, and cheek muscles like frowning frequently could stretch out the skin around your face and neck, which eventually starts sagging.
• High sugar consumption- Diets rich in sugars make the glycation process faster, during which the body produces advanced glycation end products. These molecules damage and suppress proteins in the body, including collagen.
• Using computers or phones for long- Looking down on your phone or computer for long periods could cause the skin around the neck to lose elasticity with time.
While jowls could happen in anyone, some risk factors increase your chances of getting them, including;
• Lack of exercise.
• Excessive alcohol consumption.
• Poor diets, especially one that has unhealthy fats, low antioxidants, and insufficient vitamins and minerals.
• Poor skin hygiene or cleaning and exfoliating it too aggressively.
• Chronic illnesses.
• Chronic dehydration.
• Physical injury and trauma to the jaw and facial skin and muscles.
• Skin allergies either from facial products or environmental factors.
How To Prevent Jowls
While it is impossible to fully prevent jowls as you age, you can keep your skin looking young and tighter for longer by using skincare, a proper diet, and a better lifestyle.
For skincare, you should always ensure that you moisturize your skin and add vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E to your skincare routine.
You should include essential vitamins like vitamin A and vitamin C plus proteins and omega-3 fatty acids for your diet. You should also avoid smoking, consuming too much alcohol, and protecting your skin from the sun.
You can also do facial exercises like pressing your tongue against the roof of your mouth and humming or inflating your cheeks with air, and holding for a few seconds.
How To Deal With Jowls
Whether you have severe jowls or are just starting to notice them, there are several ways that you can reduce or get rid of them, including;
Surgical options
These methods are best for people who have had jowls for some time, of people who have very prominent jowls. The options are;
• Neck lift- Here, the surgeon makes an incision under your chin and along the side of your face. They then scalp and reposition tissues and fats in your jaw and cheeks. They also remove any excess skin, then tighten the remaining skin and muscles.
In some cases, you could get a full facelift to ensure that the upper part of your face matches the lower part.
Non-surgical methods
• Fillers- These are compounds that the doctor injects into your skin to fill up the places where your skin has lost volume. While they give a natural look, they do not last forever, and you need to keep making appointments.
• Ultherapy- This treatment involves using ultrasound therapy to stimulate long-term collagen production in the skin’s deeper layers. Results happen gradually after the procedure
.• Radiotherapy- This treatment is where the doctor stimulates the collagen and elastin bundle fibers found around two mm below your skin surface. That makes the collagen and elastin bundles to recoil, which makes the skin tighter.
