One unfortunate effect of aging is the sudden appearance of jowls, loose flaps of skin and fat that sometimes sag below the jaw. Weight gain, weight loss, and genetics can make jowls worse, but most often, it’s the loss of skin tone and the effects of gravity that are to blame. Dr. Yagoda offers correction of jowls.
As we age, we lose collagen and with it, skin elasticity. When skin elasticity is lost, we get sagging. Another contributor to the problem is the descent of the fat pad in the upper part of the cheek. With aging, the fat’s attachment to the underlying cheekbone loosens and weakens. As a result, the fat pad drops, which causes the fullness in the lower part of the face. In addition, we naturally lose fat from our faces with age. The fat serves a valuable purpose: its volume supports the skin and stretches it taut. Without it, the skin sags like a deflated balloon.
Luckily, there are both non-surgical and surgical methods for correcting jowls.
Surgical Correction
Although injectable fillers can improve the appearance of jowls, only surgery can actually remove them. For patients who want to permanently excise excess fat and skin, the procedures of choice are facial liposuction and facelift. Sometimes, a combination of both may be necessary to achieve optimum results.
- Liposuction removes excess fat from the jawline and under the chin. It can be particularly useful for patients whose jowls are caused or worsened by weight gain.
- Facelift, whether full or partial, addresses skin laxity and sagging. It removes loose and hanging skin. A facelift can also treat the nasolabial folds running from the nostrils to the corners of the mouth, crepey, wrinkled skin, and the ropey, sagging skin of the neck (the so-called “turkey gobbler neck”). A facelift can counteract the effects of aging, sun damage, or smoking on the jawline, the neck, and the cheek area.
To determine whether you’d benefit from non-surgical or surgical jowl correction, call our NYC/Manhattan office to schedule your comprehensive consultation with Dr. Yagoda.
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