People who frequently take selfies know the struggle to capture the best photo, using the best lighting and at the best angle. That overly rehearsed pose of curling out the chin and pouting the lips, all in an effort to capture that ‘perfect’ photo. It’s a modern-day problem that stems from a social media obsessed world. “Oh, that damn selfie spoiling double chin.” One that’s un-hide-able, un-mask-able, and un-snap-chat-able. Double chins, or excess fat and skin under the chin, can be a cosmetic concern for some people because they may feel self-conscious about their appearance or feel that a double chin makes them look older or heavier. Some people may also feel that a selfie spoiling double chin is out of proportion with the rest of their facial features and want to improve the balance of their facial appearance.
As we age we start to notice these problems a little more. In our late 20’s our skin begins to thin, by our mid-thirties we start losing bone structure. Followed by fat lipoatrophy around the forty mark and our muscles will relax a tad too much in the jaw and neck area at the age of 45. Collectively, these changes to our facial structure makes for a natural drop or ‘sag’ in the jawline. Just like a loose jumper on a clothes hanger for those who like to tell it as it is. On top of that, our jaw is one of the three ‘aging’ areas we have that gravity works against all the time. The second is our belly and third is our boobs, if you must know.
It’s important to note that selfie spoiling double chin are a normal and common occurrence and are not necessarily a sign of being unhealthy or overweight. Many factors, such as genetics, aging, and overall body weight, can contribute to the appearance of a selfie spoiling double chin.
Until recently, the only procedure that could do a damn thing for jowls was a face-lift. Pulling it back up against gravity, where it once belonged. But now, modern understanding of facial kinetics have lead us to utilise minimally invasive ways to rid of that selfie spoiling jowly chin. Using volumizing dermal fillers to strengthen supportive tissue in the mid and upper face. These areas are called vectors of lift. The results, could put a hold on that scalpel for another day, a few years later!
So what are Dermal Fillers you ask?
You probably think of dermal filler as something solely used for wrinkles. You may even have a few ml’s in your wrinkles right now (shhhh). But in the jaw, we use dermal filler very differently. The fillers are not injected into the skin, but rather in the underlying supportive tissue.
Remember how I mentioned earlier that your jaw and cheek bones shrink, losing support, contributing to sagging? Here at Castleknock Cosmetic Clinic, I use firm fillers, like Restylane Sub-Q, Ellansé and Juvéderm Voluma to add structure back to the jaw. Think of it like using poles to stretch a camping tent taut.
First, I would inject the parts of the jaw that are under the chin and ears, where the mandible bone has shrunk. If I feel that it’s not enough support to lift the entire jaw, I would then inject all the way along the jawline and cheekbone areas. These are all studied and verified lifting points for the Softlift procedure, or also professionally known as the 8-point-lift. However, this approach may not be for everyone. If you have a lot of laxity, fillers alone may not lift your jaw and I may have to combine it with a suture, thread or Minilift as well. Although, for the correctly suitable patient, (an individual with mild to moderate jowling, between the age of 35 and 55), it could be a fantastic treatment.
The Softlift is very effective at lifting and smoothing the jaw in a natural way, giving you a more youthful look for up to two years at a time. Coupled with other non-invasive procedures like Chemical Peels or CO2-Resurfacing, and a bit of muscle relaxing injections, you’re sure to get that longed for ‘perfect’ selfie.
What do you think? Did you find this article blog helpful? I’d love to hear your comments comments@castleknockcosmetics.ie or tweet me @dr_h_kahlout. If you found this article helpful I’d appreciate a positive review on our Facebook page
