Ever watched one of those beauty pageants’ shows and thought “ Wow! That model looks so beautiful! She has the perfect jawline ?” Well, that’s because they’ve been doing “ something ” that you probably aren’t doing, at least not yet.
Perhaps if you’re wondering what that “ something ” could be, then we’re pleased to inform you that you have come to the right place.
In this article, we would take you through what you need to know about a saggy jawline. We will open you up to a ‘not-so-common’ terminology called jowls, what they mean, the causes of jowls, and the treatment methods available to get rid of them.
Hop in and let’s ride together!
You’ve probably been thinking about what the term for a saggy jawline is called and we’d tell you exactly what it means in just one word – Jowls.
So,
What are jowls ?
Jowls is the word used to describe the lower part of the cheeks that looks fleshy or droopy . Okay, let’s simplify that. In simpler terms, jowls are that extra flesh that develops around your jaw, cheeks , or chin as you age.
For some people, they have little to no under-cheek flesh due to their slender nature, on the other hand, some people have pronounced jowls. And just as there are different sides to a die, so it is the factors affecting jowls.
There are several factors responsible for the development of jowls. For instance, jowls may be less noticeable if you have thicker skin and excess collagen or body fat . On the flip side, factors such as genetics , lifestyle , and environment may influence the development of jowls. However, if you do have a jowly face, you do not have to beat yourself up for it as there are different sides to its formation and you would learn how to reduce their visual impact later in this article. but first, let’s examine what causes jowls.
Causes of jowls
As mentioned earlier, several factors are responsible for the development of jowls. They range from Genetics, collagen loss, environment, and lifestyle . Let’s see how these play out in the next few lines.
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Genetics
A simple lesson from our biology class in high school, we learn that genetics (genes) play a great role in our development. From our hair colors to the colors of our eyes and skin, we see genetics in action. Well, that’s because they are the blueprint of life. This means that your genes are a determinant if you would or would not have jowls and also how prominent they would be with time. Simply put, if your parents have jowls, there is every likelihood that you would have them too as they could pass them to you.
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Collagen and elastin loss
Collagen is the protein responsible for supporting the structure of your skin. That is, they provide rigidity and strength to your skin. It helps to prevent skin sagging , slow down wrinkles formation , and decrease the roughness of the skin . Elastin, on the other hand, is a type of protein in the skin responsible for skin elasticity and flexibility.
Unfortunately, a decline in collagen and elastin quality is observed with advancement in age. This means that the skin around your cheeks, chin, and jawline loses its collagen and elastin as you age. When this happens, you would begin to observe that your skin sags and drops a bit further down on both sides of your mouth and chin.
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Environment
The environment can also be a determining factor if you would develop jowls or not. For instance, if you live in an environment predominantly filled with stressful activities that could make you shed some flesh, then, there is a chance that you may develop jowls as the skin around your jaw would become saggy as a result of the weight loss.
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Lifestyle
The type of lifestyle you indulge in can be a reason for your jowl development. To a large extent, free radicals in cigarettes and sun rays are a culprit for the loss of collagen. For instance, if you spend a lot of time in the sun, chances are you may develop jowls. This is because the sun emits harmful ultraviolet rays ( UVA and UVB ) which are not skin-friendly and could disintegrate the collagen and elastin of your skin.
Also, smoking could damage the natural collagen and elastin in your body, reducing drastically the amount and quality of collagen the body produces. The result of these scenarios is saggy skin…yikes!
Also, “ tech neck ” as they are fondly called could be a thing. That is, your head posture while using your gadgets could contribute to the development of jowls. Constantly looking down to operate your devices (perhaps, as you are doing now) over an extended period could reduce the elastin around your neck and cause you to have saggy skin in that area.
Above all these factors, one major factor that could cause jowls but is mostly overlooked is your facial expression . Some facial expressions such as frowning excessively could ruin your skin at the chin or jawline, so, it would not be a bad idea if you just smile .
Now that you know the causes of jowls, it’s time we moved to that section, you’ve been anticipating – how to get rid of jowls . Just as there are causative means to jowls, there are also preventive measures to counter these effects. Sequel, we highlight 5 possible means with our main focus on one of those options, face yoga for jowls, which is the focus of this article.
How to get rid of jowls
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Stay hydrated
The old saying “ water is life ” stands true here. We all know how important it is to be properly hydrated. This is because water helps rejuvenate the skin cells by supplying moisture to your skin. You sure do not want to leave your skin feeling dry and scaly so, drink some water and help your skin.
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Sto p smoking
As mentioned earlier, smoking is one of the easiest ways to damage your skin. The nicotine and other dangerous chemicals that make up the cigarette destroy the collagen in your skin thus causing wrinkled and saggy skin. Advisably, stop smoking. If you are addicted, quitting may seem hard but trust in baby steps and it would surely become a thing of the past.
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Reduce sun exposure
Limit your exposure to sun rays as they could damage your skin. While it is impossible to avoid the sun completely if you must go out in the sun, by all means, apply some sunscreen with a higher Sun Protection Factor (SPF) number.
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Maintain a healthy head posture
In such a global world as we have now, it is somewhat inevitable to avoid using any gadgets. So, the best you could do to help yourself is to maintain a healthy posture . Either while standing or sitting, be sure to place the gadget at an equal level to your eyes. Doing this would help reduce the strain on your neck.
If you can, invest in an ergonomic chair, it would go a long way to help relieve neck strain as well as back pain.
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Exercise – Engage in facial exercises such as face yoga
Exercising regularly will not only improve your physique but also your overall health. However, there’s a part that’s always left out to which those beauty pageants pay keen attention to maintain those cute and firm jawlines. Oh, yeah, you guessed right! facial exercise .
Facial exercises for jowls are exercises you can engage in to help tighten the skin around your face. An example of this type of exercise is the face yoga . Let’s look into that in the next few lines. But before then, one major benefit the face yoga for jowls offers is that it can help strengthen the muscles in your face as they would help give your face a lift and in turn tighten sagged jowls .
5 Yoga moves to tone your jowls
Here are 5 face yoga exercises you could engage in to help tone your jowls;
1. Palm warm-up
A simple and great way to start your facial yoga exercise is with the palm warm-up . This is because it requires little to no effort to perform. Also, you can perform this exercise from your place of comfort as it requires no movement at all. Follow the steps below to perform this exercise;
Step 1 : Warm up your palms by rubbing both palms together for about 30 seconds
Step 2 : Gently place your warm palms on the lower part of your face in a position that almost cups both sides of your lower cheeks and chin
Step 3 : Hold for about 5-7 seconds
Step 4 : Rub your palms again
step 5 : this time, place on your neck and hold for about 5-7 seconds
Step 6 : Rub your palms for a third time
Step 7 : Cross your hands over the other as in a Crisscross position and place them over your chest and hold for about 5-6 seconds.
2. Jaw alignment face yoga
This yoga exercise is focused on tightening the muscles in your lower jaw to help enhance your facial symmetry. The steps below will guide you through:
Step 1 : Sit up straight, relaxing your head and shoulders
Step 2 : Keep your mouth a little ajar and keep your jaw assuming a full underbite position
Step 3 : relapse your jaw into its rightful position
Step 4 : Repeat the exercise 6 times
Step 5 : Keep your jaw to the left side, then to the midpoint and the right side
Step 6 : Repeat the procedure 6 times while alternating between the left, right and middle positions
3. Chin taps
The chin taps exercise would also help keep your facial skin firm and give you a well-defined face. Follow the steps below to practice;
Step 1 : Keep your hands under your chin with the fingers of one hand resting over the other.
Step 2 : try to create pressure by keeping your hands pressed against your chin and vice versa
step 3 : tap your chin three times with your fingers
Step 4 : Repeat the procedure 5-6 times.
4. Air kisses
The Air Kisses exercise works on your facial muscles to tighten your jawline to give you that well-shaped face. To practice this exercise, follow the steps below;
Step 1 : Pout your lips as in displaying a pouting face
Step 2 : Move your heads in a backward position as if you’re looking upwards
Step 3 : Keep blowing kisses for about 20 seconds
Step 4 : repeat procedures three consecutive times.
Peradventure, you have jowls and don’t know what to do to halt its development, the next section gives a summary of the treatment of jowls and the various options available.
Treatment of jowls
There are several options available for the treatment of jowls which can be grouped into 2 categories;
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Surgical treatment option
In some cases, it would require the intervention of a trained surgeon to help in the treatment of jowls. The surgery may be in the form of laser resurfacing, Sculptra, skin peels, and micro-needling.
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Non-surgical treatment option
Not everyone loves to go under the knife, so in that case, there has to be an alternative to surgical treatment. Some non-surgical treatment available includes dermal fillers, thread lifts, anti-wrinkle injections, Ultherapy, radio-frequency needling, and collagen-stimulating supplement treatments. However, it is advisable to speak with a doctor to know which treatment option is most suitable for you.
On the whole, if you are still concerned about whether face yoga is a good exercise for you, then here’s a heads-up: A good bonus the facial yoga exercise offers is an increase in blood circulation to your face. This would not only aid in giving you a facelift but also help your skin appear cleaner , clearer , and healthier . Well, you can think of it as an anti-aging therapy for your face .
Perhaps, if you haven’t considered engaging in face yoga, you should try it out asap. They would help maintain your jawline and give your face that firm and well-structured appearance.