Center for Cosmetic Surgery & Medspa Patient
Q: Are any fillers good at eliminating jowls? I’m not wild about invasive surgery in general but particularly so when it comes to my face or neck but I have jowls–and I hate them. I was just thinking that maybe something like Botox would fill them out so they wouldn’t be drooping down from the sides of my face. I have tried exercises that were meant to tighten the skin but they didn’t work out for me. If fillers haven’t been proven to successfully ‘manage’ jowls, what other products have? I’ve just become so self-conscious, I knew it was time to do something about it. I hope you can help.
A: I like this question because it answers so many mis-conceptions, unfulfilled expectations and desires regarding fillers and Botox.
- In general, fillers like Restylane and Juvederm have mass and weight. When they are injected they will add volume and “go-south” with gravity. Placing them in the area of the jowls will only make them sag more.
- Placing fillers in a multi-compartmentalized region like the cheek to fill may “lift” the nasolabial fold but rarely can have any “lifting” impact on the corners of the mouth, marionette folds or jowls.
- Botox, Dysport and Xeomin are muscle relaxers. They are used to rebalance the facial muscles of expression and will generally allow the attached skin to drop or sag when used in the mid and lower face. Only when properly used to relax the DAO (depressor anguli oris) muscle will the cheek muscles elevate the corner of the mouth and not the jowl.
There are minimally invasive options besides a surgical facelift to consider. These include:
- Silhouette InstaLift using Sculptra anchor sutures to lift and contract the tissues without incisions and performed under local anesthesia with or without sedation.
- ThermiTIGHT, a skin warming probe which produces skin tightening under local anesthesia with or without sedation.
Do not expect a surgical result from a minimally invasive procedure.
Please consult with a highly skilled and well experienced, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon to consider which is best for you!
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This information is not meant as medical advice. It is provided solely for education. Our practice would be pleased to discuss your unique circumstances and needs as they relate to these topics.
Give us a call at 410.602.3322 or email Lauri@DrDeanKane.com and make an appointment soon. We’re located on Reservoir Circle just a block off the Baltimore beltway, convenient to greater Baltimore, Annapolis, the Eastern Shore, Southern Pennsylvania, Delaware and Carroll County.
