What are Jowls: Causes, Symptoms, andPrevention

Have you ever looked in the mirror and noticed sagging skin around your jawline that wasn’t there before? You’re not alone. These drooping sections of skin—commonly known as jowls—are a natural part of the ageing process, but they often show up before we expect them to. 

While some wear them as a badge of wisdom and experience, others find themselves searching for answers (and solutions) to reclaim a more defined, youthful look.

But what exactly are jowls, why do they form, and—most importantly—can anything be done to prevent or reduce them? In this blog, we’ll explore the root causes of jowls, how to spot them early, and practical steps you can take to keep your jawline looking sharp and sculpted. 

Whether you’re already noticing changes or just want to stay ahead of the game, this guide will help you understand jowls from the inside out.

What Are Jowls?

Jowls are the loose or sagging skin that appears around the lower part of your cheeks and jawline. As you get older, your skin starts to lose its firmness, and gravity pulls it down—this causes jowls on the face.

Many people ask how to get rid of jowls, because they make the face look older and tired. While it’s a natural part of ageing, other things like sun damage, weight loss, smoking, or not taking care of your skin can make sagging jowls appear earlier.

Causes of Sagging Jowls 

Sagging jowls mean the excess skin or fat around your jaws, chin, and neck—sagging down and making you look older. The primary cause of sagging jowls is your advancing age. As your skin loses vital components at the cellular level, it loses its structure and becomes less firm, leading to sagging.

However, along with ageing, some other factors may contribute to the development of sagging jowls. They include:

• Weakening of Jaw and Neck Muscles

If the muscles around your jawline and neck become weak over time (due to lack of use or ageing), the skin starts to sag more easily, forming jowls on the face.

• Persistent Dehydration

Not drinking enough water makes your skin dry, dull, and less elastic. This speeds up sagging and worsens the appearance of jowls.

• Smoking or Excessive Alcohol

Both smoking and heavy alcohol use damage your skin and blood flow. This reduces collagen and makes your skin thinner, leading to sagging jowls.

• Inadequate Diet

A poor diet that lacks protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and antioxidants can slow down skin repair and make your skin weaker, causing jowls to form earlier.

• Poor Skincare

Neglecting your skin, especially skipping sunscreen and not moisturising, can speed up sun damage and collagen loss, which contributes to jowls.

• Sudden or Significant Weight Loss

Losing a lot of weight quickly can leave behind loose skin that sags around your chin and jaw, creating more visible jowls.

• Sedentary Lifestyle

Lack of physical activity reduces circulation and slows down your body’s natural skin renewal, which can lead to earlier signs of sagging jowls.

• Chronic Stress

Stress increases hormones like cortisol, which can break down skin collagen and cause premature ageing, making jowls treatment necessary sooner.

All these factors speed up your ageing process and let your jowls sag over time. 

Symptoms of Jowls

Jowls are the sagging skin around your jawline and chin. Here are the common signs to look out for:

1. Sagging jowls: Loose skin hanging below your jawline is the most obvious symptom.
2. Less jawline definition: Your lower face may look softer or puffier.
3. Thin or weak skin: The skin around the jaw may feel less firm.
4. Fat under the chin: Puffiness or a “double chin” can be part of the jowls on the face.
   

If you notice these, try at-home treatment for sagging jowls, like massage, facial exercises, or creams. 

Jowls vs. Double Chin: What’s the Difference?

Jowls are sagging skin along the jawline and lower cheeks, caused by ageing and skin firmness. They give your face a droopy look. People often search for how to get rid of jowls or the best treatment for sagging jowls to tighten this area.

A double chin is extra fat under the chin, making the neck and chin look fuller. It’s usually caused by weight gain, genetics, or posture.

Key difference:

• Jowls = loose skin on the jawline
• Double chin = fat under the chin

Both can happen together, but treatments differ. For jowls, try at-home treatment for sagging jowls or non-surgical options like RF tightening. Fat-reduction methods work best for a double chin.

How To Get Rid Of Jowls.

Do facelift surgeries come to your mind whenever you wonder how to get rid of jowls? While surgeries are popular, remember they are not the only options. With everyday advances in lifestyle studies and the cosmetic industry, several non-surgical and minimally invasive treatments are in the limelight to help you achieve a snatched jawline.

Effective solutions include:

1. Lifestyle changes
2. Face exercise & yoga
3. Face massage
4. Topical treatments
5. Professional jowls treatments

Let’s look into the details of these practical solutions on how to get rid of jowls.  

1. Lifestyle Changes

Your lifestyle habits greatly influence your appearance, especially your skin health and the speed at which your body ages. Here are some lifestyle changes that, if you adopt them, may help firm your skin and further sagging your jowls.

• Drink plenty of water throughout the day and stay well hydrated.
• Protect your skin from excess sun exposure, as it breaks down connective tissue.
• Eat foods rich in antioxidants, healthy fats and proteins.
• Avoid smoking—it reduces blood flow to your skin, speeding up ageing.

2. Face Exercise & Yoga

Targeted facial exercises and yoga are natural ways to tone the muscles around your jawline and reduce the sagging. Here are some specific exercises and yoga poses to target jowls:

► Chin Lifts

• Sit or stand with your spine straight.
• Tilt your head back, looking up toward the ceiling.
• Pucker your lips —try to kiss the ceiling.
• Hold this position for 5-10 seconds, then relax.

► Cheek Lifts

• Keep your lips closed.
• Try to smile as wide as you can.
• Place your fingers on the corners of your mouth.
• Gently lift your cheeks toward your eyes.
• Hold for 10 seconds, then relax.

► Lion’s Pose

• Kneel on the floor and sit back on your heels.
• Place your hands on your knees, spreading your fingers wide.
• Breathe in deeply through your nose.
• Breathe out with your mouth wide open, stick your tongue out as far as possible, and stretch it downward.
• Make a “ha” sound as you exhale.
• Repeat a few times.

3. Face Massage to Get Rid of Jowls on Face

Massaging your skin increases the blood flow, providing all the nutrients to the area of concern, and it helps reduce swelling. It gives your skin a temporary lift and a more youthful look. However, no evidence exists that massage promotes the production of essential proteins like collagen and elastin. Still, many people report that they have seen significant improvements in skin texture and firmness.

• Massage your face:
• Using your fingertips
• In upward strokes
• Lightly pinch along your jawline
• Apply gentle pressure on points like temples, between eyebrows, and the side of the nose.

4. Topical Treatments

You may step towards topical treatments if there is mild to moderate sagging. Topical treatments include:

• Retinol-based Creams

Retinol is an anti-ageing ingredient. It may help gradually but cannot completely remove sagging jowls. These creams improve skin quality by boosting collagen build-up.

• Vitamin C serums & Creams

Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant. Though it does not directly target the jowls, it protects the skin from environmental and sun damage, contributing to sagging. 

• Peptides: 

Help build collagen and improve skin strength.

• Hyaluronic Acid

Keeps skin hydrated and plump, which can make jowls on the face look less visible.

• SPF (Sunscreen):

Daily sun protection prevents skin from ageing faster, which helps stop sagging jowls from worsening.

These products are great for at-home treatment for sagging jowls, especially in the early stages.

5. Professional Jowls Treatments

If you are seeking quick and effective fixes to reduce the appearance of your sagging jowls, these professional jowl treatments are for you:

• Dermal Fillers

Dermal fillers are advanced injectable treatments that add volume to loose or saggy skin areas. By plumping up the skin around the jowls, fillers can create a more lifted and youthful appearance. Your doctor may use common fillers, such as hyaluronic acid-based products like Juvederm and Restylane.

• Forma Non-Invasive Skin Tightening

Forma is an innovative non-surgical skin tightening procedure that uses radio-frequency energy to address sagging jowls. A specialised device emits RF energy on the skin’s surface, contracting and tightening the collagen fibres and promoting the production of new ones.

• FaceTite

FaceTite may be the best solution to tighten your jowls. It harnesses the power of radio frequency and liposuction. The doctor makes a tiny incision behind your ear and uses a two-pronged device under your skin. The drive delivers RF energy to tighten your skin, and liposuction sucks out the fat pockets—defining and tightening the skin of your face, jaws and neck.

• MyEllevate Neck Tightening

MyEllevate neck tightening is a minimally invasive treatment that lifts and supports the underlying structure of your neck and jawline. This advanced technique uses a unique suture suspension system to provide natural-looking results without requiring major surgery. The procedure is ideal if you seek neck and jawline definition with minimal downtime.

• Ultherapy

Ultherapy uses ultrasound energy to penetrate deep layers of the skin, promoting collagen production and tightening the tissue. Results improve over several months.

• Thread Lift

In a thread lift, temporary threads are inserted under the skin to lift and reposition sagging areas. This stimulates collagen and offers an instant lifting effect.

• Morpheus8 (Microneedling + RF)

This combines microneedling with RF energy to stimulate collagen and tighten loose skin. It works deeper than regular microneedling and can reshape the lower face.

• Surgical Facelift

For severe cases of sagging and loose skin, a surgical facelift provides dramatic, long-term results by removing excess skin and tightening muscles.

• Sculptra (Collagen-Stimulating Injectable)

Sculptra is an advanced injectable that works differently from regular fillers. Instead of just filling in volume, it stimulates your skin to produce its own collagen, gradually lifting and firming the skin, perfect for jowls on the face.

It’s ideal for those looking for how to get rid of jowls naturally over time, with long-lasting results that build gradually (usually over 2–3 sessions).

If you are considering solutions to achieve a snatched jawline and complement your natural beauty, talk to a qualified professional to choose a suitable jowl treatment. 

When to Consider Professional Consultation for Jowls

You should think about seeing a professional if:

• At-home remedies aren’t working
• Your sagging jowls are getting worse or more visible.
  
• You want faster, long-lasting results.s
  
• You’re unsure which jawline treatment is right for you.
  

A consultation with a skincare expert or cosmetic doctor can help you create a plan for how to get rid of jowls without surgery or with minimal downtime.

Summary

While sagging jowls are a common sign of ageing, there are numerous solutions to your question, “How to get rid of jowls?” Incorporating lifestyle changes, targeted facial exercises, massages, yoga, and retinol or Vitamin C creams may slow the progression of sagging jowls.

Professional treatments like Facetite, Forma, MyEllevate, and Dermal Fillers in Leeds offer effective options if you seek more immediate or pronounced results. With the right approach, you can take control of your appearance and enjoy a more youthful, sculpted jawline. Take a step and age the way you want!

FAQs

1. What are at-home treatments for sagging jowls?

You may get rid of jowls at home by staying physically active, massaging your face daily and using topical treatments like retinoids and Vitamin C serums or creams.

2. How do you prevent jowls?

To prevent jowls:

• Quit smoking
• Limit alcohol consumption
• Protect your skin from sun damage
• Stay physically active
• Maintain a proper skincare routine.

3. How to get rid of jowls without surgery?

To get rid of jowls without surgery, consult a qualified professional for non-surgical or minimally invasive treatments like Forma, MyEllevate neck tightening, FaceTite or dermal fillers.

4. What are the causes of jowls on face?

Ageing is the primary cause of sagging jowls. However, smoking, prolonged stress, sedentary habits, sun damage, and rapid or sudden weight loss may contribute to their development.

5. What skincare ingredients help reduce jowls?

Ingredients like retinol, vitamin C, peptides, and hyaluronic acid can help firm skin and reduce the look of sagging jowls.

6. Can sunscreen prevent jowls?

Yes, daily SPF protects your skin from sun damage, which helps slow down skin sagging and jowls on face.

7. When should I see a doctor for jowls?

If at-home treatments for sagging jowls aren’t helping or you want faster results, consult a skincare professional.

8. Is retinol good for jowls?

Yes, retinol helps build collagen and firm the skin—great for getting rid of jowls naturally.

9. What’s the best professional treatment for jowls?

Depending on your needs, options like Sculptra, FaceTite, and dermal fillers are some of the best treatments for sagging jowls.