Specialized Treatment for Jowls in Cincinnati
If you're noticing fullness or sagging along your jawline, jowls are a common concern with identifiable causes and effective treatments.
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What Are Jowls?
Jowls are defined as the loosening, stretching, and sagging of multiple layers of soft tissue over and below the jawline. They develop with age. The changes in appearance resulting from the development of jowls depend on the angle at which one is looking at the face:
- Side view – probably the most common angle where patients are bothered, jowls break the smooth transition from the chin to the back of the jawline, often making the jawline look shorter from a side view.
- Front view – jowls contribute to the overall shift in appearance of the face from more heart-shaped to more bottom-heavy and boxier.
What Causes Jowls
The primary cause of jowl formation is facial aging secondary to genetics, though other factors can contribute:
Anatomical Changes That Contribute to Jowl Formation
The anatomical changes associated with jowl formation are multi-factorial and relate to changes in multiple layers of soft tissue in the face:
Platysma Muscle
This long, thin muscle extends from approximately the bite line, down and around the jawline to the clavicle, and across to the side of the neck. Weakening soft tissue connections of this muscle to the jawline is the primary cause of jowls.
Fat Pads
There is debate as to how substantial and well-defined the fat pads in the lower part of the cheek along the jawline are. Moreover, there is confusion about the differences between buccal fat and jowl fat. What is clear, however, is that there are fewer fat pads that are less well-defined and with less volume than in the upper cheeks. It is likely that the size of the fat pads in jowls varies considerably depending on the individual. Furthermore, they may change in size, often enlarging with age. But regardless of their size, they fall with the platysma muscle over the jawline, exacerbating the appearance of jowls.
Skin
If the platysma muscle and fat pads are the culprits contributing to the appearance of jowls, skin is the bystander. Skin stretches and thins, though largely due to the deeper volume changes in the face. The skin does produce less collagen and elastin with age. The collagen produced is also less organized, more jumbled. These microscopic changes also contribute to stretched and thin skin.
Treatment Options for Sagging Jowls
Older, less advanced facelift techniques focused on lifting and tightening the skin without addressing the changes occurring in the deeper tissue (e.g., fat pads, platysma muscle). These approaches are more likely to lead to a stretched, pulled, windswept, and otherwise unnatural result. Dr. Harmon's treatment of jowls can involve:
- Lifting the skin, fat, and platysma muscle up and back in the face as one unit, closer to where it was in youth. This "composite" flap is what makes surgical improvement in the jawline appear more natural.
- Selective placement of the patient's own fat, which is focused less on increasing volume in the face and more on decreasing the depth of wrinkles around the jawline, and making facial expressions smoother.
- Resurfacing of the skin over the jawline to encourage a more organized, youthful deposition of collagen in the skin.
Dr. Harmon's sagging jowls treatments that can achieve the above changes include:
- Deep plane facelift and neck lift – smooths the contours of the jawline without looking pulled or stretched. This procedure can restore a more youthful length and contour to the jawline from the side view. Deep plane facelift surgery can also give the face a more tapered, heart-shaped appearance from the front view.
- Micro-fat grafting – distinguished from other fat grafting procedures by the fact that smaller-sized particles of fat are placed more superficially in the face. Micro-fat can be injected more superficially around the jowls to help with deep wrinkles and coarse muscle movements.
- CO2 laser (fractional, ablative) skin resurfacing – can improve fine lines, dark spots, large pores, and a rough texture to the skin that can appear and worsen with age.
Why Choose Dr. Harmon for Jowls Treatment in Cincinnati
Patients should choose Dr. Jeffrey Harmon to treat their jowls because he is double board-certified and fellowship-trained, specializing in and focusing exclusively on the surgical and non-surgical care of the face and neck. Dr. Harmon has the training, skills, and experience necessary to deliver natural-appearing results. In fact, he is one of the few people in the world – and the only surgeon in the Cincinnati, Ohio area – fellowship trained in the extended deep plane facelift procedure by the surgeon who developed it.
The extended deep plane facelift is widely considered a gold-standard approach to facelift surgery by facial plastic surgeons. It is an improvement on the deep plane facelift surgical technique, as it was originally published in the 1990s. His premier training and experience include complementary procedures such as micro-fat grafting and CO2 laser skin resurfacing.
QUAD A ACCREDITED SURGERY SUITE
Harmon Facial Plastic Surgery is proud to have a Quad A-accredited operating room and facility in our office. Our single-physician, single-specialty facility meets or exceeds the strict guidelines and high standards set forth by Quad A, demonstrating our strong commitment to patient safety and excellence in surgical care. We utilize the services of board-certified anesthesiology physicians only, as well as our own personal clinical support staff, to ensure the most comfortable, safest experience for our clients.
Have More Questions?
Are you struggling with jowls in Cincinnati? Dr. Harmon is ready to help you find the most appropriate solution.
Written by Dr. Harmon
Discover the expertise and compassionate care of Dr. Jeff Harmon, a fellowship-trained facial plastic surgeon deeply rooted in the Cincinnati community. A former collegiate athlete and Cornell University graduate, Dr. Harmon brings discipline, precision, and a global perspective to his surgical practice—refined through elite fellowship training in New York City.
Located in Hyde Park, Harmon Facial Plastic Surgery proudly serves patients throughout the Cincinnati area offering personalized facial aesthetics with world-class skill and a hometown heart.