Redefining the jawline

Non-surgical jawline treatments have been flagged as one of the emerging trends in 2020 for both men and women who are seeking enhanced definition to their lower face. As one of the more versatile treatments available, the results can be tailored to suit either gender. One of the most distinguishing features of a feminine face is the overall face shape, which is largely defined by the shape of the jaw - the ideal typically features a narrow, tapered, heart shaped jawline. While the ideal male facial shape is aspired to have a square chin with a wide, chiselled jaw.

Award winning Aesthetics Doctor, Dr Nina Bal of Facial Sculpting explains:

“Creating a more defined jawline is one of the most frequently requested treatments I've been asked about this year. Both men and women of varying ages request this improvement to enhance or refine their jawline definition. Millennials like it as it looks better in photographs, while those aged 40+ like it because it can tighten up the areas where sagging or jowling have started to occur.”

However, it should not be forgotten that results are highly dependent on the skill of the clinician and the choice of the product they are using. The potential downfalls are less well-known. Incorrectly placed, too much, or simply the wrong type of dermal filler can leave people with heavy, masculine jawlines, and sometimes create jowling where once there was none – causing the opposite effect of what many people, particularly women are trying to achieve.

So, what should we be looking for if we want to achieve definition to the jawline? And where might those who have had less-desirable outcomes have gone wrong? Dr Nina Bal continues:

“Most female patients are looking for subtle looking sharpness to the jaw area, to enhance and define their natural shape. In addition, many patients have approached me to rectify treatments with filler which have left them with a more masculine, wide, heavily weighted jawline than they desired. In most cases a heavy jawline is a direct result of inexperienced clinicians treating with too much of the wrong type of product.” Said Dr Bal.

The good news is that successful jaw definition treatments are very achievable, but as with many things, the desired outcome is most likely to meet expectations if careful research is carried out before embarking on treatment. Always make sure that you only go to a medically qualified professional who has trained in specific techniques to address the jawline, and is able to demonstrate they have experience in successfully treating this area, ask for photos, and look at their Instagram accounts - the best clinicians are keen to show how great their results are!

Dr Bal advises: “It’s also worth investigating the filler which is to be used in the treatment images they admire. In many cases I prefer to use Ellanse collagen stimulating dermal filler, which helps me achieve the right level of definition, while simultaneously improving skin quality, without adding bulk. This is not only due to precise application in the right places, but the fact that the definition is demarcated by the body’s own collagen.

Nina goes on “If HA filler is used, the properties of the product mean that water is attracted to filler - this is great for hydration; in fact, for every molecule of HA filler that is injected up to 1,000 molecules of water are attracted. It is also perfect for enhancing the lips, but for the jawline there is a real risk of adding weight, and bulk to the area, leaving a result that is wider and heavier than desired.”

Thankfully, a new class dermal filler has been initiated in Ellanse, which is a collagen or bio-stimulator, that brings about both instant and gradual results. Increased definition to the jawline occurs immediately post-injection. However micro-spheres in the gel stimulate the body to produce its own collagen, without adding unwanted weight to the area, as well as improving skin quality.

One of Dr Nina’s female patient’s, Julieta Bardanca, 35 from Oxford, who has been having jawline treatment with Ellanse for the past two half years, concurs:

“I’d been conscious of the lack of definition in my jawline and chin since my teens. I developed my own ways of masking my ‘weak chin’, choosing to wear high neck jumpers regularly and developing an over exaggerated pose for photographs; pushing my chin outward in an attempt to make my jawline more pronounced. Selecting images to post on social media would sometimes be a herculean task.”