They’re one of the main areas on the face that give our age away – jowls.
We can tweak, Botox and fill the rest of our face to maintain an illusion of youth, but those pesky droopy areas of skin either side of the mouth always give the game away. So, what can we do to get rid of them?
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Do facial exercises
Olga Newman is founder of The Face Up Method and The Face Up Club. She says facial changes actually start in the body with our posture. ‘Jowls are not as sign of getting old but because our posture changes, tension builds up in the face and neck, and the tissues start to be pulled down.
‘The main influencers for jowls are the jaw muscles and the neck, especially the platysma muscle. This muscle is part of the front fascial chain, which means that tension in the chest, stomach and posture can pull the neck down and that affects the lower face. So, when we release the neck and jaw, the face naturally looks lighter.’
Olga recommends simple exercises for beginners such as the ‘Platysma release’. She says: ‘Place one hand under your collarbones. Close your mouth, gently bring your chin up 45 degrees towards the ceiling, and hold. You will feel a stretch in the front of your neck. This helps release tension in the platysma muscle, so it stops pulling.’
A second exercise is ‘jaw relaxation: ‘Open your mouth gently, take a deep breath in, and slowly breathe out (and give yourself a big smile as we can’t smile and hold tension at the same time) This already helps the jaw relax. Then use your knuckles and softly brush the jaw muscles down towards the jawline. These two simple movements can make a big difference when done regularly.’
Arabella von Nesselrode-Reichenstein is a face yoga expert at Children of Earth Skincare. She says: ‘Jowls are around large muscle groups of the face and can be easily toned with weights and face yoga.
‘Sit on the edge of a chair or a workout bench. Hold a dumbbell weight of your choice in your palms cupped towards your body. Join your fore arms together and lift slowly until above your head. Repeat 3 x 12 sets. Push your tongue out until you can almost touch the tip of your nose. Smile as far as you can. Repeat 2 sets of 10 or until fatigued. Tilt your head slowly back to look at the ceiling. “Kiss the sky” whilst head is back slowly, then relax and roll head back vertically. Repeat, 12 times.
Keep a gua sha in the fridge and sweep/massage with a small amount of pomegranate oil, moving fluids under the chin out towards the ear and down the neck. Repeat every morning on waking.’
Have a thread lift
‘Jowls are the sagging or drooping skin that develops along the jawline, typically below the cheeks. They can impact the shape of the jawline, causing it to become less defined and ‘snatched’,’ says Dr Jessica Western, Cosmetic Doctor at Dr Leah Clinics.
‘Fortunately, non-surgical treatments are an extremely effective way to address jowls, particularly a thread lift - a non-surgical alternative to a traditional facelift, designed to lift and rejuvenate sagging skin using fine, dissolvable threads. Often referred to as a 'facial threading lift' or 'thread face lift', this treatment provides a subtle but noticeable lifting effect without the downtime or invasiveness of surgery.
‘Thread lift treatments are perfect for clients who are beginning to notice the early signs of ageing such as mild to moderate skin laxity, sagging jowls, or reduced jawline definition. They enable you to refresh your appearance and restore youthful contours without going under the knife. A thread lift treatment uses fine, dissolvable threads made of biocompatible material. These threads are carefully inserted beneath the skin using a thin needle or cannula. Once in place, they act like a supportive scaffold, lifting the skin and repositioning it for a more youthful contour.
‘Over the following weeks, the threads gradually dissolve, but their presence stimulates your body’s natural collagen production. This means your results continue to improve as your skin becomes firmer and more resilient. '
A thread lift at Dr Leah Clinics costs from £2,600.
Try ice globes
To the untrained eye, they look like a cross between a lolly and glow stick, but ice globes can do wonders for the face along with facial massage.
‘As we age, collagen and elastin (the proteins that keep skin firm and springy) gradually decline,’ says Kristbjörg Jónasdóttir, Founder & CEO, AK Pure Skin.
‘At the same time, the fat pads in the face shift downward due to gravity, and the jawline can lose some of its structural support. Lifestyle factors also play a role so things like posture (especially looking down at phones), dehydration, sun exposure, and chronic facial tension can all contribute to laxity around the lower face.
‘When it comes to facial exercises, I believe in targeted, gentle movements rather than aggressive or exaggerated routines. The goal isn’t to strain the muscles. This is where ice globes can be a beautiful addition to a routine. At AK Pure Skin, our ice globes are designed to deliver controlled cold therapy that helps constrict blood vessels temporarily, reduce inflammation, and visibly tighten the skin.
‘The cooling effect also supports lymphatic drainage, which is wonderful for de-puffing the lower face and refining the jawline. Used with upward, sweeping motions, they create an instant refreshing lift while also training clients to massage in a direction that supports facial structure. Many people are surprised by how soothing they feel and it’s not a harsh cold; it’s calming and awakening at the same time.
‘I always say that the best results come from layering techniques, so good skincare to nourish the skin barrier, regular massage or tools like ice globes to stimulate circulation, mindful facial movement, and habits that support the body as a whole e.g. hydration, sleep, stress management, and posture.
‘There is no single miracle tool, but when you treat the face as part of an interconnected system, you can absolutely improve tone, clarity, and definition in a way that looks natural, healthy, and truly radiant.’
Exosomes
‘Exosomes are nano-sized cellular messengers that are released from cells and carry growth factors, cytokines, microRNA and signalling proteins to other cells to promote regeneration and repair within the cells,’ says Board-Certified Dermatologist and Cosmetologist Dr Aiza Jamil.
‘When used in aesthetics, they can be derived from stem cells and applied to the skin to stimulate collagen production. This in turn will help with skin rejuvenation and improve the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, and jowls.
‘Jowls tend to appear due to a loss of collagen, elastin and facial fat as we age. This can be boosted through using exosomes with microneedling and radiofrequency microneedling treatments, as well as with exosome-infused topical serums you can use at home.’
Profhilo
Advanced Aesthetics Doctor, Dr Shirin Lakhani says that she uses Profhilo to reduce the appearance of fine lines.
‘Profhilo is an injectable skin remodelling treatment containing one of the highest concentrations of Hyaluronic Acid (HA) on the market, especially formulated for people whose skin lacks volume and elasticity. When used on the jawline it can be very effective at strengthening and thickening skin, smoothing wrinkles and restoring proper skin tension to lift the jawline and upper part of the neck.
‘After just one Profhilo treatment a patient’s jawline will have more definition, and this is largely down to the skin hydration and lift. By giving your skin an intensive boost of hyaluronic acid, Profhilo results in improved skin quality lasting for up to six months.’
Try a ‘world first’
Sharon Hilditch, MBE and founder of Crystal Clear Skincare says that Skinstorm is a fantastic treatment to help with jowls through treatment layering.
The Skinstorm is a world first in treatment layering, using six unique element steps to deliver everything the skin needs to intensively rejuvenate, repair, super cleanse, resurface, smooth, renew and actively attack congestion while the patented dissolvable oxygen infusion containing drone technology is driven into the skin to offer a true inside out treatment.
For the neck and décolletage, this creates a radiant, youthful mattress effect to plump and firm, while the dissolvable oxygenating infusion and active ingredients travel to where they are needed to help kill bacteria.
Skinstorm with Dr Jenny Doyle at The Clinic at Holland Park costs £350.
Sharon says: ‘We’ve designed Skinstorm to be a true multitasker, tackling everything from congestion and dullness to dehydration and signs of ageing, all while giving skin that post-treatment glow without any downtime. It’s all about making high-tech facials a necessity, not just an occasional treat.’
Try Endolift
Dr Luke Simmonds at Nova Aesthetics uses Endolift technology for jowls and loose skin on the neck and jawline and says it’s the closest non-surgical alternative to a face lift and liposuction.
‘It is a minimally invasive and uses a laser fibre thinner than a strand of hair to tighten, lift, and add definition back to the skin. It can be used to both tighten the skin whilst simultaneously addressing excess fat whether that be on the chin or jowls to contour the jawline.
‘Inserted within the skin into the deep dermis, laser energy is applied through the wire, delivering heat into the skin which then responds by remodelling and boosting collagen production, without causing any damage to the outside skin.
‘We inject a local anaesthetic into the area of skin being treated, and most people report feeling nothing during the laser treatment itself, and it has much less downtime than the surgical alternative.
‘Of course, with any procedure like this, there is some minor swelling and flushing, but usually this is very tolerable and lasts around 48 hours; however this depends on the individual's skin type and condition and patients can resume their daily activity immediately.’
Results are seen around four weeks later and continue to improve for up to 12 months, he explains.
Radiofrequency skin tightening
ThermageFLX at Dr Rita Rakus Clinic costs, £2,500 and according to aesthetic doctor, Dr Galyna Selezneva, it works by: 'targeting the skin’s dermis layer where collagen fibres are found, Thermage FLX uses patented radiofrequency that delivers a uniform heating effect that penetrates deep into the collagen-rich layers of the skin. In turn, this gentle heating causes existing collagen tissue to tighten, stimulates the production of new collagen, and helps to define contours.’
This provides a tighter, lifted appearance to the face and neck, whilst delivering long-term results of plumper skin too.
‘Thermage can access the deepest layers of tissue and the subcutaneous fat below the skin itself. The radiofrequency delivers deep volumetric heating, which activates the production of new collagen to define contours and combat jowls. Thermage FLX works to achieve a heat level of 45 degrees, the specific temperature required to boost collagen production and change the structures within the tissue.
‘This is not a painful procedure, as the device vibrates and cools the skin at the same time, meaning there is little to no downtime. The results will continue to improve for up to six months afterward the first treatment.’
Laser AND a face lift
UltraClear Laser combined with a Face Lift, Bella Vou Clinic is another option.
Cosmetic surgeon Mr Amir Nakhdjevani says: ‘Deep plane facelift allows me to turn back the clock and restore the youthful structure of the face-lifting and repositioning the underlying shape for truly transformative results. But no amount of surgery can address fine lines, pigmentation and sun damage. That’s where UltraClear comes in. It rejuvenates the skin with the same precision and impact I apply beneath it. Together, they’re a game changer—delivering harmony between structure and skin that elevates patient outcomes to a whole new level.
‘UltraClear uses advanced cold fibre technology to deliver ultra-precise pulses of energy that renew skin at a cellular level. UltraClear can dramatically improve signs of ageing, texture and tone including jowls —delivering a skin transformation that mirrors the structural rejuvenation Amir achieves beneath. This full-face rejuvenation combines both these approaches to offer a comprehensive aesthetic solution, restoring both the form and finish of the face to its most youthful, radiant state.’
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