Ageing jawline getting you down?

“Gauge the age.” That’s one of the first things most people do upon meeting others for the first time. The human eye and mind work together to make evaluations at lightning speed, running ancient algorithms.

Now here’s the surprise. Turns out, the first signal is not the extent or depth of wrinkles. It’s the shape of the face. The contour. Specifically, the jawline.

If we were to film our faces in timelapse over a span of a few years, we would see the progression from a triangle (high cheek bones and defined jaw line) to a square with a heavy jaw line and double chin.

The jaw-dropping facts about ageing

So there’s more to looking young than managing a smooth, line-free face. The secret manages to get out. Gravity and repeated contractions bring on the visible neck chords and sagging jawlines. Fat loss and collagen reduction add to the problem. And the age-related weakening of ligaments in the area makes matters worse. Basically, the depressor muscles overwhelm the elevator muscles and pull the neck, jawline and mouth downwards.

Neck chords, or platysmal bands, which are long tubular muscles in the neck, look more prominent with repeated contraction. With the passage of time, they pull the tissues, ligaments and skin downward along the jawline.

There is also the depressor anguli oris muscle which controls the muscles around sides of the mouth. Coming into action when an expression of sadness or frustration is generated, it pulls the corners of the mouth downwards.

Further, with age, the platysmal bands shorten and increase the pull on the jawline, making it sag. Ligaments in the area also lose their tautness, adding to the drooping. The sagging jawline now looks bumpy, with horizontal lines and folds. It resembles a turkey neck.

Now, clearly these contours need some reshaping. The platysmal muscle bands need to be relaxed so that the elevator muscles can do their job and redefine the neck and jawline. The muscles of the neck and lower face need some lifting.

To turn back the clock, we go as far as the 14th Century BCE…

To Nefertiti, the Egyptian queen who was known for her classic bone structure – especially her exquisitely-defined jawline and slender neck. This legendary beauty, whose name meant ‘a beautiful woman has come’ has inspired a non-surgical facelift which can turn the clock turn far back.

Defy the timeline. Define your jawline.

Traditionally, facelifts involved surgical procedures. Today, you have a whole host of non-surgical and non-invasive methods for achieving similar results.

Polydiaxanone threads can be inserted, pulled upwards and anchored to lift the muscles to restore contour. Dermal fillers or fat lipolysis can be used to enhance the volume in the sagging or sunken area. Platelet-rich plasma therapy, lasers and mesotherapy could stimulate the production of the underlying structure made of elastin and collagen tissues. And botulinum toxin, or Botox^®, can be used to target and deactivate specific muscles.

Chin up, this is a positive development!

In a procedure aptly called the Nefertiti Lift, Botox^® is the tool of choice to sculpt a well-defined jawline and slender neck. Botox ® causes the depressor muscles that create the sagging to relax, and the elevator muscles to hence be more effective in lifting the features. Effectively, once the depressor muscles are relaxed the elevator muscles can lift the jawline, unopposed, to create a younger looking face.

Botox^®, injected along the jawline creates a sharper looking chin and jawline. It also lifts the corners of the mouth which droop down with age and repetitive contractions.

Botox^® injections along the side of the neck, along the platysma, creates a smooth, elegant and well- toned neck.

The magical effects take around 3-4 days to become apparent and repeating the treatment every three or four months is a safe way to maintain this youthful look consistently.

Turning the clock back takes no time. So start now.

The Nefertiti face lift is quite convenient since the process is quick – taking around 20 minutes, with no downtime.

Sculpt the contours of your lower face. Cut out the turkey neck. Smooth out the marionette lines and jowls. Chisel out a youthful jawline. Shape a long, slender neck. And look into the mirror and see for yourself that the beautiful one is back!

Written by:

Dr. Mansi Mukherjee