Jawline : My Journey

Welcome to Beaute Avec Diane Blog - Who am I ? French girl who's been living in Dubai since 2014. Having a big appetite for beauty, I founded Beaute.ae. Want to more, oui ? I love Oud perfumes (yet to find my #1), and sorry its cliche, eating baguette & brie. More seriously - Being a late thirties single lady I am experiencing the first sign of aging; and being bombarded daily with beautiful young ladies pictures makes me realized that my eternal youth potion has yet to be discovered. Until then, thankfully help exists to slowdown the effects. My blog narrates my beauty journey to a better-self. Please note : This post is a representation of my own view, and I am not in partnership with any skincare brand nor beauty clinic for its writing.

En route Madame .. To A Perfect Jawline

Few months ago, I had good looked at myself in the mirror. What I saw was not pretty. It was the same Diane that I knew but un petit peu (little) tired. The texture of my skin was rough; not sure if I had more freckles or pigmentation thanks Dubai's lovely burning sun. And wait .... to my horror, I realized what was the meaning of the gravity effect, as my jawline was starting to flirt dangerously with my knees. Non ! Non ! Non !

There are tones of advertisements on social media platforms for the quick and easy fix thanks to fillers injected into the jaw area - but that's not what I am after, as I want something that last not a quick fix. So, I went to meet few doctors from different Dubai's clinics. One meeting really hit the fan, as the first step would be to remove my double-chin.

Pardon Docteur ?! Moi, un double menton, vous rêvez ?! Actually, he was right - I do have couple of centimeters of skin hanging below my chin. So, how to remove the fat ?

Chin Fat Removal

There are 2 ways :

The holistic way is with facial exercises. Some research shows that facial exercises, and exercise in general, can help reduce the appearance and severity of jowls by making the facial, jaw, and neck muscles better able to hold their shape. So, if you have times in your hands or are broke, this (free) treatment seems to be working for many people. I stumbled on a YouTube video explanation how to make your chin disappear.
The clinical way where you go under a doctor's hands and do a series of treatments.

Chin Liposussion. Cost : Averaging AED . One treatment is enough. Great for heavy chin, but not for me at this stage.
Melting Injections. Cost : Averaging AED 2'000 per treatment. It usually needs 2 or 3 depending on each individual. It has some downtown for couple of days. Fat disappear for good.
Fat Freezing. Cost : Averaging AED 1'500 per treatment. Takes 45min where a handle is stuck on your chin freezing and exploding the fat. It doesn't come back.

Non Surgical Procedures

Thanks to the chin fat melting, a slightly better jawline should appear. Unfortunately, this is usually not enough and should be combined with non surgical procedures for skin sagging / tightening.

Most people start to experience skin laxity, or loosening, between late 30s and early 40s. I fall definitely in this bracket. Skin laxity that occurs with age is mostly due to aging where you encounter a loss of collagen and hyaluronic acid (a molecule that helps the skin retain moisture). The quickest way would be a facelift - but I am not in this stage of my life to go under the knife yet. The treatments that I am considering are :

Ultrasound. It works on the deepest layers of the skin. Most people notice subtle lifting and tightening within 2–6 months of their first treatment and report more significant results with additional treatments.

Pros: The effects of the treatment can last for up to 1 year. Most people notice a continual improvement in skin tightness and firmness several months after treatment.
Cons: Very expensive. Cost : Averaging AED 4'000 per treatment for lower face only.

Non surgical radiofrequency. A dermatologist will place a device against the skin to heat the tissue underneath. It uses intense, radiating heat to stimulate the bundles of collagen and elastin fibers about 2 millimeters (mm) below the skin’s surface. This causes the bundles to recoil and the skin to tighten. It also stimulates the production of collagen by tricking the body into thinking connective tissues have been damaged.

Pros: Many people see result after one treatment. Cheaper than ultrasound. Cost : Averaging AED 1'500 per treatment.
Cons: You need a couple of treatments a few times a year for maximum results.

Less invasive alternative therapies are becoming more commonly used to treat jowls, but most require more studies to determine whether they are effective : laser therapy, chemical peels, facial yoga, facial or lymphatic massage or acupuncture and acupressure

Prevention

No one method can entirely prevent jowls, but some lifestyle choices can help reduce the severity or risk of early development. Tips for preventing and reducing the severity of jowls include:

Staying hydrated, wearing sunscreen with UVA and UVB protection, using moisturizers, using creams and lotions high in antioxidants that promote the production of collagen, such as retinol (a type of vitamin A), vitamin C, and vitamin E, eating a healthful diet, exercising regularly, not smoking, sleeping on the back instead of the side or stomach and doing facial exercises that promote flexible muscles in the entire face.

Results

As I am writing this post, Dubai is in full swing facing the COVID19 pandemic. We are on lockdown, and the clinics are shut down. I will therefore do a trial with the facial exercises during my morning & evening skincare routine for the next 2 weeks.