Chin and Jawline
Double Chin Treatment, Jawline Definition, and Chin Enlargement in the San Diego Area
Dr. Melanie Palm is a nationally recognized dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon specializing in fat removal of the neck and double chin treatment. Her offices are located in Solana Beach, CA just north of San Diego. Dr. Palm lectures nationally on neck rejuvenation and was a clinical investigator and speaker for Kybella, an injectable for unwanted fat. She offers many effective treatment options for enhancing the chin, jawline, and neck.
Chin Fat and Creating a Defined Jawline & Neck
Excess fat collection in the chin and neck area are common. For some individuals, there is recognition that this trait runs in their family. Oftentimes, weight loss may improve the appearance of a double chin, but it does not eliminate it. For individuals with a genetic predisposition to excess fat in the neck area, extremely effective treatment options exist to improve the contours of the lower face and neck by removing fat. The rise of selfies and social media postings has increased the appreciation of attractive features of the chin, jawline, and neck.
The jawline, chin, and neck play an extremely important role in proportions of the face. When excess fat is present in the neck, jowls, or chin region, the natural contours of the jawline are lost. Patients with a double chin have a much less attractive profile, and excess fat in the lower face and neck can have an aging appearance on the face.
The neck and submental area (area underneath the chin) are an underappreciated area of rejuvenation. Treatment of this area is as important to the upper face in formulating an effective treatment plan. Chin enhancement may be combined with rejuvenation of the neck region to enhance the jawline and increase chin projection, important changes that markedly increase the perceived attractiveness of our profile.
Important anatomic landmarks that may be enhanced by treating the jawline, chin, and neck include the following:
- Defined and smooth jawline
- Decreased size or absent jowls
- Improved submental-cervical angle (angle from underneath chin to neck on profile)
- Improved chin projection (on profile)
- Visible but not prominent neck structures such as thyroid cartilage and the important strap muscle (sternocleidomastoid muscle)
Treatment Options for Double Chin, Jawline Definition, and Chin Enhancement
The choice of lower face rejuvenation treatment depends on the underlying cause, the anatomic location, and patient preference in terms of downtime or invasiveness of the procedure. The following treatments are commonly used alone or in combination for double chin treatment, chin enhancement, and jawline definition:
These treatments are used to enhance the neckline by removing excess chin fat, thus improving the jawline.
- Injectable fat dissolving: Kybella is deoxycholic acid, a bile acid that is normally produced by our body to break down fats. In dermatology, Kybella is used as an injection to dissolve unwanted fat and is FDA-approved to treat a double chin in the submental area of the neck. A series of treatments are performed over a period of months to eliminate the double chin fat and improve the angle of the jawline to neck.
- Minimally Invasive Fat Removal:
- Liposculpture: Liposculpture describes a finessed approach to body contouring using fine instruments during liposuction and utilizing local numbing called tumescent anesthesia. Patients are not put under general anesthesia and typically recovery quite quickly, resuming daily activities within a few days. Liposculpture can be used to treat unwanted fat in almost any area of the face & body with dramatic results. Fat collected from liposuction may be used during fat transfer to augment the face, hands, or buttocks.
- Accusculpt: Accusculpt is a laser lipolysis device. It is typically used in conjunction with liposculpture to enhance skin tightening in areas undergoing body contouring and fat removal. When combined with fat removal, the neck and jowls are common areas of treatment with Accusculpt to enhance skin tightening and lifting.
Individuals with a recessed chin, termed retrognathia, may benefit from nonsurgical techniques to enhance the chin.
- Filler augmentation: many injectable fillers used in facial augmentation can be placed in the chin behind the muscle to enhance projection. Chin creases may be softened with proper filler support. More robust fillers are often employed for chin enhancement and include Voluma, Juvederm Ultra Plus, Restylane Lyft, or Radiesse.
- Orange peel chin: A peau d’orange or orange peel appearance may appear on the chin when its muscle called the mentalis is overactive. A small amount of Botox or Dysport can relax this muscle and can be combined with injectable fillers to support the chin.
- Defined Jawline: A multitude of injectable fillers from Sculptra to Radiesse or Juvederm Ultra Plus may be used to recreate a smooth, defined jawline. Treating the angle of the jawline helps to lift the jowls in many patients. Liposculpture may be performed first to remove excess chin fat and filler placement follows for a synergistic effect.
- Softening a Squared Jawline: The masseter muscle helps us chew and bite down our jaw, but overactivity leads to teeth grinding, TMJ, and an overly prominent jawline. This square-like jawline is masculinizing. In some female patients, treatment of the masseter muscle with Botox or Dysport can create changes in facial shape b softening a square jaw over time.
Applied to Chin
Applied to Chin
A combination approach is sometimes ideal for creating a pleasing and attractive jawline, chin, and neck. Non-invasive and minimally invasive techniques are often combined at Art of Skin MD to achieve the aesthetic goals of our patients in regards to lower face rejuvenation.
If you are in the San Diego area and are interested in learning more about non-surgical double chin therapy, jawline improvement or chin enlargement, call Dr. Melanie Palm at 858.792.SKIN (7546) to schedule your appointment.
