Anti-ageing expert Dr John Quinn explains the options for improving loose skin (laxity) and sagging jowls to rejuvenate the face and jawline.
He created a video after being asked on social media about the best way to treat sagging skin and loose jowls, which can be quite troubling for patients.
John explained how the ageing process affects this difficult area
“We now know that the mechanism of aging really revolves around gradual volume loss within the face; so that’s the fat pads we have within our face and also actually post-menopause the bone starts to recede a little bit as well.”
Video: Loose Skin and Sagging Jowls
Surgery vs Non-Surgical Treatments
Dr Quinn started by tackling the debate about whether the surgical approach is better or non-surgical treatments. He explained:
“Now this is a really big question because there are loads of treatment options. First of all we need to think about surgery versus non-surgical options. So really if you have very significant sagging of the lower face or the neck, really a surgical facelift remains the gold standard.
“Most patients who come to see me, however, want to avoid surgery.”
Non-Surgical Treatments For Jowls
Dermal Fillers – Projection, Support & Volume
“So in terms of how we should approach jowls laxity and sagging, really the first thing to consider is optimising the projection, the support and the overall facial volume. This is something that we tend to do with dermal fillers. Now fillers are – there are lots of different materials that can be used as fillers, you can have fat transfer… my preference is for hyaluronic acid dermal fillers such as Juvederm and Belotero.
“The reason I like these HA fillers is because we have HA in our skin anyway, essentially it’s a naturally occurring substance. I also like the fact that although these are long lasting materials, they aren’t permanent and that’s really important because our face is constantly changing as we age. So anything that that’s put in permanently just doesn’t doesn’t fit with how the aging process actually works.
“I also like HA fillers because they’re reversible. So in the very rare instance that we have an issue we can actually remove this filler relatively easily, so in the very rare instance that we have an issue with a filler then we can actually remove the product if required.
Skin Tightening & Lifting Treatments
“Once we have optimised the projection and support using a filler, we can then use some other treatment to tighten around what’s already there. Now for some patients they just don’t want to have fillers and that’s fine too. I firmly believe that you don’t need to have any treatment done at all. It’s a question of what you want to do and some people just don’t like the idea of fillers.
“Treatments that we use to tighten the skin essentially work by heat, and to do this we can use either radiofrequency or we can use microfocused ultrasound. These are different technologies but essentially they work in the same way. We heat the collagen in your skin up to a certain point, it denatures ,it shrinks, we get a contraction and then we get a healing response; and that healing response is really important because it stimulates collagen, elastin and other elements of the extracellular matrix and that can then lift and tighten.”
Consultation & Treatment Plan
“So what is the right option for you when it comes to lifting skin laxity and jowls?
“Well there is no right answer and I think the most important thing when you’re considering any treatment is to have all of your options and that’s why a consultation is so important, so when you come to see us we take very detailed photography we take 3D images as well as complexion analysis and based on that we can then come up with a plan that works for you.”
About Quinn Clinics
Advanced Skin Treatment Clinic, Bristol
Quinn Clinics was established in 2006 and offers a full range of cosmetic, medical and laser skin treatments.
As well as anti-ageing injections performed by the clinic’s owner and founder, Dr John Quinn, the clinic can offer the latest laser technology including IPL laser and CO2 fractional laser and radio-frequency treatment.
Please call 0117 924 4592 or email info@quinnclinics.co.uk for further information or to book an appointment.