What do Meghan Markle, Princess Kate, Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon all have a common? An incredibly sculpted jawline.
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While the ladies are likely genetically gifted when it comes to their sculpted jawlines, there are ways to achieve a defined jawline, even if you weren't born with one, with more people than ever opting for aesthetic treatments to sculpt their jawlines.
"There has been a strong increase in jawline sculpting procedures in the past two years, across all age groups and patient populations and both genders," confirms facial sculpting expert Dr. Nina Bal, who appears on Channel 4's Body Fixers.
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Janne Richardson, of the Harpenden Skin Clinic, which offers facial sculpting agrees, saying: "We have seen a substantial increase in the enquiries for jawline sculpting procedures. These queries range from younger patients in preparation for their wedding through to patients in more advanced stages of ageing."
So what has caused the rise in demand for jawline sculpting? Zoom, in part, say the experts. "Initially people were looking into facial sculpting due to what we referred to as 'Zoom face' – patients becoming more aware of particular facial features they were unhappy with following increase amounts of time spent in front a camera during Covid," says Dr. Nina.
© Photo: InstagramBefore and after jawline sculpting with Endolift
"Of late though, due to many celebrity endorsements, we have had an increase in patients looking for a 'snatched' jawline," Nina continued.
What causes a lack of jawline definition?
Our increased demand for a sculpted jaw isn't all down to screen time, though. Some of us do have a less defined jaw than others, for a variety of reasons.
"I see a lot of patients who have something called a 'retrogenia', which is when the bone structure of their lower face is recessed backwards, meaning that their lips do not line up with their chin," explains Dr. Nina. "This in turn means the skin is not as tight along the lower part of the face leading to skin laxity."
© Photo: InstagramBefore and after jawline filler
Ageing is a major player in a less defined jawline, according to Janne. "Often a combination of skin laxity, loss of bone, loss of fat and fat pad displacement results in a lack of definition on the jawline," she says.
"As we age, our bone structure gets smaller, we lose fat and our skin becomes looser and laxer."
How to achieve a more sculpted jawline
There are several aesthetic procedures that can help with a more defined jawline, which will help define and lift the jawline, reduce fat deposits, tighten and lift while sculpting and helping the skin feel more youthful.
1. Dermal filler for a sculpted jawline
You can use dermal filler for a more defined jawline, but it doesn't work for everyone, according to Dr. Nina. "You have to be exactly the right patient for filler, in order to avoid making the face wider and heavier," she says.
She explains that dermal filler can help to hide the signs of jowl development and strengthen and define the jawline, however, she doesn't recommend filler as the first option for jawline sculpting, because of the risk of adding width to the jaw.
© Photo: InstagramBefore and after jawline filler
Jawline filler is a quick, lunchtime procedure, with longevity of around 12-24 months, and is pain-free and predictable, though it can be an expensive treatment.
2. Endolift for a defined jawline
Dr. Nina loves to treat an undefined jaw with Endolift, a laser lifting treatment used to sculpt the face. The lasers are inserted into the skin, without incisions, to work on the upper and lower levels of the skin, to tighten and lift.
"With the Endolift, depending on the patient concerns and anatomy, we can reduce the adiposity (excess fat) under the chin, tighten the skin over the lower face and neck for a natural, more sculpted jawline," Dr. Nina says.
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Results of an Endolift treatment last up to two years, supporting your own collagen production, with the patient feeling skin tightening after one treatment , though some swelling is likely right after the treatment.
3. Botulinum Toxin for a defined jawline
Botulinum Toxin can help with a defined jawline, but generally only if you suffer from enlarged muscles due to excessive jaw clenching.
© Photo: InstagramBefore and after jawline filler
If you clench your jaw and grind your teeth, you might find you have a chunkier jaw. Botulinum Toxin relaxes the muscles, meaning your jaw is likely to look slimmed down, once the muscles aren't building at the same rate.
Botulinum Toxin won't define the jawline in the same way as fillers, or lifts.
4. Coolsculpting for a defined jawline
If you want to blast a double chin, Janne recommends Coolsculpting as a good treatment to try. It reduces fat for a more streamlined jaw.
Which is the best treatment for jaw sculpting?
This depends entirely on the patient. "It is so important to choose an experienced practitioner as every patient is different and unique," says Dr. Nina.
Before and after jawline sculpting
"I see all my patients for either a virtual or in person consultation prior to all treatments so I can thoroughly assess their face. It really depends on their anatomy, skin quality, lifestyle and goals for treatment."
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