Overall, we are seeing a trend towards more subtle, naturally-enhanced facial features. These facial features should all work harmoniously with each other to create a proportional, balanced appearance.
We are seeing a rise in request for lower facial rejuvenation, namely jawline and chin contouring. Often times clients are looking to enhance or improve their appearance, but aren't quite ready for surgery, so what are the options?
1) Nefertiti neck lift: this techniques uses neurotoxins, like Botox and others, to weaken the muscles in our lower face and neck that tend to have a downward pull or effect. By weakening these muscles, a subtle enhancement in the jawline as well as an up-turned mouth is achievable without surgical intervention. The effect of the neurotoxin typically goes away within 3-4 months, so quarterly injections are required for maintenance.
2) Dermal fillers/biostimulators: injections with dermal fillers or biostimulators enhance the contour of the jawline and chin dramatically. It typically takes several sessions to achieve your desired outcome and can be enhanced with other techniques, such as neuromodulators, skin-tightening procedures and placing filler in other areas, such as cheeks or mid-face. Once you are at your desired outcome, maintenance injections are typically annually, but remember, you will likely not achieve your desired outcome in one sitting! By adding structure and volume to the jawline and chin, the area underneath the chin, submental area, is often tightened and improved.
3) Chin implant: for clients who have significant loss of projection of their chin, a chin implant may be a better option compared to fillers, to augment the chin. Fillers can be placed on top of the implant for additional contouring. Chin implants can also be placed in office under local anesthesia. The benefit of chin implants is that they are permanent and will maintain their structure, so there is no need for annual maintenance. They do require an incision, so there is a potential for scarring, and while some implants can be carved and tailored, for the most part, they are a stock-item, so individual contouring capabilities are limited.
Overall, the lower face needs to be in balance with the remainder of the upper face, so the jawline and chin cannot be taken out of context of the nose, cheeks and temples. Changing the appearance of the jawline/chin may require additional balancing elsewhere to ensure a seamless, natural, refreshed look!