Wanting to age gracefully is everyone’s wish, but the sagging jowls tell a different story for most of us. Let us know about this aging symptom from the following article.
A sign that you are growing wiser, sagging jowls are also associated with an older and unattractive you. It is a distinctive feature that slowly builds around your cheeks and neck that makes you feel young-no-more. It is basically drooping of the skin tissues near the neck and jawline. You cannot get rid of them in a single day since they also do not appear overnight! Doing some facial exercises can reduce the sag gradually. In case you have to clear the sag in a short span of time, a surgery could be an option.
Sagging Jowls – Why Do We Have Them?
Number of factors can cause the skin on your jawline to sag. You may discover some of the most surprising reasons for this to happen! The face loses its charm with a drooping jawline.
Aging
It is mostly advancing age that is responsible for this condition. Muscles generally start losing their elasticity during the mid 30s. However, if you exercise regularly, you can at least postpone the saggy appearance at your jawline. Nonetheless, it is seen more prominently in the early 50’s.
Genes
If you encounter this problem at an early age; you can blame it on your genes. If any of the elderly family members had developed sagging jowls when they were pretty young, it is most likely to have been passed on to you.
Being Overweight
Weight issues many times lead to other disorders, sagging skin being one of them. More the weight, more are the chances of the skin tissues spreading out and causing your jawline to droop.
Exposure to the Sun
Heavy or prolonged exposure to the sun can lead to skin damage. The skin might start appearing leathery with the loss of elasticity and might start drooping at a relatively early age, due to breaking down of collagen.
Smoking
Smoking reduces blood circulation, flow of vitamin A and other essential nutrients to the facial skin and the process of the skin aging speeds up. Dermatological study reveals that a chain smoker in his/her early 20s can also start getting sagging jowls, much earlier than that of the non-smokers.
Sleeping Position
While this might not be considered as a reason by many, but the American study of dermatology shows that people who sleep on their sides with the face pressed against the pillow risk more chances of getting a sagging jowl earlier than those who sleep on their backs.
What Can You Do?
Though aging and sagging skin cannot be avoided, one can prolong the appearance and extent of sagging skin or aging. Facial exercise and skin care do help in reducing drooping or sagging cheeks and jowls. Surgery and face-lifts also do help in reducing sag but consulting a dermatologist is essential with regards to these procedures.
Facial Exercises
☞ Lift your chin and turn your head towards the right until you feel a stretch, now gradually turn your neck towards the left and stay in that position for about 3-4 minutes. Repeat this at least 5 times a day, twice to begin with.
☞ Turn your head towards the right, look up and move your lips up as if you are eating something. Relax and after a few minutes look down and repeat the same lip movement. Do this at least 10 times a day on both the sides. It will help keep the skin tight.
☞ Turn your head towards the right, look up and move your lips such that the lower lip comes over the upper lip. Stay in this position for a few minutes and then relax. Now, look down and move your lips in the same way. Repeat this for the other side and do it at least 15 times a day.
☞ Move your neck; first left-right, then right-left. Repeat this at least 5 times a day.
Yoga
Note: It would be best to consult a yoga teacher as these exercises need to be done under proper guidance.
☞ Take a deep breath and bend down to touch your toes with your fingertips / palms, without bending the knees. Stay in this position till your head touches the knees. Now breathe out, stand straight. Do 5 sets of this exercise; starting with 2 and increasing it to 5 gradually.
☞ Lie on your stomach with elbows at shoulder level, forearms stretched outwards, palms touching the floor, toes pointed out and legs together. Now breathe in and lift yourself up, giving your back a curve. Look up and stay in this position for a few seconds. Breathe out and lie down in a relaxed position. Do 5 sets of the exercise.
☞ Sleep on your stomach with the forehead resting on the floor, hands along your sides and palms facing down. Take a deep breath and as you exhale, lift your body up, away from the floor with palms and toes touching the floor. Do not over stress your back or neck and stay in this position for about 20 seconds. Come back to the starting position and repeat it least 5 times.
☞ Lie down on your sofa or couch on your back and head hanging down at the end and facing the ceiling, while keeping your hands alongside your body. Now lift your head to bring it parallel to your body and hold it with your palms for at least 10 counts or few seconds till you can. Repeat this exercise couple of times and increase the count gradually until you can hold it for maximum time.
☞ Sleep on you back instead of on the sides, and sleep well for 7-8 hours that is ideally considered good.
Surgery
This would possibly be the last option on your list. Facial liposuction and a neck-jowl lift can be achieved by surgical treatment. Thread-lift and feather-lift sutures is a method where the loose tissues are tied higher.
Coping with Sagging Jowls
» Sagging cannot be chucked overnight. Exercise will yield positive results, but will take time.
» Make sure that you cover your head with a scarf or hat and wear a sun block before stepping out of the house.
» You can still manage to look better by cleverly styling your hair to hide the sagging skin.
» Opt for a hairstyle that will keep one’s attention towards your forehead instead of the jaw. This will make the sagging skin less obvious.
» Going for fringes that can curl up on your forehead is also a good idea. A side-swept, blunt or straight fringe or any other hairstyle with bangs that suits you face structure can hide this problem to some extent.
» Choose a short haircut wherein your hair hangs will fall near the chin area. If you have long hair, tie it up in such a way that it enhances hair volume near the forehead area, giving you a younger look, while also hiding the sagging jowls.
» Men can do away with extremely short hair and can grow them at least up to the ear-line, or dress up with accessories like a muffler, which will shift focus from sagging cheeks or jowls.
Sagging jowls affect an individual’s appearance and can hamper his/her confidence, yet the problem can be managed by taking care regularly. Besides, don’t wait to take precautions until your skin starts giving up on sagging. Work on your facial muscles early on, even before having to face any sags, and keep people guessing your age with that tight face and upright attitude.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a medical expert.