A defined jawline is often hailed as one of the key indicators to a youthful face.
But from the age of 25 elastin and collagen levels drop at an alarming rate of around six per cent year, and our jawline begins to sag, which can add years to our appearance.
While some turn to invasive surgeries such as face lifts, three industry experts have now shared their top tips to maintaining a sharp jawline the natural way – and the key is in starting early.
1. Creams won’t reverse but they can prevent
Dr. Justine Hextall, Constultant Dermatologist on behalf of The Harley Medical Group, told Femail that regularly moisturising will help slow down the skin’s aging process, though it will not reverse it.
‘It would be unlikely that applying a cream would immediately correct a sagging jawline,’ she said.
‘Although newer technologies allow for deeper penetration of topical preparations I am not aware of any cream that can truly firm skin after a few applications with lasting results.
‘That said, serums and creams with anti-oxidants can protect skin and mitigate against the free radical damage from the effects of pollution and sun exposure amongst other things.
‘So in effect they can protect against damage to the skin’s collagen and elastin over time, if used regularly.’
2. Don’t underestimate the effect of your lifestyle
Dr. Julia Sevi, Medical Practitioner at Aesthetic Health highlighted the important of a healthy lifestyle.
‘In the quest to preserve collagen and elastin there are key things to avoid and important positive lifestyle factors to pursue,’ she said.
‘The biggest culprits are sunlight, smoking, pollution and stress which accelerate the decline of collagen and elastin and hence increase the appearance of sagging skin.’
Sharing her advice on how best to protect you skin against exposure to these factors, she said: ‘Avoiding cigarette smoke and regular application of Factor 50 sunscreen even in winter, with the addition of a hat in summer, can minimize further damage.
‘We cannot avoid pollution but we can help protect against it by wearing antioxidant skincare and at night we should double cleanse and tone to ensure maximum removal of pollutants.
‘Reducing chronic stress is an important factor in preserving collagen and healthy skin function.
‘Positive lifestyle factors for saving sagging skin include getting eight hours sleep per night, good nutrition including adequate protein, antioxidants, vitamins A, B,C & D3, zinc and omega 3, taking regular exercise and considering hormone balance in an early menopause.’
3. Meet with a skincare specialist
‘The key is to meet with a skin care specialist and plan a treatment programme, that includes the best possible skin care regime for your skin.’ Dr. Justine told Femail.
‘I am a believer in maintaining skin health and having a good skin care regime, healthy diet and having intermittent non-surgical interventions which a Dermatologist can advise on.’
Justine revealed that many women are advised to remove fat from around their jaw, while others prefer to focus on stimulating existing collagen with radiofrequency treatment and micro-needling.
4. Start early
Cosmetic Surgeon Dr. Alex Karidis stressed the importance of starting a skincare routine early.
‘From the age of 25 we lose about six per cent of our skin elastin yearly and I think it’s good to be aware of this,’ he said.
‘There are people that embrace professional non-surgical treatments early on in their life, from their thirties, and the idea is to prevent sagging rather than reversing the effects of ageing.’
Explaining that many of his clients have avoided invasive treatments later on in life, he added: ‘I have found from my experience of 15 years that people who embrace professional devices are the ones who are delaying the need for further face treatments in later years.
‘It is a regular programme that you have to maintain and if you stop it, you will lose the results you’ve worked for.
‘There are various ways you can stimulate the skin including light peels and LED treatments. There’s not one silver bullet that does everything, it’s a combination of everything,’ he concluded.
