Thermage for jowls: what to know

Jowls are folds or fullness beside the lower corners of the mouth and along the jaw. Changes in collagen, skin elasticity, facial support, and lower-face volume can all contribute. Thermage applies radiofrequency energy to heat selected tissue and encourage collagen contraction and remodelling. It is most relevant when lax skin is a major feature.

The lower face must be examined as a whole. Sun-Damaged Skin and Sagging Skin can coexist with jowls, while fullness beneath the jaw may change the outline for a different reason. Improvement is usually gradual and varies with skin quality and the amount of tissue laxity.

Ask for an in-person assessment of skin laxity, facial volume, and jaw structure. Disclose implanted electronic devices, metal, numbness, active skin disease, recent injectables or surgery, and medicines that affect healing. The procedure can cause temporary warmth, redness, swelling, tenderness, or altered sensation.

Discuss HIFU Skin Lifting and Radiofrequency Skin Tightening as energy-based comparisons. If excess fat is shaping the contour, Liposuction may be considered instead or as part of a broader plan. A Radiofrequency Device should be selected and operated by an appropriately trained clinician.

Call the clinic for increasing pain, blistering, unusual swelling, persistent numbness, or a noticeable change in skin colour. Seek urgent help for breathing difficulty, sudden facial weakness, or rapidly worsening swelling. Follow the clinic's aftercare instructions and avoid friction or unapproved heat during recovery.

Is lax skin the main reason for my jowls, or is volume also involved? How much contour change is realistic with this treatment? Which areas would you treat, and what alternatives would address fullness or more advanced laxity? What symptoms after treatment require immediate review?