Deal with the bingo wings and cankles? Now it's time to give your lower face a makeover and chuck those chinkles
It was recently reported that chin treatments are the fastest growing cosmetic surgery trend in the US – with the face shapes of Keira Knightley, Jennifer Lopez, and Halle Berry considered the most desirable by patients.
According to experts, an ageing chin can add years to your looks. ‘The chin is exposed to the sun and damaged muscles sag with age while tissue loses tone,’ says Nick Lowe, Professor of Dermatology at London’s Cranley Clinic.
More... Is your BRA making you ill? Headaches, IBS, rashes, hernia and tendonitis are all linked to badly-fitting underwear Forget the gym: Yoga is better at boosting memory and concentration than vigorous exercise By 2020, half of us will face a cancer diagnosis in our lifetime (but a third will survive)But the chinkle is just one of the things that can make chins unsightly: other factors, such as loss of volume – or even volume that was never there – add to the misery.
So what can be done? Well, quite a lot apparently...
CHINLESS WONDERSIf the chin looks weak, the face loses structure. ‘A strong jawline is mostly genetic but part lifestyle. Being overweight will of course contribute to that classic chinless look,’ points out Dr Mervyn Patterson of Woodford Medical Clinic.
‘If you have a recessive chin, this will worsen with age as the bone structure diminishes,’ says Dr Lowe.
Chin, chin: One of the chins most requested at plastic surgeons is Jennifer LopezWHAT’S THE SOLUTION?‘New volumising fillers such as Voluma will augment the chin and can give the same effect as a chin implant,’ Dr Lowe advises.
‘Just one 1ml syringe of this hyaluronic-acid-based filler will last up to 18 months,’ agrees Dr Patterson. Costs about £400.
CHINKLES‘Many of my clients are concerned about rough skin and wrinkles that occur around the chin and upper lip from the late 40s onwards,’ says Jo Martin, clinical director of Mapperley Park Clinic in Nottingham. ‘The problem is predominantly caused by sun exposure and smoking.’
WHAT’S THE SOLUTION?
‘I use a carbon dioxide laser to create spikes of deep heat in the dermis [lower layers of skin],’ Martin says. ‘This stimulates production of collagen and elastin.’ (from £250, mapperleypark.co.uk).
She also recommends a daily topical antioxidant.
‘A quality product containing Vitamin C will keep collagen boosted in the area,’ she says.
Try the new Epionce Intense Defence Serum (£120, 30ml, beauty-product-online.co.uk), which gave better results than Skinc
THE JABBA NECKWeight gain with age often gives a double chin – sometimes dubbed ‘Jabba neck’ after the slug-like creature in Star Wars – which is difficult to eradicate by dieting. ‘It’s sod’s law that the place you want fat to disappear from is the last place you will lose it from,’ says Dr Patterson. ‘Chances are you’ll end up with hollow cheeks before losing the fat from the chin,’ he warns.
WHAT’S THE SOLUTION?Try fat-dissolving treatments such as Vaser Liposelection (from £1,495, wimpoleaesthetics.co.uk).
This uses a small probe to deliver low-level ultrasonic vibrations to target fatty deposits. The tissue is liquefied and then naturally excreted by the body or removed using a cannula. ‘Providing the patient does not put on substantial weight, effects are permanent,’ says Dr Josh Berkowitz, clinical director of Wimpole Aesthetics. ‘It works very well on these stubborn areas of fat.’
THE MENTAL CREASEThis is a deep line or groove between the lower lip and jaw which is caused by repeated contractions of the mentalis muscle at the tip of the chin.
‘It is sometimes known as the pouting muscle,’ says Dr Patterson. It raises and lowers the lower lip but the movement can also push out the chin – giving a witchy and protruding look to the lower face.
Gordon's grooves: The Hell's Kitchen star has has treatments to fill the deep lines in his chinWHAT’S THE SOLUTION?
‘Botox at the tip of the chin releases the mentalis,’ says Dr Patterson. ‘The line is instantly removed and the chin relaxed.’ Costs about £300, lasts three to four months. Gordon Ramsay, above, has had fillers to treat grooves in his chin. ‘Those with particularly deep wrinkles may require fillers in addition to, or instead of Botox,’ says Patterson.
CHELLULITESome people develop rough, bobbly skin texture on the front of the chin as a result of repeated contractions of the mentalis, the central muscle of the lower lip. It looks like chin cellulite, hence the nickname.
WHAT’S THE SOLUTION?‘Topical solutions such as Lytic TX Lotion (£50.50, 50ml, beauty-product-online.co.uk) will have some smoothing effect,’ says Dr Patterson. ‘It gently exfoliates surface skin cells.’
A jab of Botulinum toxin in the middle of the muscle relaxes it and smooths out the bobbly skin. ‘Always go to an experienced doctor,’ says Dr Patterson.
‘It has to be injected in just the right place otherwise the muscle either side of the chin may be affected and pull down one side of the lower lip.’
No jowls: A face lift can help get rid of drooping on the side of the chin HOUND-DOG JOWLS‘Drooping either side of the chin is caused by loss of volume in the cheeks,’ says Dr Patterson. ‘As collagen is lost higher up, the lower face slips.
'The shape of the jaw bone has a lot to do with the amount of sagging. The more prominent the jaw and well-defined the chin, the less sagging there will be.’
WHAT’S THE SOLUTION?Try the CACI Jowl Lift, a new painless treatment to lift the cheeks and jowl area (from £40, caci-international.co.uk).
This uses electrical impulses, delivered through eight probes, to lift and firm the lower face.
Alternatively, facial fitness guru Eva Fraser says you can re-train facial muscles to look young and strong again.
Eva Fraser’s Facial Work-Out (£8.99, evafraser.com) includes exercises to lift the chin area.
WATTLELoss of muscle tone and subcutaneous facial fat gives a sagging appearance. The phrase ‘wattle’ was coined in American drama Ally McBeal, in which eccentric lawyer Richard Fish had a fetish for the fleshy fold of skin hanging from the neck or throat, usually seen in older ladies. For those not so thrilled by theirs...
WHAT’S THE SOLUTION?Brand new Reaction treatment is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (£185 per session, three recommended, julesnabet.com).
Radiofrequency heats up subcutaneous tissue. This encourages the production of collagen and tightens up the skin. The treatment then uses vacuum therapy to boost circulation and lymphatic drainage.
