I love getting older but I don't like looking older! Having worked in the cosmetic industry for over 7 years, I am very well versed in the aging process and probably overly aware of how my face is aging. What I've been dreading the most are the ineviatable jowls that I start seeing patients complaning about in their 40s. Now that I'm in my 40's, I've been analyzing my face and trying to stay proactive. When I had my photos taken at my last Botox treatment, I couldn't believe what I saw. Jowls!!! There is nothing good about having jowls. Nothing.
No matter how diligent you might be about adhering to your skincare routine and getting plenty of rest, bone changes and loss of collagen and elastin in the skin are inevitable. Until recently, the only solution was a face lift which is invasive and premature for someone in their early 40s. The thought of a facelift terrifies me and since I have a thin face, I run the risk of having that "wind blown" look.
Instead of freaking out about my jowls, I scheduled an appointment with Lynn Wojton at Chelsea Cosmetic to discuss my options. I trust her implicitly and knew she would lead me in the right direction. I also brought my mom along with me, who is 66, to discuss her options as well.
Lynn recommended a three tier approach for me:
Exilis Elite
The first treatment Lynn recommended was a radiofrequency device treatment called Exilis Elite to my lower face and upper neck. During an Exilis treatment, precisely controlled radio frequency energy is used to heat the deeper layers of the skin. This heat causes fat cells to shrink and contracts the skin tissue, stimulating new collagen production in the process. She recommended three treatments two weeks apart. The procedure was actually pretty relaxing and although it did get really hot at times, it was definitely tolerable. I noticed a subtle tightening effect at the 4 month mark and there was absolutely no downtime with this procedure which was a bonus!
Facial Fillers
Lynn recommneded two syringes of Resytlane to my cheeks and under my eye as well as one syringe of Voluma to the jawline and outer parameters of my face. As we age, our skeleton shrinks and the bones resorb. We also lose collagen, so fillers help re-create that structure and volume that was lost. By lifting up the cheeks and sagging jawline with fillers, my jowls significantly improved.
BOTOX
Believe it or not, this was actually the most effective treatment I tried! I was used to having Botox injected into my forehead but nobody had ever suggested injecting Botox into a muscle known as the DAO (depressor anguli oris). The DAOs are the muscles that pull down the corners of the mouth. By placing just a few units in that area, the corners of my mouth turned up and that immediately softened the appearence of jowls.
FOR MY MOTHER
Lynn recommeded Ultherapy to my mother. The Ultherapy procedure stimulates collagen production by delivering focused ultrasound energy to the skin's foundational layer without cutting or disrupting the surface of the skin. It goes deeper than Exilis and only requires one treatment. My mom thought it hurt like hell but she got fantastic results as you can see in the photo below!
64 year old patient had one treatment of Ultherapy to her lower face and neck.
People always look at me sideways when I tell them I'm in my 40's because these treatments literally taken years off my face. I am so grateful to have found Chelsea Cosmetic. For people with signficant laxity, a facelift might be the only option but for those who do not want to go under the knife and have mild to moderate laxity, there are excellent alternatives.