A double chin, jowls or a turkey neck (in Cleveland we often call it a “Turkey Waddle”) can be embarrassing. A skilled facial plastic surgeon can “style your profile.” You’d be amazed at how much younger you can look and how much better you can feel about yourself when you effectively treat these very common problems. What could cause a turkey neck, double chin or jowls to make you (and many others) look older than you feel? What are some of your best options to treat these problems? What do these treatments cost? (I’ll tell you what they cost in Cleveland later in this article). If you’ve ever wondered what you can do to improve your profile, read on.
Editor’s Note: Dr. Ritu Malhotra, of Cleveland, Ohio, is one of the nation’s most experienced board certified facial plastic surgeons. In just under two decades she has performed nearly 4,000 facial plastic surgery procedures.
What’s getting in the way of the profile you want?
Jowls
Jowls are lax skin with or without fatty fullness hanging from the lower cheek and jawline. This facial aging makes your lower face look like a “W” instead the bottom of a heart, as it did when you were younger.
Turkey Neck
A “turkey neck” or “turkey waddle” (as we say in Cleveland) is loose, flabby skin with or without fatty fullness under your chin in the middle of your neck. It can even wobble when you move.
Double Chin
This is fatty fullness under your chin, in the middle of your neck. It can cause a fold and look like you have a second chin.
These days, there’s no need to look your age. You should look as young and fresh as you feel. You can appear to others as youthful and vigorous as you really are. You can head off the effect of facial aging if you understand what causes it and what you can do about it. Knowing what facial rejuvenation treatments are available can help you see what will work best to help you personally look your best.
What causes facial aging, including a turkey neck, jowls and a double chin? What can you do about them? CONTACT Dr. Malhotra Cleveland, OH
What can transform a youthful, attractive face into an aged, tired-looking one?
Skin changes- Volume loss
- Muscle/ligament changes
- Gravity
- Fat accumulation
Fortunately, you can reduce or even reverse these effects.
Skin Changes
As we age our skin loses elasticity. Both age and sun damage play a part in this process. Our skin starts to form lines when our expressions cause it to fold. Wrinkles also start to appear. Your skin can also begin to look translucent and have an appearance like crepe. What can you do about it?
A good, doctor-recommended skin care regimen can reduce the impact of sun damage and a reduction in key skin nutrients. This includes a cleanser, toner, prescription strength skin lightener and exfoliator.
Additionally, age slows the skin’s normal rejuvenation process. A growing number of skin cells on the surface are older and more damaged. Removing these old, damaged skin layers can rejuvenate your look. You can effectively do this with Perfect Derma Peels ($195 in Cleveland), Laser “weekend” peels ($350 at Cleveland prices) or Fractional Laser treatment ($1000 & up).
Facial Volume Loss
As you age, your body changes how and where it deposits fat. Soon the natural pads under your facial skin start to lose vital fat. Along with the effects of gravity pulling your tissues down, it can create a worn, tired, even haggard look.
An easy way to replace lost volume in your face is dermal filler injections. These include Juvederm, Volbella, Ultra, Ultra Plus, Vollure and Voluma along with Radiesse® ($450 to $750 in Cleveland) or Bellafill – the 5 year filler ($950 & up at Cleveland rates).
Facial Tissue Changes
Just as skin can lose elasticity and fat pads can disappear, some facial ligaments can lose elasticity as well. This can move facial tissues down where they don’t belong. And the ligaments that do remain naturally tight can then create facial grooves.
We can hide these grooves with dermal fillers like Juvederm Volbella, Ultra, Ultra Plus, Vollure, and Voluma as well as Radiesse® ($450 to $750 at Cleveland rates) or Bellafill – the 5 year filler ($950 & up in Cleveland).
After years of expressing your feelings, your facial muscles become conditioned to the expressions you commonly show and will anticipate routine contractions. In time, temporary folds formed when you smile, frown or furrow your brow will become permanent, deeply-etched folds.
The best way to relax overly enthusiastic facial muscles is Botox Cosmetic ($55 per injection in Cleveland).
CONTACT Dr. Malhotra Cleveland, OH
Tissue Displacement by Gravity
Gravity, which keeps our feet firmly on the ground, continually pulls everything on the body downward as well. Our brows and eyelids start to sag, making us look tired or angry. Fat and hanging skin in our lower face produce jowls. Deep folds start to form around our mouth and the nasolabial area between our nose and lips.
A skilled facial plastic surgeon can determine the best treatment for tissue displaced by gravity depending on the degree – mild, moderate or severe. Here are some treatments that work for sagging eyelids, brows, nasolabial folds and jowls along with their prices in Cleveland:
Mild: Botox, Dermal fillers like Voluma, Thermage ($1800), Pelleve ($400), Chemical peels ($195), Laser peels ($275), Fractional laser resurfacing ($1000), Smart Lift ($3000), Laser Lift, Non surgical face lift (InstaLift – $1000-3000) Mini face lift and Mini neck lift (all $4500) and Around the Eye Laser treatments ($1000) for “eye bags”
Moderate: Mini facelift, Mini neck lift (both $4500), Lifestyle lift, Look Natural Lift (both $6650) upper ($2500) and lower blepharoplasty ($3000) or JPlaZty Face & Neck ($4500)
Severe: Lifestyle Lift or Lower face and neck lift ($6650), traditional Facelift, traditional neck lift, Lateral brow lift ($2500), Upper ($2500) and Lower ($3000) Blepharoplasty
Accumulation of Excess Fat
Puffy eyes are one of the first signs of facial aging. This is due to extra fat deposits in your upper and lower lids. One effective way to treat this is fractional laser treatment. This tightens the skin and, like a “Spanks” garment, keeps fat “tucked in.”
Another way to treat excess fat around the eyes is upper and lower blepharoplasty ($2500 & up in Cleveland) which removes these fat pockets or “bags.” Excess fat also is deposited in the chin, jowl and neck areas. This makes the chin appear weaker and causes a lack of definition in the neck.
Kybella injections ($600 & up in Cleveland) destroy fat cells and gets rid of that “double chin.” Smartlipo™ ($2000 in Cleveland) laser lipolysis and traditional liposuction ($1500 in Cleveland) are other great options to discuss with your doctor. You can find experienced facial plastic and plastic surgeons in your area who can help. If you’re in the Cleveland area, you can find me at the Enhanced Image Center.
