How to Get Rid of Jowls: Causes and Non-Surgical Options

Jowls are one of the first signs of ageing that people notice in the mirror: the jawline that used to be sharp starts to soften, and skin gathers just below the corners of the mouth. They can also appear earlier than expected after weight loss. This guide explains what causes jowls, what you can do at home, and how to get rid of jowls with and without surgery.

A no-needle facial treatment for a firmer jawline, at our Chiswick clinic. Your first LPG Endermologie visit is a 60-minute Discovery Session for £99, including a skin assessment and a full treatment. Book online or call 020 4515 0000.

Quick answer

Jowls form when the skin along the jaw loses collagen and elastin, the fat pads in the cheeks thin and slip lower, and the bone and muscle underneath change with age. You cannot fully reverse them at home, but sunscreen, not smoking, a stable weight and retinoids slow them down. Mild to moderate jowls respond to treatments that firm the skin, such as LPG Endermologie, radiofrequency or focused ultrasound. Lost volume is replaced with fillers, and heavy jowls are lifted most effectively with a lower facelift.

What are jowls?

Jowls are the soft, sagging skin and tissue that hang below the jawline on either side of the chin. They break the straight line from chin to ear, can deepen the lines that run down from the corners of the mouth, and often appear together with loose skin on the neck.

What causes jowls?

• Collagen and elastin loss. From our mid-twenties the skin makes less of both each year, so it holds its shape less well.
• Shrinking and slipping fat pads. The cheeks lose volume and their fat moves lower, gathering along the jaw.
• Changes in bone and muscle. The jaw and cheekbones slowly lose bone with age, so the skin has less structure to sit on.
• Sun damage. Ultraviolet light is the biggest outside cause of collagen breakdown.
• Smoking. It reduces blood flow to the skin and speeds up collagen loss.
• Weight loss. Losing weight quickly, including on Mounjaro or Wegovy, removes facial fat faster than the skin can adapt. See our guide to Mounjaro face.
• Genes. Some families develop jowls earlier than others.

Jowls or a double chin?

They often appear together but are not the same. Jowls are sagging skin and tissue along the sides of the jaw. A double chin is a pad of fat, sometimes with loose skin, under the chin itself. Skin-firming treatments help jowls most. A double chin caused mainly by fat responds better to weight loss or fat-reduction treatments, although firming the skin and reducing fluid under the chin can improve definition.

Can you get rid of jowls naturally?

You can slow jowls down and improve how the skin looks, but natural methods will not lift skin that has already dropped.

• Wear sunscreen every day and do not smoke. These protect the collagen you have.
• Use a retinoid. Retinoids have good evidence for improving sun-damaged skin over months, although their effect on sagging is modest.
• Keep a stable weight. Repeated weight gain and loss stretches the skin.
• Face exercises. One small study found that daily facial exercises over 20 weeks made the cheeks look fuller, but there is little evidence that they tighten the jawline.
• Gua sha and face rollers. These can reduce puffiness for a few hours by moving fluid, which can make the jaw look sharper for a day, but they do not change the skin.

How to get rid of jowls without surgery

• LPG Endermologie for the face. A fine treatment head uses gentle suction and rhythmic pulses to stimulate the skin's own collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid. There are no needles, no heat and no recovery time, and it also drains fluid that can blur the jawline.
• Radiofrequency. Heats the deeper skin to trigger new collagen.
• Focused ultrasound. Delivers heat to deeper layers of the lower face and neck to tighten them over several months.
• Dermal fillers. Replace lost volume in the cheeks and along the jaw, which can lift and straighten the jawline. These are medical procedures given by doctors, nurses and dentists in aesthetic clinics. Omnia does not offer injectables.
• Thread lifts. Dissolvable threads placed under the skin give a temporary lift, usually lasting one to two years.

Non-surgical treatments work best for mild to moderate jowls. They firm and define rather than remove skin, and results build over a course of sessions.

When is a facelift the better option?

If jowls are heavy, hang well below the jawline or come with a lot of loose skin on the neck, a lower facelift or neck lift gives the most lasting result. It is surgery, with scars and several weeks of recovery, so it suits people who want a larger change in one step.

How LPG Endermologie helps jowls

At Omnia we use the LPG Cellu M6 Infinity, which has a dedicated head for the face and neck. Treatment works along the jaw, cheeks and neck to firm the skin, soften lines and redefine the jawline. In a study published by LPG Systems (Humbert, 2015), 87% of participants reported smoother wrinkles and firmness rose by 70% after a course of facial treatment. These are manufacturer figures and results vary from person to person.

Facial sessions take 30 to 45 minutes and many people notice a fresher, more lifted look after the first session. A course of weekly sessions builds firmness, followed by occasional maintenance. See our non-surgical facelift in London for how a course is planned, and skin tightening if you want to treat the neck or body too.

Frequently asked questions

At what age do jowls start?

Many people first notice them in their forties, but they can start earlier with sun damage, smoking, genes or significant weight loss.

Can jowls be reversed?

Mild jowls can be improved noticeably with skin-firming treatment. Heavier jowls can be reduced but are only fully corrected with surgery.

Do face exercises get rid of jowls?

There is little evidence that they do. One small study found fuller-looking cheeks after 20 weeks of daily exercises, but not a tighter jawline.

How many sessions do I need for jowls?

Most people need a course of weekly LPG facial sessions, usually six to ten, then occasional maintenance. Your practitioner will give you an honest estimate at your Discovery Session.

Can you get rid of jowls without fillers?

Yes, when the main problem is loose skin rather than lost volume. Skin-firming treatments such as LPG Endermologie can define the jaw without needles.

Non-surgical jowl treatment in Chiswick

Our clinic is at 8 to 9 Bedford Corner, The Avenue, Chiswick W4 1LZ, close to Turnham Green station, on bus routes 94, E3 and 272. Limited parking is available on request when booking. Clients come to us from across West London, including Hammersmith, Ealing and Richmond.

Book LPG Endermologie in Chiswick: Discovery Session £99 for 60 minutes, including consultation and treatment, face and body included, then follow-up sessions from £70. Book online or call 020 4515 0000.

This article is general information, not medical advice.