Understanding facial contouring
Contour depends on bone structure, fat distribution, muscle and skin quality. Treating one of those without considering the rest is what produces results that look done rather than defined.
A jawline may look soft because of skin laxity, because of submental fullness, because of a strong masseter muscle, or because of midface volume loss. Each of those has a different solution.
Assessment therefore comes first, and the honest answer is sometimes that a non-surgical approach will give a modest change and a surgical opinion would be more appropriate.
This may suit you if
- Softening jawline definition
- Mild midface flattening
- Chin projection concerns
- Patients wanting gradual, non-surgical change
What happens at the clinic
- 1
Whole-face analysis
Proportions, volume distribution, skin laxity and muscle activity are assessed together.
- 2
Staged plan
A sequence is planned — often tightening or toxin first, volume second — so each step can be judged before the next.
- 3
Treatment
Procedures are performed with appropriate anaesthesia, conservatively, with review built in.
- 4
Assess and refine
Results are reviewed once swelling settles, and refinements are made in small increments.
Aftercare
- Follow the specific aftercare for each procedure used
- Avoid heat, alcohol and strenuous exercise for 24 to 48 hours after injectables
- Attend review appointments before requesting more volume
- Maintain sun protection and skin quality treatment
Possible side effects
- Swelling, bruising and tenderness
- Asymmetry or unnatural contour if over-treated
- Vascular complications with fillers — rare but serious
- Modest results where surgery would be more appropriate