Did you know that Voluma can be used to enhance your lower face? Keep reading to learn more.
What changes occur in the lower face with age?
Your face changes over time. The bones in your mid face move downward and inward and the fat pads in these areas slowly get smaller. This leads to descent of the skin in the mid face. You see loose skin and sagging in the lower face. Collagen loss over time worsens the firmness of your skin. You can see the appearance of jowls, which is areas of fat or excess skin on your jawline about midway from the chin to the outer edge. This causes you to lose jawline definition. You also have changes in your jaw bone, called the mandible. The mandible has two parts. The body of the mandible goes along the jawline. The two mandibles connect in the middle at your chin. As the jaw bone goes back, it ends at an angle and there is another part called the ramus which goes up in front of your ear to connect to the bones in your mid face. The angle of the mandible supports the lower face by keeping your skin pulled back. Over time the angle gets smaller, which causes everything to move forward. When this happens, you lose your jawline definition, where your lower face meets your neck. At the same time, you lose the bony structure in your chin, causing it to go back. Some people naturally have a weak chin. You can see this from the side profile view. It looks like the chin is farther back compared to the lips, nose, and mid face. In these cases, often times a muscle on the chin called the mentalis gets stronger and you can see dimples on the chin, especially when making certain facial expressions such as pursing your lips. Just like the angle of your mandible supports your lower face by pulling the skin back, your chin does the same thing, but from the front. Loss of bone structure in the chin and mandible lead to a weak jawline, which can make you look older. Fortunately, we have tools like Voluma that can help, as seen in the before and after shown here.
What is Voluma?
Voluma is a dermal filler that is used to retore lost volume in your face. It can also be used in other areas of your body too. Voluma is a member of the Juvederm collection, the most popular dermal filler in the United States. The active ingredient in Voluma is a sugar called hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid works by brining water into the area to restore volume and fill in wrinkles and folds. Voluma contains a high amount of hyaluronic acid to provide the structural support you need in bony areas such as your chin and jaw line. Voluma is made using a special technology called Vycross, which makes it last longer. When Voluma is placed on bony structures such as the temples, nose, cheeks, and lower face it projects the area and restores volume that’s lost over time, giving you a natural, younger, and rejuvenated appearance as seen in the before and after picture shown here.
Where can Voluma be used in the lower face?
Voluma can be placed in the chin as was done in the patient whose before and after pictures are shown here. This brings the chin forward and provides a balance to the entire face. You can also notice that since the chin is projected forward, the skin on the neck is tighter. This is an added benefit. Voluma can also be placed in the wrinkles called the marionette lines which go from the corners of your mouth to the jawline. Filling this area provides a rejuvenated lower face. Continuing backward, Voluma can be placed on the jawline itself. This helps define the jawline, giving it a sharp appearance. A great place to put Voluma is at the angle of the mandible. This is because you lose the bony structural support there. Using Voluma in this area restores the structure and pulls back on the skin of your lower face, further helping with your jawline definition, marionette lines, and loose skin in the area. Finally, Voluma can be placed on your outer cheeks, on the ramus of the mandible in front of your ears. This helps with the structural support to tighten your lower face.
Voluma is an outstanding product that has been available for years. Voluma was first used in the mid face, but is now being used to rejuvenate other areas such as the lower face.
Dr. Alex has performed over 10,000 cosmetic treatments with many satisfied patients. Contact us to schedule an appointment for a free consultation with Dr. Alex in our Encino, CA office.