If you have started noticing soft, sagging skin along your lower jaw, you are looking at jowls. The good news: for mild to moderate jowls you do not always need surgery. The most effective non-surgical options are dermal fillers to rebuild lost structure along the jawline, collagen-stimulating treatments like Sculptra to firm the skin over time, and laser skin tightening such as the Endolaser lift. None of these is a facelift, but for the right person they can visibly sharpen the jawline with little to no downtime. Which one suits you depends on what is actually causing your jowls, so let us break that down first.
On this page
- What are jowls, exactly?
- What causes jowls to form?
- Can you get rid of jowls without surgery?
- The best non-surgical treatments for jowls
- Jowl treatments compared
- Which treatment is right for you?
- Jowls FAQ
What are jowls, exactly?
Jowls are the loose skin and soft tissue that sag below your jawline, either side of the chin. They blur what used to be a clean, defined jaw and can make the lower face look heavier or older than you feel. Most people first spot them in their 40s, though early changes can start sooner. Searches for “jowls on face” have climbed sharply over the past year, which tells you plenty of people are noticing the same thing at the same time.
They are not a sign you have done anything wrong. Jowls are one of the most normal parts of facial ageing. They are simply the surface result of several deeper changes happening at once.
What causes jowls to form?
Jowls are rarely caused by one thing. Four changes stack up together, according to research on the facial ageing process published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery:
Collagen and elastin loss. Collagen is the protein that keeps skin firm and springy. Production starts dropping by roughly 1% a year from your mid-20s. For women, menopause accelerates this hard: research first published by Brincat and colleagues found women can lose up to 30% of their skin collagen in the first five years after menopause, then around 2% a year after that. Less collagen means looser skin.
Facial fat pads shift downward. The cushions of fat that sit high on a youthful face gradually slip lower and pool along the jaw, creating that heavy jowl shape.
Supporting ligaments weaken. Bands of tissue that hold the skin and fat in place at the jawline stretch and loosen over time, so everything they were holding up starts to descend.
The jawbone itself shrinks. Bone slowly resorbs with age, especially just to the side of the chin. That removes some of the underlying scaffolding the skin used to drape over neatly.
This matters because the right treatment targets the right cause. Loose skin, lost volume and lost structure are three different problems, and they respond to different things. If you want the fuller picture on the volume side, we cover it in our guide on why the face loses volume after 40.
Can you get rid of jowls without surgery?
For mild to moderate jowls, yes, non-surgical treatments can make a real, visible difference. They work by rebuilding lost support, firming loose skin and encouraging your own collagen. Be realistic about the ceiling, though. A surgical facelift is still the only way to fully remove significant, heavy jowls, because only surgery physically lifts and removes excess skin. Non-surgical options are best thought of as softening, sharpening and delaying, not erasing. Honest expectations are the difference between being delighted and being disappointed, which is why every option below should start with a proper face-to-face assessment.
The best non-surgical treatments for jowls
Dermal fillers for the jawline
Dermal fillers made from hyaluronic acid are used to rebuild structure where you have lost it: along the jawline itself and just to the side of the chin, where bone and fat have receded. By restoring that underlying support, fillers can sharpen the jaw and reduce the shadow of a jowl. Results are visible straight away and typically last around 12 to 18 months before a top-up is needed. This is often the quickest way to see a difference. See our dermal fillers page for how it works at SIX1.
Restore lost structure along the jaw and chin for an instantly sharper, more defined lower face.
Book a Consultation →Sculptra to rebuild collagen
Sculptra is a collagen-stimulating treatment, not a standard filler. It is made from poly-L-lactic acid, which prompts your own skin cells to produce fresh collagen over the following months. In one clinical study reviewed in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, type I collagen rose by around 65% three months after treatment, with new collagen continuing to build for up to a year. That makes Sculptra well suited to jowls driven by thinning, lax skin rather than pure volume loss. It is gradual, not instant, and results can last up to around two years. Curious how it compares to standard fillers? Read Sculptra vs dermal fillers.
Stimulates your own collagen to gradually firm lax skin along the lower face. Results build over months and can last up to two years.
Book a Consultation →The Endolaser lift for laser skin tightening
The Endolaser lift is a minimally invasive laser treatment that tightens loose skin and stimulates collagen under the jawline and jowl area, without surgery and without general anaesthetic. A fine laser fibre is passed just under the skin to firm and lift it. It suits people whose main issue is skin laxity and who want tightening rather than added volume. Recovery is short compared with surgery. You can see the kind of change it produces in our post on Endolaser lift before and after results.
Minimally invasive laser skin tightening for the jawline and jowls, with no surgery and a short recovery.
Book a Consultation →Anti-wrinkle injections along the jaw
In some cases, small doses of anti-wrinkle injections placed along the neck and jaw (an approach sometimes called a Nefertiti lift) can relax the muscles that pull the jawline down, giving a subtle lift. The effect is mild and temporary, lasting a few months, so this tends to be a supporting act rather than the main event for jowls. It works best combined with one of the treatments above.
Jowl treatments compared
| Treatment | What it does | Best for | Results show | Roughly lasts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dermal fillers | Rebuild structure along the jaw and chin | Lost volume and definition | Straight away | 12 to 18 months |
| Sculptra | Stimulates your own collagen to firm skin | Thin, lax skin | Gradually over months | Up to 2 years |
| Endolaser lift | Laser tightening and collagen stimulation | Skin laxity, wanting a lift | Builds over weeks to months | Long-lasting |
| Anti-wrinkle injections | Relax muscles that pull the jaw down | A subtle supporting lift | Within 2 weeks | 3 to 4 months |
Which treatment is right for you?
There is no single best treatment for jowls, because the right choice depends on why yours have formed. If you have lost definition and structure, fillers rebuild it fastest. If your skin has thinned and gone lax, Sculptra works from within to firm it. If skin laxity is the main issue and you want a genuine tightening effect, the Endolaser lift is the closest thing to a lift without a scalpel. Many people get the best result from a considered combination, which is exactly what our Snatch and Tighten approach at SIX1 is built around. The only way to know which mix fits your face is an in-person consultation where a practitioner assesses your skin, structure and goals together.
Ready to redefine your jawline?
Book a consultation and we will build a plan around what is actually causing your jowls, with honest advice on what will and will not help.
Book Your Consultation →Bracknell, Berkshire. Serving Wokingham, Reading, Ascot, Windsor, Camberley and Guildford. Same-week appointments often available.
A note on naming. Endolift is a specific brand of laser device. Endolaser is the general name for the same laser under the skin technique, and at SIX1 we offer the Endolaser lift rather than the Endolift branded device. If you have been researching Endolift, this is the treatment you are looking for.
Want to understand why jowls form in the first place? Read our guide to what causes jowls.
Jowls FAQ
Can you get rid of jowls without surgery?
For mild to moderate jowls, yes. Dermal fillers, Sculptra and the Endolaser lift can visibly firm and sharpen the jawline with little downtime. For severe, heavy jowls, a surgical facelift remains the only way to fully remove the excess skin.
What is the best treatment for jowls?
It depends on the cause. Fillers are best for lost structure, Sculptra for lax, thinning skin, and the Endolaser lift for skin that needs tightening. A combination is often most effective, which is why a consultation matters before you commit to any one option.
Do anti-wrinkle injections help jowls?
They can give a subtle lift by relaxing the muscles that pull the jawline down, but the effect is mild and lasts only a few months. They are best used to support fillers, Sculptra or the Endolaser lift rather than on their own.
How long do fillers for jowls last?
Hyaluronic acid fillers along the jawline typically last around 12 to 18 months before a top-up is needed. Your metabolism, the product used and how much is placed all affect how long results hold.
Is Sculptra good for jowls?
Sculptra suits jowls caused by lax, thinning skin because it rebuilds your own collagen over several months. It is gradual rather than instant, and results can last up to around two years.
This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Any treatment should follow a personal consultation with a qualified practitioner.
Related: Endolaser is not only for the face. See Endolaser for the stomach, arms and under the chin, or read about Zian Cooper, who carries out every treatment personally.
