COMPLETE GUIDE TO V-FACE SCULPTING
In recent years, the jawline and, more generally, the lower third of the face have been at the forefront of facial aesthetics. The jawline can be a telltale sign of either youth or age, masculinity or femininity. Moreover, the jawline is that crucial transition point between the face and the neck, and global balance and symmetry of this area is frequently one of the biggest concerns of patients interested in rejuvenation. It is unsurprising then that a range of options - from nonsurgical to surgical - exists to decrease the width of the lower face.
At AIREM, we have created a customizable treatment to address these aesthetic concerns utilizing both non-surgical and surgical techniques. The V-Face Lifting and Contouring Treatment slims your chin and contours your face into the desired V-shape with a series of micro-treatments that reduces excess fat under and around your chin and tightens the fine lines and wrinkles around your mouth (jowls), chin and neck. To understand and choose among the many treatments available in V-face shaping, we have to first identify the specific concern and the goals you want to achieve. Here is where going through several scenarios can be helpful. Keep in mind that you may not fit perfectly into any of these categories and that there is no hard or fast rule regarding which of these procedures may be beneficial to you. These are merely broad guidelines.
TO UNDERSTAND AND CHOOSE AMONG THE MANY TREATMENTS AVAILABLE IN V-FACE SHAPING, WE HAVE TO FIRST IDENTIFY THE SPECIFIC CONCERN AND THE GOALS YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE.
A FEMALE PATIENT IN HER 30S WITH A WIDER AND SHORTER FACIAL SHAPE, DESCRIBED AS SQUARE OR RECTANGULAR, DESIRES NARROWING OF THE LOWER THIRD OF THE FACE.
Additionally, she has strong cheek muscles and excess fat within her cheeks, both of which contribute to the appearance of a broader face. There is also fat along and underneath her chin and jaw that obscures her underlying bony structure. For her, a number of options are available to achieve the V-line face slimming look:
- Routine neurotoxin, such as Botox, to the cheek muscles, or masseters, would gradually shrink them in size.
- Buccal fat removal, a minimally invasive procedure performed with local anesthetic in which a hidden incision is made inside the mouth over where the fat is found, would further slim the lower third of her face.
- Chin and neck liposuction would optimize the result by defining the beautiful transition from the face to the neck.
A YOUNG FEMALE PATIENT IS INTERESTED IN V-LINE CONTOURING.
This is a set of treatments designed to achieve a very specific, almost diamond shape to the lower third of the face and is quite popular among the Asian population. Many of the procedures mentioned in the previous scenario, such as neurotoxin injection into the masseter muscles and buccal fat removal, can play a significant role in V-line contouring. However, to really form that V-face shaping of the central part of the jaw, the bone, which is the deepest layer of tissue, has to be reduced. This typically involves surgically shaving down or cutting out the excess jawbone in the middle of the chin (also known as a T genioplasty) and along the jaw angles. Incisions are all hidden inside the mouth, the function of the jawbone is not affected, and patients are expected to heal without any side effects.
BEFORE
AFTER
A FEMALE OR MALE PATIENT IN HIS/HER 50S IS BOTHERED WITH JOWLING AND DESCENT OF THE SKIN AND SOFT TISSUES ALONG THE JAWLINE.
To give the illusion of a lift, filler, such as Restylane or Juvederm, can be used to augment areas to achieve harmonious face contouring and jawline tightening. However, to truly address every layer that has been affected by age and gravity, a V-line surgery to lift the patient’s face and neck would be ideal. With this procedure, the tissues would be repositioned right up against the bony contours of the jaw, taking away years and giving back that youthful, defined jawline.
A MALE PATIENT IN HIS 20S WITH A NARROW LOWER THIRD OF THE FACE AND POORLY DEFINED JAWLINE DESIRES A MORE MASCULINE APPEARANCE.
The focus here should be on widening and sharpening the jaw angles. This can be achieved with either filler placed in precise locations or permanent custom implants designed to attain a very specific and individualized look.
A PATIENT INTERESTED IN RHINOPLASTY PRESENTS WITH A RECESSED
CHIN THAT MAKES HIS/HER NOSE APPEAR MORE PRONOUNCED
ON PROFILE VIEW.
In addition to reducing the size of the nose, increasing the projection of the chin would harmonize and balance the patient’s facial features. This can be done with either filler or a permanent chin implant, positioned over the bone using a hidden incision inside the mouth. A FEMALE PATIENT IN HER 30S WITH A WIDER AND SHORTER FACIAL SHAPE, DESCRIBED AS SQUARE OR RECTANGULAR, DESIRES NARROWING OF THE LOWER THIRD OF THE FACE. Additionally, she has strong cheek muscles and excess fat within her cheeks, both of which contribute to the appearance of a broader face. There is also fat along and underneath her chin and jaw that obscures her underlying bony structure. For her, a number of options are available to achieve the V-line face slimming look:
• Routine neurotoxin, such as Botox, to the cheek muscles, or masseters, would gradually shrink them in size.
• Buccal fat removal, a minimally invasive procedure performed with local anesthetic in which a hidden incision is made inside the mouth over where the fat is found, would further slim the lower third of her face.
• Chin and neck liposuction would optimize the result by defining the beautiful transition from the face to the neck.
Now that we’ve gone over these scenarios, you can see why V-line face slimming and jawline contouring is so important and can vary so widely from person to person. Without a doubt, our primary goal is to create a personalized treatment plan that addresses your unique facial features and individual goals.
