Jowls.
It's not a pleasant word, nor the images it conjures up. Even a google definition doesn't make it sound great either! They say "the lower part of a person's or animal's cheek, especially when it is fleshy or drooping."
Drooping and sagging.
More words that skin specialists use but aren't that uplifting (pardon the pun) when it comes to looking at our skin.
As we all age, things may start to head south, this is a fact.
It's something we all must come to terms with and with lifestyle choices such as your nutrition, sun exposure, smoking and alcohol consumption, can ALL affect how quickly the ageing process happens.
Simply put, with the loss of collagen and elastin, the plump-ness and elasticity of our skin also decreases. This is exactly their roles - collagen to firm up the skin and elastin to provide elasticity & tensility or the "spring-back" factor.
Cosmetic Acupuncture for Jowls approach
When I look at helping someone with sagging and drooping of the jowls, I'm looking specifically at their jaw, their cheek and the muscles underlying there.
Step 1 is to release any underlying tension in the face that may be affecting the visible shape of the jaw and cheek.
Step 2 is to use Acupuncture to stimulate the layer above the muscle layer to influence the fibroblast cells that produce collagen in and around the cheek and jaw. Elastin is also stimulated by this process.
Step 3 is to use superficial needling to augment the collagen production in visible sunken areas.
Other benefits the woman may see or feel is:
- Improved muscle tone of the face in weakened areas
- Improved complexion and colouring of the facial skin.
- Less signs of dryness and dull skin
- Softening of fine lines.
- Reduction in signs of stress or tension on the face
Where do you put the needles for Cosmetic Acupuncture for Jowls?
The Cheek and Jaw as mentioned are common places to place acupuncture needles, but this must be performed by a Registered Acupuncturist that has undergone Cosmetic Acupuncture training.
Some of the Cosmetic Acupuncture points used for Jowls could include these I've got on a diagram below:
How many sessions will I need to help reduce Jowls?
This is a really good question and this is assessed in your initial consultation with a qualified and reistered Acupuncturst who has training in Cosmetic Acupuncture.
The first factor is age - how old are you?
For older women it will generally take more sessions before the collagen and elastin are stimulated. In younger women, less time. It's all relative and this is why getting your skin assessed in the Initial Cosmetic Acupuncture appointment is vital. Taking in YOUR case history, your story makes all the difference to fine tune the amount of sessions needed.
Secondly, a general rule of thumb is that the collagen will begin to regenerate after 4-6 sessions.
This does take a few repetitions for the body to respond in this way, but think of it like this. We are needling the same area, often weekly for those first 6-8 sessions just to keep reminding the body to direct healing and recovery HERE, in the cheeks and jaw.
Other benefits will be seen before that such as improved complexion and colouring, vibrancy and less tension in the face - these changes come first, then the collagen and elastin production kicks in.
Remember the ageing process starts with the foundation you create with your Nutrition and Lifestyle choices. Including these in your wellness plan for your skin would be a very clever step. I can highly recommend two local Naturopaths, Alyce at Aharahealth.com.au and Fin Mackenzie at Greendoorhealth.com.au based on the Northern Beaches.
For further reading on Cosmetic Acupuncture check these out:
Cosmetic Acupuncture & Eye Bags
Cosmetic Acupuncture & Dark Circles around the eye
Signs of Stress on your Face - Can Cosmetic Acupuncture help?
If you're thinking about trying Cosmetic Acupuncture and you're on Sydney's Northern Beaches, you can reach out via the Contact page and we can start a conversation about your skin concerns.
