Jowls
One of the hallmarks of aging is the appearance of jowls, resulting in loss of definition of the jawline. Jowls occur due to relaxation of the tissues over time, loss of collagen, and also due to loss of fat and volume in the cheeks and midface. Lifting the jowls, even just a little, can produce beautiful rejuvenating results. At Venus Medical, Dr Prendergast has pioneered a type of thread lift called the One-Stitch Facelift that lifts the jowls instantly in a 60-minute procedure under local anaesthesia. Unlike facelift surgery, no bandages, dressings or drains are required afterwards. Venus Medical is also the first clinic in Ireland to perform the advanced FaceTite procedure, requiring only tiny punctures to tighten skin from the inside. During your consultation, you can see 3D simulation of jowl treatments that often include volume restoration in the midface and along the jawline for effective, natural-looking results.
Will there be a visible scar?
The one-stitch facelift laves a small (3cm) scar at the hairline near the ear. However, this fades gradually over time and often becomes almost imperceptible eventually. You can bring your hair over the area for the first couple of weeks to hide the healing incision. Compared to a surgical face lift scar, it is very short. FaceTite does not require any stitching of incisions because the puncture sites are tiny.
Is the One-Stitch Lift or FaceTite more suitable for me?
The one-stitch lift provides an instant, subtle lift to the lower face, but does not help the neck as much as FaceTite does. If you want to improve laxity in the neck as well, FaceTite is probably a better option. Some patients choose to have both procedures performed and this can easily be done at the same time as a combination approach.
What is the downtime like?
You must wear a head garment after FaceTite for three days. We will provide this straight away after the procedure. Bruising is possible but usually not extensive. After FaceTite. It is normal to have some firmess in the tissues, particularly under the chin. This will soften over time. After the one-stitch lift, there may be some slight puckering of skin in from of the ear. This will smooth away and by one week most of this is already gone. There is usuaully no significant downtime after ultherapy, apart from some pinkness in the skin.
Are the treatments painful?
The least invasive treatment is ultherapy, using microfocused ultrasound. You will feel pinches during this treatment that are less uncomfortable when you take the medication we prescribe beforehand. The one-stitch lift and FaceTite are performed after local anaesthetic injections are administered so you will feel no pain whatsoever.
How long do results last?
In our experience you might want to lift up the jowls once again using the one-stitch lift after about three years or so. Similarly, FaceTite does not stop aging, but “turns back the clock” somewhat to make you look significantly fresher and younger. Further collagen stimulating treatments are recommended over time as you age normally. Ultherapy can be repeated every year or eighteen months to maintain the one and tightness in your skin.
How does facial contouring affect jowls?
Jowls result not just because gravity takes effect over time, but predominantly because there is volume loss in the face. As the fat compartments shrink and the bones get smaller, the jowls sag. Dr Prendergast uses advanced volume restoration techniques with fillers such as Radiesse and Juvederm Voluma to enhance the midface and strengthen the bones of the jawline. This reduces the appearance of the jowls instantly. It is also regularly performed in combination with the one-stitch facelift to provide even more impressive yet natural-looking results.