Concern

Saggy Skin

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INTRODUCTION

What is facial sagging?

Asians frequently have large masseters which can contribute to a bulky lower face. In the female face, this can result in over-masculinization or simply make the person look fat even if she might not be. Fat and skin sagging can also cause the youthful cheeks to drop down and cause lower face bulkiness. This creates the “bulldog” appearance which many associate with aging and weight changes.

CAUSES

What causes sagging face?

There are a few reasons why someone might develop round or saggy cheeks:

1. Aging and sun exposure
Age and UV exposure can lead to tissue laxity and collagen loss. This causes the ligaments and skin that holds up firm cheek contours to sag, causing a bulldog/saggy or round face appearance.

2. Genetics
Many South-Asians have the genetic predisposition of developing bulky jaw bones or muscles. This can make the face look more squarish or round in shape, instead of a more gentle look of a slimmer face contour.

3.Excessive weight gain
Excessive weight gain can drag on the ligaments and skin holding up the cheek contours, leading to puffy jowls and double chin areas. Sometimes these may be related to medical conditions such as Cushing’s syndrome, and will need to be ruled out.

EVIDENCE-BASED METHODS

How to treat facial sagging

Ultraformer 3 HIFU

HIFU (high-intensity focus ultrasound) is an non-invasive treatment for tightening and lifting different areas of the face and body, including the delicate eye area, given its varying depth.

Fotona 4D Facelift

Fotona 4D is a non-invasive laser facelift treatment that uses a combination of four lasers to treat 4 distinct “dimensions” of the skin. The skin layers are synergistically targeted to rejuvenate and tighten the skin from the inside out.

Facial contouring can be an extremely gratifying treatment procedure when done properly. However, the various different treatment methods underscore the need for precise treatment, occasionally in combination.

Some tips:

Lifestyle measures include trying to sleep on your back instead of your sides, as well as minimizing the drag of facial tissues when washing of face or applying skincare.
Botox/Dysport treatments of the jaw can help make your face slimmer dramatically and with long lasting results after a few sessions. However, this treatment is not for everyone and a proper medical assessment is always recommended instead of ‘blindly’ asking for these injections from your doctor. Also, they tend to be pretty long lasting, so don’t blindly repeat it every 6 months!
Devices such as HIFU and Lasers are a gratifying and natural way of improving sagging or enlarged facial contours, but these can take some time, so be patient.

Injectables like fillers and thread lifts can give more drastic and immediate results. However, these need to be done carefully, as there can be terrible side effects in the wrong hands.

OUR DOCTORS

Dr Chua Cheng Yu

10+ years of medical experience
10,000+ cases of aesthetic treatments
Known for unique treatment protocols from years of experience
Speaker and Trainer at American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine
Regional Trainer for Ultraformer 3 HIFU, ProYellow Laser, Ellansé, AGNES RF, etc
The only official trainer for Fotona Lasers in Singapore