Jowling Treatment
Jowls are the soft folds of skin and tissue that gather along the jawline below the corners of the mouth, blurring the clean line from chin to ear. They tend to appear gradually in the 40s and 50s, and they often make people look heavier or more tired than they feel. Patients from Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Pacific Palisades, and across Los Angeles come to Parsa M.D. to understand what is causing their jowls and whether tightening, support, or surgery is the most realistic way to improve them.
Radiofrequency has become one of the most useful nonsurgical tools for early jowling, and it is a subject Dr. Kami Parsa knows from the inside. He lectures on The Role of Radiofrequency in Aesthetic Medicine and has served as a consultant to InMode, the manufacturer of Morpheus8 and Forma, and as a member of its speakers’ bureau. An oculoplastic and reconstructive surgeon with more than 20 years of clinical experience, he is also an Adjunct Clinical Professor at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
“Jowls are rarely just loose skin. There is usually some fat that has slid down, some support that has been lost along the jaw, and some change in the bone. Tightening helps when skin is the main problem, but it cannot replace structure that is gone.” — Dr. Kami Parsa
What Causes Jowls?
Several changes in the lower face combine to create jowling:
- Skin laxity: Collagen and elastin decline with age, sun exposure, and smoking, so the skin stretches and sags along the jaw.
- Fat descent: Fat pads in the cheeks and lower face slide downward over time and collect above the jawline.
- Weakening support ligaments: The ligaments that anchor the skin to the jawbone loosen, allowing tissue to fall in front of and behind them.
- Bone changes: The jawbone gradually loses volume, and a shallow groove can form in front of the jowl, called the prejowl sulcus, which makes the jowl look more pronounced.
- Midface volume loss: As the cheeks flatten, tissue that once sat higher on the face adds weight to the lower face, covered on our Volume Loss page.
Genetics, significant weight loss, and chin shape also influence how early and how noticeably jowls develop.
How Jowling Is Evaluated
Dr. Parsa or a licensed member of his clinical team will look at the jawline from the front and in profile, assess skin thickness and elasticity, and determine how much of the change comes from skin, fat, lost support, or bone. The evaluation also looks at the neck and chin, since fullness under the chin and a recessed chin often travel with jowls, as described on our Double Chin page. Team members are described on our Our Providers page.
Jowling Treatment Options in Beverly Hills
The best approach depends on how advanced the jowling is and what is driving it:
- Radiofrequency tightening for early jowls: Morpheus8 radiofrequency microneedling and Forma heat the deeper skin to stimulate collagen and modest tightening over a series of treatments.
- Ultrasound tightening: Ultherapy is FDA-cleared to lift lax tissue beneath the chin and on the neck. Use along the jawline itself is off-label.
- Support along the jaw: Filler placed in the prejowl groove, chin, or jawline can camouflage a jowl by restoring structure. Radiesse (+), a formulation of Radiesse that contains lidocaine, is FDA-approved for jawline contour, and Voluma is approved for the chin.
- Surface improvement: The Duplex® Procedure combines radiofrequency microneedling with CO2 resurfacing to improve both tightening and skin quality.
- Surgery for advanced jowls: When skin and tissue have descended significantly, a surgical facelift or neck lift is the most effective option, and Dr. Parsa will discuss surgical consultation when nonsurgical treatment is unlikely to meet your goals.
Nonsurgical tightening builds gradually over three to six months and produces moderate improvement, not the lift of surgery. Results last longer with sun protection and a stable weight, and many patients maintain them with periodic treatment.
Risks and When to Seek Care
Redness, swelling, and tenderness are common after radiofrequency and ultrasound treatments. Less common risks include blistering, temporary numbness, uneven contour, and pigment changes, especially in deeper skin tones. Contact the office for blistering, signs of infection, or an uneven smile after treatment near the jaw. After filler, call the office right away and seek emergency care if you notice vision changes, severe or worsening pain, or skin that turns pale, blotchy, or dusky.
Why Choose Dr. Parsa for Jowling Treatment
- Fellowship Training: He completed his fellowship in oculoplastic and reconstructive surgery at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute.
- Honest Candidacy Advice: Patients whose jowls are too advanced for devices are told so, rather than sold a series of treatments that cannot deliver.
- Full Range of Options: Radiofrequency, ultrasound, fillers, and resurfacing are all available, so the plan follows your anatomy.
- Whole Face Perspective: Jowls are evaluated alongside the cheeks, chin, and neck, since treating one area in isolation often looks unbalanced.
- Recognized Surgeon: He was named one of America’s Best Plastic Surgeons for Eyelid Surgery in 2026 by Newsweek and Statista.
Schedule a Jowling Consultation in Beverly Hills
Your visit takes place at our office at 465 N Roxbury Dr, Suite 1011, in Beverly Hills. Dr. Parsa and his team will examine your jawline, explain what is causing the change, and recommend the approach most likely to help. Contact our office to request an appointment.
Medically reviewed by Kambiz K. Parsa, M.D. on
