KEEP YOUR CHIN UP
Plagued by a sagging jawline? From radio waves to sticky tape and even a facial sling, the wacky ways to...
THe inhabitants of Downton Abbey placed great value on a stiff upper lip. But when the new film’s female stars posed together at its premiere this week, it was their uniformly firm jawlines that were most noticeable.
The gorgeous elizabeth McGovern, 58, showed no sign of the middle-aged sag that can be one of the most recognisable signs of ageing, with a chin as defined as either of her thirtysomething co-stars, Laura Carmichael and Michelle Dockery.
From your 40s onwards, the lower face starts to sag and lose definition. Much of this is down to natural loss of volume, as collagen and elastin production falls.
‘The volume in our upper face acts like a shelf to keep the chin and jaw firm,’ says aesthetic doctor Mervyn Patterson of Woodford Medical. ‘But as we lose upper and outer cheek volume, the lower part of the face starts to move downwards.’
All in all, it’s hardly surprising almost 70 per cent of us have concerns about our jaw and chin. As a new tightening treatment, called Morpheus8, launches in the UK, Alice Smellie takes a look at the products on offer and asks Dr Patterson for his verdict ...
MASK THE YEARS
Oh K! Firming Tech Neck Sheet Mask, right, £7, feelunique.com
WHAT IS IT? An ingredient-soaked, V-shaped hydrogel mask to fit the neck and chin. Contains avocado to boost elasticity and marine plant extracts for firming. HOW IT WORKS: Place the slightly chilly and damp mask around the chin and neck — there are holes so you can hook it over your ears. Leave it on for 20 minutes, then massage any left over product into skin. Although wonderfully hydrating, there’s no obvious change in the way my jaw looks. VERDICT: Topical ingredients will help the appearance of skin and, although you may get some tightening effect, it will be temporary. 2/5
ZAP AND TONE
NuFACE Mini Facial Toner, right, £125, currentbody.com WHAT IS IT? Referred to as a five- minute facelift, this gadget consists of a simple, curved hand-piece with two metal balls at the top.
It uses microcurrent — lowvoltage electrical current — to stimulate collagen and elastin production in the skin, as well as helping to lift and tone muscles. HOW IT WORKS: Apply the priming gel, which contains hyaluronic acid for plumping, to a clean face. Turn on the gadget and place one metal ball on the jawline with the other outside the corner of the mouth. Glide to the ear until a beep sounds (after five seconds). Repeat all over your face.
You can choose the intensity of the current, which feels like a light prickling — the stronger it is, the faster and more effective the treatment. There is a little instant effect. For maximum results, use it five days a week for 60 days. VERDICT: There is evidence for microcurrent when treating such conditions as sports injuries, arthritis and back pain — it is known to improve blood flow and cellular turnover. But you do have to use this daily for results. 3/5
JAW BOOT CAMP
Workout at FaceGym, from £50, London and Manchester, facegym.com. WHAT IS IT? A facial boot camp at FaceGym, the UK’s only gym for the face, where a personal trainer (facial masseuse) will give you a full workout. HOW IT WORKS: A therapist uses high energy kneading movements to tone and tighten the muscles. Fingers, thumbs and knuckles are used around the chin and jaw as well as some flicking motions up the chin. Fans say results are instant. VERDICT: Defining the jawline using massage is a popular form of facial — it is effective for a day or two, unless you carry on with the exercises. If combined with such techniques as radio frequency, you’ll have longer-term lifting. 3 .5 /5
JAB FOR JOWLS
Skin tightening with Morpheus8, below, from £950, drdavidjack.com WHAT IS IT? It sounds like an implausible sci-fi character, but this is the next generation in face firming. Pretty much painfree, it uses radio frequency and micro- needling to stimulate collagen production. HOW IT WORKS: Numbing cream is applied, then 24 needles, measuring up to 4mm and attached to a handheld probe, stamp painlessly, over the jawline and under the chin, delivering radio frequency and stimulation.
Two treatments one month apart are all that’s needed, and results are permanent. Initial tightening is evident and the results peak at six months.
VERDICT: Radio frequency and micro-needling is an effective firming technique; you are wounding the body to stimulate a healing response. Results can be excellent. 4 .5 /5
STRAP AND LIFT
Anacis Vela Contour 4D V Lift Band, below right, £39.44, amazon.co.uk
WHAT IS IT? A fabric and silicone band impregnated with ingredients including niacinamide, to help with wrinkles.
It claims to slim, tone and sculpt, and is used with an accompanying mask. HOW IT WORKS: First, the V-Pack, an oval fabric mask, is placed over the chin and jawline. Over this you fasten the accompanying V Lift Band — an elastic and silicone hairband. This is impregnated with the mineral tourmaline, to help firm the area. Thick straps pull tightly up the face. There are two slits for the ears.
You don’t get much more Hannibal Lecter than this.
Leave for up to 40 minutes, then follow with V Firming Cream.
It feels comfortable, but you Turn back time: Alice tries the Anacis Vela Contour 4D V Lift Band. Inset: Youthful Elizabeth McGovern
look like a complete noodle. My top tip is don’t answer the door to the postman. It is effective, but wrecks hair volume!
VERDICT: This seems labour intensive. There may be some instant, temporary lifting. But you can’t just squish flesh and expect it to stay in place. 2/5
GET PLASTERED
Face Lift Patch, £10.99, amazon.co.uk
WHAT IS IT? Invisible and waterproof little rectangles of elastic tape which are applied to the face to haul the skin back and redefine the jaw. To be honest, they look like plasters you’d pick up from Boots.
HOW IT WORKS: Clean the face and pull the jaw skin back towards the ear. Peel off the backing tape and hold the sticker down for five seconds until it’s firm. Then remove the top layer of tape so you are left with a fine, invisible strip holding your skin up. It’s fiddly, but my jaw does look more defined — for as long as it holds!
VERDICT: This is ludicrous, and fraught with risk — I don’t see how the tape is going to stay stuck on your face if you go dancing, for example. The best that can be said is that it’s an inexpensive solution! 1/5