Priorities
Jowls and a softening jawline
A softening jawline and skin that has started to settle below the jaw.
Treatments from $650
The short version
A softening jawline is one of the more common signs of facial aging. The line from the chin to the ear loses its definition, a soft pocket forms on either side of the chin, and the neck often begins to loosen as well.
Jowls are skin and a little fat that have moved below the jaw as the supporting ligaments loosen. How far they’ve descended determines your plan, so your consult starts with a pinch test and a photo.
Why it happens
Why the jawline softens
A crisp jawline depends on firm skin and fat that stays where it is. With age, collagen and elastin thin, the ligaments that hold everything in place loosen, and some of the cheek's volume slides down below the jaw.
Skin loses its spring
As collagen and elastin thin, skin along the jaw becomes slack and stops bouncing back when you pinch it.
Tissue settles lower
Cheek fat and skin gradually move down, gathering just below the jawline in a soft pocket on each side of the chin.
The neck often follows
Loosening tends to continue down the neck, and past a certain point that's best handled surgically.
Sources: Cleveland Clinic, aging skin
Your options
How we'd approach it
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Step 1We'd start with
Forma if it is early
From $699
About Forma if it is earlyIf your jawline is only starting to soften and the skin still snaps back when pinched, we'd suggest starting with Forma. It uses radiofrequency heat, with no needles and no downtime, in a series of four to six sessions with our medical esthetician. The change is subtle, and it's often enough for early laxity.
-
Step 2If you need a little more
Morpheus8 or PDO threads
From $799
About Morpheus8 or PDO threadsIf there's a defined jowl, Morpheus8 tightens from underneath with radiofrequency through microneedles, over three sessions with a few days of redness after each. If you'd like a visible change the same day, PDO threads reposition the tissue and gradually fade over months.
Side by side
Your options side by side
How far the tissue has descended decides the plan. Here's how the options compare.
We'd start with
Forma
From $699
- Best for
- Early softening, when the skin still snaps back
- Appointment
- 30 to 45 minutes, no numbing
- Downtime
- None. Pink and warm for a few hours
- First results
- Subtle firming after the first few sessions
- Sessions
- A series, often 4 to 6, then maintenance
If you need a little more
Morpheus8
From $799
- Best for
- A defined jowl with thinning skin
- Appointment
- 60 to 90 minutes, numbing included
- Downtime
- 2 to 5 days of redness and pinpoint scabs
- First results
- Some tightening in the first few weeks
- Sessions
- 1 to 3, spaced 4 to 8 weeks apart
PDO threads
From $1,000
- Best for
- A visible lift the same day, for mild sagging
- Appointment
- 45 to 90 minutes with local anesthetic
- Downtime
- Sore for a few days, swelling and bruising up to a week
- First results
- A modest lift on the day, clear once swelling settles
- Sessions
- 1, repeated at about 12 months if you want it
Jawline filler
From $650
- Best for
- Adding definition along the jaw and chin, not lifting
- Appointment
- 30 to 60 minutes, numbing included
- Downtime
- Swelling and possible bruising, settled by about two weeks
- First results
- Right away, under the swelling
- Sessions
- 1, with a check at two weeks
Prices are starting prices from our menu. Your provider will confirm the plan and total cost at your consult. Individual results vary.
What to expect
What to expect after Morpheus8 on the jawline
You'll be red and a little swollen for a few days. The tightening builds as collagen remodels, so the best time to judge your result is about three months after your last session.
Day 0
Red and swollen
Red and swollen with grid marks. Drive home and rest. It looks like a sunburn with a faint pattern.
Days 1 to 3
Fine scabs form
Redness fades to pink, and fine scabs form and itch. Most people are back to work by day 2 or 3.
Weeks 4 to 8
Collagen builds
Skin feels tight, then smooths. Time for your next session if you’re doing a series.
Month 3 to Year 1
Judge, then maintain
Jawline, neck, and scars are at their best after the final session. One maintenance session a year helps hold the change.
Timeline for Morpheus8, from our treatment page. Individual results vary.
Our reasoning
How we decide
We’ll pinch the skin along your jaw. If it springs back and the jowl is more of a shadow than a pocket, that’s early laxity, and Forma is a sensible place to start. One small study of Forma under the chin found laxity scores improved after the second or third session, with no serious side effects, per the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. A single session shows little change, so we plan Forma as a series and let the results build.
If the pocket is there at rest and the skin has thinned, Morpheus8 is usually the better choice. It’s FDA-cleared for contraction of soft tissue, and remodeling continues for about three months after each session. If you’d rather see a change the same day, PDO threads hold the tissue higher from day one. A 2025 systematic review of 12 thread studies found improvement in every case immediately after, but also that long-term efficacy data are lacking, per Dermatologic Surgery. Individual results vary.
We’ll also check whether the main concern is a fat pad under the chin, which may be better treated with Kybella.
Your questions, answered
Is a thread lift the same as a non-surgical facelift?
Not quite. "Non-surgical facelift" is a nickname, not a cleared indication. PDO threads temporarily reposition the cheek and jowl and dissolve over months. For most people, the lift holds for several months to about a year. Threads are a good fit for mild sagging, but not for heavy jowls.
Should I do Forma or go straight to Morpheus8?
If your jawline is just softening, we'd suggest Forma. If there's a pocket you can pinch and skin that's lost its snap, Morpheus8 is the better choice, because Forma won't do enough.
When should I start so it shows by spring?
Morpheus8 results build over about three months, so a series started in October should be showing by March. Fall and winter are also good times for treatment, because sun exposure is lower while the skin heals. Forma can be done any time of year.
What causes jowls?
Jowls form as the skin along your jaw loses collagen and elastin and the ligaments that hold your cheeks in place loosen. Some of the cheek's volume slides down below the jawline. Genetics, sun exposure and big weight changes can all make it happen sooner.
Can jowls be fixed without surgery?
Early and moderate jowls often can. Forma suits early softening, and Morpheus8 or PDO threads suit a defined jowl. A heavy jowl with loose neck skin is best treated with a facelift or neck lift, and we'll tell you if that's what we see.
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