When that once-crisp jawline has softened on you, or when you notice a bit of extra fullness under the chin, you may be tempted to lump these issues together. While it’s true that jowls and double chin sometimes share similar causes and present in similar ways, glossing the differences over will do you no favors when it comes to finding a targeted, effective treatment approach.
First, understanding the basic, clinically relevant differences behind jowls and double chin will give you greater discernment as you consider your options with our team at Augusta Aesthetics.
Why We Don’t Treat Jowls and Double Chin the Same
What’s Really Going on With Jowls
Jowls form along the jawline, where the cheek meets the lower face. Descent and deflation are often more to blame than fat accumulation. As the years pass, several processes unfold:
- Collagen and elastin, the proteins that keep skin firm and springy, gradually decline, so the skin loses its ability to hold a sharp border.
- The fat pads that sit higher in the face slide downward, pooling along the jawline instead of staying lifted in the cheeks.
- The retaining ligaments that anchor facial tissue loosen, letting everything drift south.
- Even the bone beneath the face resorbs slightly over time, removing some of the scaffolding that once held things in place.
The result is a soft bulge that hangs just below the jawline. Because the core issue is lax tissue, the fixes that work best rebuild structure, tighten skin and restore a little lift.
What’s Really Going on With a Double Chin
A double chin, or submental fullness, is a completely different animal. Here the main character is usually fat, and it isn’t necessarily confined to the surface layer you can pinch. A deeper pocket sits beneath the platysma, a thin sheet of muscle across the front of your neck, which is why some double chins persist even in lean, fit people.
Genetics play a key role in how and where that fat is deposited, so diet and exercise don’t always have the impact you might expect. Skin laxity and a loosening platysma can add to the picture as you age, and a naturally recessed chin or a softer jaw-to-neck angle makes whatever fullness is there look more pronounced. Put simply, a double chin is often a volume problem in a spot that historically responds poorly to diet and exercise.
How the Difference Drives the Approach
Once you see jowls as deflation and descent, and a double chin as trapped fat, the treatments we will recommend should make more sense. Jowls call for collagen stimulation, skin tightening and structural support. A double chin usually calls for fat reduction first, with skin or muscle refinement as appropriate. Swapping these approaches or blurring them together can cause underwhelming results.
Jowls Treatments at Augusta Aesthetics
Because jowls stem from thinning collagen and sagging tissue, the treatments below focus on firming, rebuilding and lifting. We may suggest one or layer a few, depending on how advanced the laxity is.
VirtueRF® Microneedling
VirtueRF pairs traditional microneedling with radiofrequency energy. Fine gold-tipped needles create microchannels in the skin while delivering controlled heat into the deeper layers, which stimulates your body’s collagen and elastin production. Over the following weeks, that new collagen firms and subtly lifts the skin along the jawline.
Downtime is minimal, usually a day or two of redness and mild warmth. It’s a strong choice for early-to-moderate jowl laxity when you want tightening without injections or surgery.
Wondering if your skin is a good match? Call 513-914-6062 to set up a consultation or schedule an appointment online.
Sculptra® Aesthetic
Sculptra is a collagen biostimulator made from poly-L-lactic acid. Rather than filling the treatment area directly, it acts as a scaffold that nudges your body to rebuild its own collagen over time, restoring structure and a gentle lift to the jawline, chin and cheeks over a few months. Treatment usually involves a series of sessions spaced several weeks apart, with little downtime beyond possible tenderness or small bumps at the injection sites.
Book a consultation to see whether Sculptra’s gradual approach suits your goals.
Dermal Fillers
When jowls stem partly from lost volume, hyaluronic acid dermal fillers can restore a crisp jawline border and lift sagging tissue right away. Placed strategically along the jaw and chin, filler rebuilds definition where the face has deflated, and the effect is visible immediately. Expect minimal downtime, though some swelling or bruising is normal for a few days.
Curious what filler could do for your jawline? Reach out at 513-914-6062.
Subnovii® Plasma Pen
In cases of finer skin laxity and crepey texture affecting the lower face, the Subnovii plasma pen offers targeted tightening. The device delivers tiny arcs of plasma energy just above the skin, creating controlled micro-injuries that activate fibroblasts and collagen production. The trade-off for its precision is a bit more recovery. Small dot-like crusts form and typically flake away within about a week, which is helpful to know ahead of time when planning around social commitments.
Considering Subnovii for your skin? Schedule a consultation to find out.
Botox® and Dysport®
Neuromodulators like Botox and Dysport won’t lift heavy jowls on their own, yet they play a useful supporting role. By relaxing the platysma muscle that pulls down on the jawline, an approach often called the Nefertiti lift, they can soften that downward tug and sharpen the jaw’s contour. Treatment takes minutes, and you can return to your day right away. Think of it as a finishing touch rather than a standalone fix for significant sagging.
Call 513-914-6062 to ask whether a Nefertiti-style treatment could refine your jawline.
Double Chin Treatments at Augusta Aesthetics
Since a double chin involves unwanted fatty tissue, the treatments here start by reducing that fullness, then refine the skin and muscle around it. Here’s how the options compare.
Kybella®
Kybella is the only FDA-approved injectable designed to reduce submental fat. Its active ingredient, deoxycholic acid, is a molecule your body already uses to break down dietary fat. Once injected under the chin, it destroys fat cells so they can no longer store fat. Over the following weeks, your body clears those cells, and the fullness gradually shrinks. Most people need two to four treatments, occasionally up to six, spaced about a month apart. Swelling under the chin afterward is expected and part of how the treatment works, so plan for a few days of puffiness.
Call 513-914-6062 to see if you’re a candidate for Kybella.
VirtueRF®
Once submental fat is taken care of, the skin that covered it sometimes needs tightening, and that’s where VirtueRF comes in. The same radiofrequency microneedling that firms jowls can tighten lax skin beneath the chin and smooth the transition into the neck. Downtime stays short, usually a day or so of redness.
Schedule a consultation to see whether pairing skin tightening with fat reduction makes sense for you.
Botox® and Wrinkle Relaxers
When vertical neck bands or a lax platysma muscle muddies the line between the chin and neck, wrinkle relaxers can help define it. Rather than removing fat, they relax the muscle that drags the jaw-neck angle downward, which sharpens the contour and complements fat-focused treatments. It’s a quick option with no real downtime.
Call 513-914-6062 to find out whether muscle-relaxing treatment fits your neck and jaw.
Why Choose Augusta Aesthetics for Double Chin or Jowls Treatment?
Lower-face treatments require precision and keen judgment, which makes the credentials and experience behind the treatment even more important. At Augusta Aesthetics of Cincinnati, our board-certified nurse practitioners built their clinical foundations in demanding hospital settings before specializing in aesthetics:
- Erin, FNP-C, founder and lead provider, earned her Master of Science in Nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner at the University of Cincinnati and began her career in the Cardiac ICU at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital before moving into aesthetics in 2016. She belongs to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the Ohio Association of Advanced Practice Nurses.
- Rachel, FNP-C, holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Kentucky and a Master of Science in Nursing from Northern Kentucky University, with Family Nurse Practitioner certification through the AANP and a focus on aesthetic medicine since 2018.
- Suzanne, FNP-C, is a board-certified nurse practitioner with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Cincinnati and a Master of Science in Nursing, who spent years in surgical ICU and PACU care before turning to aesthetic nursing.
Augusta draws on advanced, device-driven options, from VirtueRF and Sculptra to Kybella and more, and has been recognized as a member of The Scout Guide Cincinnati for several years.
Ready to See the Difference for Yourself?
Jowls and a double chin ask for different tools, in a different order, for different reasons. The encouraging part is that both respond well to the right plan, and figuring out that plan starts with understanding which concern, or combination, you’re actually facing. Augusta Aesthetics can help you sort it out and move forward with treatments suited to your skin, your anatomy and your goals. Call 513-914-6062 or schedule your consultation online and get clear answers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will losing weight get rid of my double chin or jowls?
Not always. Submental fat is heavily influenced by genetics, and some of it sits deep beneath the platysma muscle, so it can linger even after you slim down elsewhere. Jowls aren’t a fat problem at all, stemming instead from sagging, deflating tissue, which means weight loss can sometimes make them look slightly more noticeable rather than less.
How can I tell whether I have jowls, a double chin or both?
Jowls appear along the jawline, where the lower cheek sags past the jaw’s edge, while a double chin sits underneath the chin as fullness between the jaw and neck. Many people have a mix of both.
Are the results permanent, or will I need maintenance?
It depends on the treatment. When Kybella destroys fat cells, those cells are gone for good, though staying at a stable weight helps protect the result. Collagen-based approaches like Sculptra and VirtueRF produce longer-lasting improvement, yet your skin keeps aging, so occasional upkeep keeps things looking their best.
Which option has the least downtime?
VirtueRF and the injectables, including filler, Sculptra and neuromodulators, generally let you return to normal activities quickly, with at most a day or two of redness or swelling. The Subnovii plasma pen asks for the most recovery, since its tiny crusts take about a week to flake away.
Is there an age that’s too early or too late to start?
There’s no fixed age window. Some people begin collagen-stimulating treatments in their 30s to stay ahead of laxity, while others address more advanced jowls or fullness in their 50s and 60s. What matters more than age is the state of your skin and the goal you have in mind.