Jowls: anatomy of the fat over the jawline
- Highlighted area
Quick facts
- Definition
- Accumulation of soft tissue that descends and creates fullness over and below the edge of the jaw, between the chin and the angle.
- Boundaries
- In front, the mandibular ligament; behind, the masseteric ligaments.
- Components
- Fat of the jowl compartment, skin, SMAS and platysma, with a contribution from ligament laxity.
- Difference from double chin
- Jowls sit at the sides, over the edge of the jaw; a double chin sits under the chin, in the submental area.
- Relevance in HOF
- Breaks the jawline and creates the pre-jowl sulcus in front.
- In Harmy
- The area corresponds to the Jawline point in the marking.
Jowls, called buldogue in Brazil, are the soft tissue volume that descends and accumulates over and just below the edge of the jaw, between the chin and the mandibular angle. They break the jawline, which is no longer continuous from the angle to the chin, and often appear together with marionette lines. They are one of the most visible signs of aging in the lower third.
Where are they and what forms them?
The jowl occupies the strip between two anchor points: in front, the mandibular ligament, which anchors the skin to the bone in the anterior part of the jaw; behind, the masseteric ligaments, along the anterior edge of the masseter. Between them, the tissues are less anchored and can descend.
| Component | Role in the jowl |
|---|---|
| Jowl fat compartment | Superficial fat that descends and projects over the bony edge |
| Skin | Loses thickness and elasticity and follows the tissue as it descends |
| SMAS and platysma | Musculoaponeurotic layer that loosens and pulls the contour downward |
| Retaining ligaments | The masseteric ones loosen; the mandibular one holds the front and marks the boundary |
| Bone | Resorption of the jaw reduces support from below |
In front of the jowl, where the mandibular ligament holds the skin, a depression forms, the pre-jowl sulcus. It is this contrast between the volume that has descended and the anchored depression that gives the bulldog look.
Why do jowls appear?
The causes tend to add up: loss of midface support, which shifts weight downward; laxity of the masseteric ligaments and the SMAS; loss of skin elasticity; bone resorption; and weight changes, which alter the volume of the fat pads. Genetics and face shape influence when and how they appear.
Jowls, double chin and submentum: what is the difference?
Jowls are lateral, on each side of the chin, over the edge of the jaw. The double chin is central, under the chin, in the submental region, and involves fat above and below the platysma. The two can coexist and together erase the angle between the jaw and the neck, but they are assessed and treated differently. The combined assessment is covered in lower third laxity.
How do they appear in the assessment?
- Frontal view: shows the break in the contour and the asymmetry between sides.
- Profile and oblique: show how much tissue passes below the bony edge and the depth of the pre-jowl sulcus.
- Head slightly down: accentuates the jowl and helps gauge the excess tissue.
- Lifting maneuver: gently lifting the midface skin and watching whether the jowl shrinks helps separate descended weight from local volume.
- Skin and weight: skin quality and a history of weight loss change the indication.
The approaches discussed vary: restoring support in the midface and the jaw, camouflaging the pre-jowl sulcus, biostimulation, threads and, with a larger excess of skin and tissue, surgery. In general, adding volume over the jowl itself is avoided, because that increases the weight. The choice belongs to the qualified professional, after an assessment.
Also called: jowls, buldogue, sagging cheek over the jaw.
Frequently asked questions
What are jowls on the face?
They are the volume of tissue that descends and sits over the edge of the jaw, between the chin and the angle, breaking the line of the contour. In Portuguese they are commonly called buldogue. They appear with aging, loss of support and laxity of the skin and ligaments.
What is the difference between jowls and a double chin?
Jowls are lateral, over the jawline, on each side of the chin. A double chin is central, under the chin, in the submental region. The two can coexist and call for different assessments.