Those Puffy, Droopy Jowls You've Been Noticing? It Could Be "Covid Chin"

From Town & Country

After months of pandemic-related zoom calls, we've all become well acquainted with our own faces. And let's face it: who isn't getting sick of their own visage? Aside from the requisite Zoom languor, you might have noticed certain changes in your face; specifically, a puffy, less defined jaw. (Because, you know, maskne was not enough.) Needless to say, we had to ask some of our go-to pros what this aesthetic change is, and what, if anything, we can do for it.

First and foremost, why is your chin sagging all of a sudden? Well, according to Face Gym trainer, Madalaina Conti, this can be chalked up to something as simple as normal aging, to tension in the face from grinding one's teeth, as well as more unexpected causes like misalignment and bad posture. To put it simply, more hours logged in front of screens is pushing our heads forward, causing tension and restricting blood flow in the face. This in turn, leads to skin dullness, as well as a lack of muscle tone that results in less defined jaws, and more prominent jowls.

This is confirmed by Dr. Anne Chapas of Union Square Laser Dermatology, who explains that, aside from poor posture, "neck tone, bone resorption, fat loss, and skin laxity all contribute to slackening of the jaw line."

So what can be done? Well, if you are looking for a treatment that is slightly more intensive, Dr. Chapas says that one option is rebuilding the jawline with fillers. "We start with injecting dermal fillers such as Restylane Defyne into the chin and marionette lines, to restore structure in the front of the face." She adds that these fillers can improve the overall appearance of the lower face, and they last for up to 48 weeks—crucial during a time when getting to your doctor's office for regular maintenance can be challenging. The other option, according to Dr. Chapas, is ultrasound tightening devices such as Sofwave, which help tighten the overlying skin.

But if you aren't keen on a trip to the doctor or want to avoid needles, there are, of course, some at-home techniques that you can employ to tighten and lift your face. According to Conti, a combination of gua sha and facial exercises can help restore the appearance of your chin, with the former being the most effective at relieving tension and restoring blood flow to the face, according to the aesthetician. Conti advises doing gua sha during the morning to help with puffiness throughout the face, not just in the jaw. (Pro tip: always work the neck with your gua sha as well, because that's how you drain the fluid trapped in your face.) While the morning is a great time to use gua sha to perk up your complexion, the time of day isn't as important as doing it on a regular basis.

Conti advises, however, that gua sha is going to be helpful with circulation, but not really with tension. Seeing as tension is also a factor in the slackening of the jaw, it's important to incorporate facial stretches as well. At Face Gym this involves using the Face Ball, particularly around the TMJ joint help lift and loosen.

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Manual movements, not only help with getting the blood flowing, but keeping the 40 muscles in the face, and in the lower face in particular, toned and taut.

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Enter the "E" excercise. Conti explains that this daily movement, which should be done in reps of 10, works the platysma muscle, and the resistance created helps lift and tighten the neck and under the jaw in particular.

Beyond that simple exercise, Conti also suggests doing a training routine or face workout at least a few times a week to maintain muscle tone in the jaw line. Face Gym offers a number of virtual programs, but they also provide 10 minute workouts on their Instagram feed, which not only have a cardio portion, but a sculpting portion as well. The key: consistency. Just like your regular workouts.

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