When lifting creams, contouring, gua sha, and face yoga fail to move the needle quite as drastically as you’d like, and you’re ready to take the plunge where fillers and tweakments are concerned, a more defined chin and sculpted jawline with the help of Volux may hold the key. According to aesthetic expert and face architect, Dr Melvin Tan of Epion Clinic, “a V-shaped face creates a softer and more feminine aesthetic. The youth-connection is mostly related to the jawline.”
“A straight and tight jawline that is clearly demarcated from the neck, with well-defined horizontal and vertical elements at the L-junction going up to the ear, and a hint of a shadow below the jawline are all landmarks for both beauty and youthfulness,” Dr Tan outlines.
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What is a V-shaped face?
It’s this inverted pyramid or the triangle of youth—where cheekbones are high; cheeks, full and contoured, chin pointed, and the jawline so sharp that it could cut glass (we’re talkin’ the likes of Reese Witherspoon, Chungha, Zoe Kravitz, and Han So-Hee)—that keep aesthetic clinics in Singapore and Malaysian busy all year long.
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The desire for a V-shaped face is nothing new in Asia, however some doctors report that given all the Zooming we’ve been doing lately, we’re more conscious than ever of freezing furrows and achieving an L-shaped jawline. “The V-shaped face was popularised by Korean pop stars and celebrities, and is mathematically proven to be the most visually attractive face shape,” shares leading hair and make-up artist, Marc Teng who has worked with the likes of Dua Lipa, Lou Dillon, Eva Herzigova, and Sofia Coppola. “Many Asians physiologically have a wide face. A V-shaped face can give the illusion of a slimmer face, and can also help one look younger and more feminine.”
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One study cites the illusion of Asian youthfulness linked to baby-faced features oft attributed to infants: “a wider and rounder face, higher eyebrow, fuller upper lid, lower nasal bridge, flatter mid-face… and more receded chin.” However, the Asian face is “subjected to a greater amount of gravitational force due to weaker skeletal support, heavier soft tissue, larger amount of malar fat, thicker skin, and a weaker chin.” Meaning that if a youthful look and an L-shaped jawline is high on your list of priorities, you may need to mind the sag with time.
Dr Tan says that “in terms of structure and proportion, Asian faces are generally wider and flatter and Caucasian faces more narrow and 3D. In terms of facial features, the main differences lie in four areas, namely the eyes, nose, lips and chin.”
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What causes facial sagging?
Genetics, soft tissue, facial expressions, and environmental elements are just some of the factors that contribute to how our face changes with time. Many start losing definition around the middle and lower part of their faces including the chin, neck and jawline, leading to jowls and doughiness.
“The main issue is the loss of support in the face and facial tissues as we age. In the lower face, the skin and ligaments that keep everything tightly held become lax over time due to loss of collagen and elasticity. Higher up in the mid-face, loss of the bone, muscle and fat during ageing also reduces the foundation or scaffolding-like support resulting in the lower face fat pads to descend,” says Dr Tan.
Aside from facial threads and other in-clinic solutions such as Hifu and Profhilo which subtly tone up the skin, fillers such as Juvederm Volux can be used to contour the chin and add definition jawline—perfect if you’re someone whose face, neck, and jaw are beginning to appear as one.
What is Juvederm Volux and what can it do?
Volux is a hyualuronic acid facial filler that helps to restore and create volume around the chin and jawline. Its cohesive and elastic nature enables it to be sculpted by aesthetic doctors. And like many Juvederm fillers, it contains lidocaine to help minimise discomfort and pain. Hyaluronic acid fillers such as Volux may help to reduce the signs of ageing by moisturising the skin, and restoring elasticity and tone for natural-looking results.
“I use it in areas where I need to create a lot of definition such as in the chin, jawline and nose for instance,” says Dr Tan. “As we age we lose significant volume in our chin and jawline which can manifest as jowling, sad lines around the mouth and specifically in the chin area, skin excess and cobblestoning,” he shares. “You can volumise the chin to rejuvenate and refresh the lower face, and create a fuller and smoother chin shape. Doing this also lends additional support to the jowl and sad Marionette lines.”
“Although we have treatments we can use to restore volume elsewhere in the face, they are really too soft to provide the definition and projection consumers want in the lower face,” shares leading German dermatologist Patricia Ogilvie. Juvederm Volux on the other hand, is billed as a more ‘structural’ product that adds depth to features.
“Jawline definition is such an important landmark for youth and facial beauty. When we fill the jawline and chin in combination to filling and lifting the mid-face, we can create opposing direction vectors that tension the jawline, flatten cheeks and produce a lifting, slimming effect,” says Dr Tan. Aesthetic doctors also create the illusion of a more refined V-shape face by lengthening the chin to bring it into better proportion with the rest of the face, though doctors are careful to not overfill the chin which can make it look ‘witchy’ according to netizens.
“A little roundedness at the front of the chin that reflects light makes it look prettier and more feminine. Improving the projection of the chin makes the face more aesthetically balanced in profile (as opposed to having a very set back chin). It can help tension the front of the jawline creating better definition as well as reduce the double chin below.”
Can gua sha give the same V-shape results as filler?
“I really see these techniques as more complementary to the medical treatments or as a form of maintenance after it. Honestly speaking, it is already challenging to lift skin with medical-grade devices. It’s definitely easier in younger patients, but often in more mature patients we have to combine a few different treatments to get the result we desire,” says Dr Tan.
Your two best bets when it comes to fillers that define and contour the chin and jawline are Juvederm Voluma and Volux. Dr Tan explains: “Volux is excellent if we are looking to significantly improve length or advancement or create a lot of definition. It’s excellent particularly in male jawlines and chins. If I just need to make a small augmentation or rejuvenate the chin in a patient with decent existing chin structure then Voluma is great too.”
How long does Volux last?
Up to 18 to 27 months.
What is Volux’s risks, downsides, and contraindications?
Avoid getting it simultaneously with laser treatments, deep chemical peels or dermabrasion. Patients suffering from untreated epilepsy, a hypersensitivity to hyaluronic acid or lidocaine, and pregnant or breastfeeding women should also avoid Volux.
