Face shape change - weird

[fatfacee]

I have been noticing for a while that my face shape is now completely different to how it always was. I'm only 33 years old, but its as if I already have jowls forming - Am I not too young for jowls??!

I used to have a tight jawline, heart shaped face, really narrow at the bottom. But looking back at photos, its appears to have changed from a heart shape to a square over just two years. Looking at old selfies, early 2019 I still looked like 'me', but by early 2021, I look nothing like me anymore. I still have a small chin, but it seems little pockets of fat to the sides of my chin now. The line of my chin goes out a bit and then back in towards my cheekbones.

I haven't put on weight, so I'm trying to work out why.

I did have a stressful time during the pandemic, think job loss and moving home which was particularly stressful. Times are still stressful to an extent now but managed better. Can stress really cause such changes?

The only other thing I can think of, is that during 2019, I did have braces for 6 months to close a couple of gaps in my teeth. But again, surely this wouldn't dramatically change my face shape?

I thought, maybe i've been clenching my teeth through stress, so I had botox in my masseters to see if there would be any change, but that was in September and there has been no change to my face. (although I have less headaches)

Just feeling low and wondering if i'll ever be happy with my face again.

I think it's a normal part of ageing. In my experience it's far more noticeable to you than it will be to others.

Yep, normal part of aging.
As you get older your face goes from more of a heart shape to a triangle - your bone structure changes.
It's why people get filler injected in to temples etc

It will be far more noticeable to you than anyone else. Same as when you get filler it's usually only you that notices! 😂

Honestly, my bet is the braces. Think of your teeth as the rods inside a tent and your skin as the fabric of the tent. If you are moving the rods (teeth) closer together and inwards then the fabric (skin) isn’t going to be as tight, and will sag a bit more. Hence the jowels. I had the same problem. I then had the gaps in my teeth opened back up and then had braces to bring my back teeth (molars) fowards to close up the gaps but not create sagging skin. Some dentists will deny this is the cause, but if you find yourself a dentist that also focuses on facial aesthetics and not just straight teeth, they will agree.

I'm still jowly, so it isn't the teeth grinding which is causing it as Botox is nearly 3 months old.

Its affecting my self esteam a great deal, I won't wear my hair up anymore as it makes it more obvious. :( I just thought such a change would happen over time - not practically over night. Its as if my cheeks have melted downwards.

In terms of the braces, I don't feel I had a dramatic change to my teeth, but gaps were closed so maybe my teeth have been pushed back?

Can anyone share any tips cos I feel like I'm going to have to need to look into treatments.

It’s rare, but sometimes your jaw can enlarge as a result of extra growth hormone being produced by a pituitary adenoma (a non-cancerous tumour on the pituitary gland which nevertheless needs treatment). Have you any other symptoms - are your hands and feet still the same size as they were? As I sat, it’s rare, but you’re so young that I think it’s unusual for jowls to be forming already.

Heart shaped faces are very prone to this. I've experienced exactly what you describe as I've aged - sorry!

Look up 'the triangle of youth' and that will show you some ideas of what you could do if you wanted.
There's also a great Charlotte tilbury video somewhere about using contouring as you get older - ie it's not at all like you'd do in your 20s.

Hi there,
I just happened to see this and wanted to mention an illness called acromegaly. It is caused by excessive growth hormone produced in the pituitary gland.

Acromegaly can cause a wide range of symptoms, which tend to develop very slowly over time.
Early symptoms include:

• swollen hands and feet – you may notice a change in your ring or shoe size
• tiredness and difficulty sleeping, and sometimes sleep apnea.
• gradual changes in your facial features, such as your brow, lower jaw and nose getting larger, or your teeth becoming more widely spaced
• numbness and weakness in your hands, caused by a compressed nerve.

If you have these symptoms you want to see an endocrinologist and have your IGF1 levels checked. It’s probably not this. Acromegaly is a rare disease. Unfortunately that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. It’s worth checking if you have any concerns. The earlier it is caught the more likely it is to be curable!

I decided to pop this up on all the face change threads in case suit helps someone some day.

Do some face yoga and face massages. Work really well!

It’s a natural change with age, and heart shaped faces are more prone to noticeable shape change.

Has your weight fluctuated? Are you drinking enough water? Have you got a good skincare regime going? All these things will help, but may not make a huge visual difference. Good to consider, though, as is salt and sugar intake.

You could consider firming treatments such as laser or ultrasound if you want to ‘treat’. I don’t recommend the cooling ones, but they can be effective, but research clinics closely.

I’d be very cautious against overfilling other areas of your face to counteract. Filler simply cannot lift and you risk the pillowy look.