Loose jowls, sagging cheeks, and lax skin under the chin — non-surgical options to help lift, firm, and support your facial contours.
This page is for the patient who notices the jawline blurring, the cheeks flattening, or the skin under the chin starting to fold — and wants to understand the non-surgical options before considering anything more involved. “Lift and tighten” is a category, not a single treatment: thread lifts, biostimulators, energy-based skin tightening, and muscle-toning facials each address a different layer of the same problem.
Skin laxity rarely shows up everywhere at once. Most patients notice the change in one zone first, then another. Identifying where your concern sits helps map the conversation we will have at consultation.
Loose cheeks, a flattening contour along the cheekbone, and a deepening nasolabial fold — the cheek “slides” forward instead of sitting up over the bone.
Jowls that blur the mandibular border, a softening of the jaw-to-neck angle, and a small depression in front of the chin (the pre-jowl sulcus). The zone most patients describe as “losing definition.”
Lax skin under the chin, vertical neck banding, and a loss of the sharp jaw-to-neck angle. The neck often responds more slowly to non-surgical methods — see neck thread lift for the dedicated method page.
Four methods cover the non-surgical lift & tighten category at Desert Bloom. Each card links to the dedicated treatment page where the protocol, candidacy detail, and recovery information live. Pricing for any method appears on the price list.
Mechanical Lift
Absorbable polydioxanone sutures reposition descended tissue and stimulate collagen along the suture path. Some repositioning may be visible early, while collagen support develops gradually over the following weeks.
Best for: visible jowls and a softened mandibular border where tissue has descended but skin still has tone.
Biostimulator
Poly-L-lactic acid prompts your own collagen to rebuild gradually over multiple sessions. Slow and architectural rather than immediate.
Best for: diffuse mid-face laxity where loss of support and loss of tone need addressing together.
Energy / Virtue RF
Radiofrequency energy delivered through insulated microneedles tightens skin and remodels the dermis. Virtue RF can be used across a wide range of skin types when settings are selected appropriately.
Best for: mild-to-moderate skin laxity with overlapping texture concerns; pairs with structural methods.
No Downtime
Low-level electrical current (Clareblend platform) re-educates the underlying facial muscles for a subtle lift and improved tone. No injections, no downtime.
Best for: early or mild laxity, maintenance between structural treatments, and patients who want a non-injectable starting point.
See full pricing for every method.
The right starting point depends on how much laxity is present and how it is distributed. The cards below outline the typical path Dr. Borakowski considers for each severity band; severity itself is confirmed in consultation.
Early softening — a touch of jowl shadow, slight cheek flattening, mild crepiness — without significant descent.
Typical path: Microcurrent Facial, Sculptra, or RF Microneedling — often as a single method or maintenance plan.
Visible jowls, mid-face volume loss, and clear blurring of the jawline. Skin tone is reduced but still responsive.
Typical path: PDO Thread Lift paired with Sculptra and/or RF Microneedling, sequenced over months. CO2 Laser may be considered separately for overlapping texture concerns when clinically appropriate.
Pronounced skin redundancy, significant neck banding, or heavy descent beyond the reach of non-surgical methods.
Typical path: A consultation may show that surgical options are a better fit than non-surgical treatment. If so, Dr. Borakowski will discuss that honestly and can point you toward surgical evaluation when appropriate.
If you’re comparing non-surgical options with facelift surgery, see our non-surgical facelift options guide.
Lift and tighten rarely resolves with a single tool. Most plans pair a structural method — PDO threads or Sculptra — with a surface method like RF microneedling or microcurrent, sequenced across several months. Dr. Borakowski builds the order based on what the face needs first, not on a fixed package.
Prefer to browse by method rather than concern? See all treatments at Desert Bloom.
Book a complimentary consultation. Dr. Borakowski will assess your skin quality, jawline and neck contour, and underlying support, then walk you through a plan that matches your goals — or refer you on if a surgical evaluation is the better next step. No package pressure, no assumptions.
Desert Bloom Skincare Center offers personalized skincare consultation to help you achieve a flawless and radiant complexion. Book your appointment today and let our expert team of skincare professionals address your specific concerns and help you reach your skincare goals.
Phone:(480) 567-8180
E-mail:info@desertbloomskincare.com
Get Directions →Desert Bloom Skincare is conveniently located in the Shea Corridor of North Scottsdale, within Edwards Professional Park I — minutes from HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical Center and the Mayo Clinic Scottsdale Campus.
We proudly provide expert non-surgical rhinoplasty and PDO thread lifts to patients across the Southwest: