Yes, for early to moderate jowls, where the skin along the jaw still has some elasticity. Sofwave heats the dermis, the living layer of the skin, to the temperature at which it contracts and lays down new collagen, and it is cleared in the US to lift lax tissue under the chin and on the neck; the jowls themselves are not named in the clearance, so for the jaw it is our clinical judgment. In our clinic the lower face is the area most people ask about, and the jawline and the fold from the nose to the mouth are where the change shows. A hanging fold at the jaw with no elasticity left, or a fat pad under the chin, is more than Sofwave tightens, and the clinician will tell you so at your free consultation and plan the right treatment instead.
What the studies measured
The clearance for the neck and under the chin rests on a study of 80 patients treated twice, a few weeks apart: blinded reviewers picked the after photograph correctly in 80% of cases, the treating physicians rated 85% as improved, and 55% of patients reported improvement, with one transient side effect that resolved with a cream. On the lower face, a 2023 study of 36 patients found the folds from the nose to the mouth (nasolabial folds) and the lines from the corners of the mouth down (marionette lines) reduced in more than 60% at one month, and a 2024 study of 34 full faces measured the skin contracting by about 2 mm at eight weeks and holding at 24 weeks. A 2026 study of 42 patients found laxity under the chin and on the neck improved in 83% at three months. These are figures from the manufacturer's clearance study and from published research; what they mean for your jaw is what the clinician shows you at the consultation.
Why it works on the jawline
Sofwave delivers synchronous ultrasound from seven parallel transducers (emitters) to a band about 1.5 mm below the surface, heating the dermis to 60 to 70 degrees for a few seconds per pulse while the skin surface is cooled. The dermis builds new collagen over the following three months. It does not reach the fat layer, which begins at about 3 mm, and the manufacturer states it does not cause fat loss; that is why it tightens a soft jawline without hollowing the face, and also why it does not remove a fat pad under the chin.
When we add EMface
Jowls are mostly skin that has loosened and muscle that has dropped, sometimes with a fat pad as well. Sofwave treats the skin. EMface, at our sister clinic at the same address, works the lifting muscles of the face. For a jawline that has dropped as well as loosened a combination often works best, Sofwave for the skin and EMface to lift the muscles of the midface, and the clinician plans the order at your free consultation. The full Sofwave guide compares the treatments. The jawline page and the neck and jawline page cover the area.
What to expect
One session for most faces, about an hour for the face and neck with 45 to 60 minutes of numbing cream first; redness for one to three hours, mild swelling up to a day, and straight back to your day. An early change at one to two weeks, the result building from six to eight weeks to its peak at three months, and holding for around a year in our experience. The sessions page covers when a second session helps.
Find out for your jawline
Book a free consultation at Sofwave Clinic on 0207 099 9640 or through the form below. The clinician lifts the skin at your jaw and tells you plainly whether what you have is early jowls Sofwave lifts, a fold that needs another plan, or a fat pad.
