The jaw of youth!

Forget luscious lips and smooth foreheads - the best way to look youthful is to have taut and smooth jaw line. Hollywood actresses like Agyness Deyn, Victoria Beckham and Angelina Jolie are always flaunting their accentuated jaw lines, so what’s wrong with ours? Many a time we try to hide the double chin with a high neck or scarf and tilt the head just right when a photo is taken. The extra layer of fatty tissue under the chins is most often caused by being overweight.  

As we age, our skin grows slack and sagging as it loses elasticity. There is no denying the fact that a toned up jaw line with properly modulated throat and cheek muscles add million stars to the beauty of the face.

While there are surgical procedures that can eliminate a double chin, they can be expensive. By exercising certain muscles in the face you can maintain, or even recreate, a good jaw line.  It's just as important to stretch the jaw muscles as it is to strengthen them. A good way to stretch the jaw muscles is to sit up straight with your lips closed and relaxed, tilt your head back so you’re looking at the ceiling, then form an O-shape with your lips. This pulls the skin tight over your jaw bone.

Face muscles can be retrained like any other muscles to become firm and strong again. Just as unfit bodies can become toned through exercise, jowls can be streamlined and stretched with exercise and diet. There's no magic wand, but as long as you have the discipline and patience to maintain it, this method is far more effective than any facelift.

The writer Vikas Jain is Managing Director, Anytime Fitness