Face & Neck
About Face And Neck Lift Surgery
Are you sick of wearing scarves or turtlenecks, even in warm weather, to hide your hanging jowls and turkey neck? Let’s talk about corrective surgery to lift the fascial coverings (the SMAS of the face and the platysma of the neck) back to where they were when you were younger and trim away the redundant skin. This can correct the appearance of an aging neck and jawline while still looking natural.
Rhytidectomy (facelift) lifts and tightens the tissue under your chin and along the jawline to remove loose skin that creates a “turkey neck,” jowls, and a poorly defined jawline and lateral face. A bit of liposculpting performed at the same time can reduce the “double chin” and give your upper neck a more “snatched” appearance.
Platysmaplasty (Neck Lift), by contrast, pulls the neck muscles back and slightly upward toward the hairline behind the ear and seeks to minimize fullness under the chin, vertical neck bands, and excess skin. The extra skin that then bunches up in front of the ear must also be trimmed. If there are anterior neck bands, they are tied together (platysmaplasty) or trimmed and released. Liposculpting performed at the same time, above and/or below the platysma muscle, gives your jawline a more sculpted appearance.
Most patients benefit from a combination of procedures, including an Upper Neck/Lower Face Lift performed simultaneously, with or without liposculpting, platysmal plication, or a chin implant. Earlobes can also be reduced and realigned at the same time.
This produces a harmonious tightening, smoother skin, a more sculpted jawline and chin, and artfully hides incisions within skin folds and hair whenever possible to produce a n enduring, natural result for many years. Long-lasting fillers are employed to reinflate areas that have lost volume, enhancing the result.
Ideal Candidates For Face And Neck Lift Surgery
Men and women seeking a face and neck lift often struggle with visibly loose skin, hanging jowls, poorly defined jawlines, vertical neck bands, turkey necks, and deep horizontal “necklace” lines. Facial and neck aging results from numerous factors, including gravity, bone and tissue resorption, weight fluctuations, genetics, sun exposure, illness, and aging. To look as young as you feel, these factors are best addressed with skin excision and tightening, paired with conservative reinflation of the temples and cheeks and redefining the lateral chin, chin height, and projection. If your weight is stable but you are frustrated by sagging skin, surface lines, and neck wrinkles, a face, neck, or combination lift may be a great place to start.
Face And Neck Lift Surgery
During a face and neck lift procedure, IV sedation or general anesthesia, along with tumescent anesthesia (which helps keep you more comfortable after surgery), is used. Incisions begin in the temple hairline, cascade downward along existing skin creases in front of the ear (behind the tragus in women, in front of it in men), around the lobule, behind the posterior ear crease, and then curve along the posterior hairline. Another incision may also be hidden beneath your chin. If isolated areas of fat are present, manual liposculpting of the neck is performed first.
The facial muscle coverings (SMAS) and neck muscle fascia are trimmed and elevated along the appropriate vectors, and excess skin is trimmed to minimize tension on the closures. This three- to four-layer tightening and closure method is performed until the desired contour, shape, and smoothness are achieved. Almost all sutures dissolve over time, or, if on the surface, are removed over several weeks. Scars are hidden inside the hairline and in existing skin folds.
You will have the option (strongly recommended) to have IV umbilical-derived stem cells and exosomes, which can direct your body to accelerate healing and reduce inflammation.
Recovery And Results
After face and neck lift surgery, some swelling from the tumescent anesthesia and the surgery itself is expected. Bruising may not be apparent for a while and will resolve within two weeks. Tightness, numbness, and discomfort are expected and will go away in 7 – 10 days. Your smile may look tight or uneven until your body adjusts and your nerves regenerate.
Plan to rest, eat a high-protein diet, avoid smoking, stay out of the gym, and avoid heavy lifting for several weeks.
You will be given a compression dressing to reduce swelling and a cervical collar to prevent “tech neck.” You will notice a visible improvement almost immediately. Weekly lymphatic drainage massage at the office, Redvive Red/NIR therapy at home, and topical treatments speed healing and reduce scar visibility.
Symmetry, contours, proportion, and function improve over the next year. Fillers and toxins can be added or restarted six to eight weeks after your procedure.
Talk To Dr. Z About Facial And Neck Rejuvenation
Face and neck rejuvenation is a personal and highly individualized journey. During your consultation, Dr. Z will evaluate your health, anatomy, photos you provide from earlier in your life, and your aesthetic goals to determine a path of procedures, performed together or over time, that will provide you with a safe, natural, long-lasting enhancement that meets your goals and restores your appearance and self-esteem.
