If you would like to refresh your look, so that you feel more like your best, a facelift or neck lift are both great options. Skin loses elasticity as the years pass, and the face and neck are often the first areas to show signs of age. Patients getting a facelift are often concerned with the appearance of their neck, so they ask their plastic surgeon – Should I get a neck lift with my facelift.
What does a Facelift improve?
A facelift or rhytidectomy is done to restore a natural, youthful appearance to the face. It is designed to tighten facial skin and reduce wrinkles and jowls. A facelift will improve sagging skin and loss of volume in the midface, deep creases below the lower eyelids, and creases that run along the nose and corner of the mouth (nasolabial folds. It also enhances the contour of the jawline and neck.
What is facelift surgery like?
There are different techniques that can be used to perform a facelift, and the specific option used typically depends on the surgeon’s expertise and experience. However, the incisions are usually made at the temple inside the hairline, and continue around the earlobe, behind the ear, and end in the scalp.
Facelift surgery is an outpatient procedure that is done under general anesthesia, or local anesthesia with IV sedation. During surgery the plastic surgeon will remove the excess skin, and tighten sagging muscles and connective tissue.
After facelift surgery patients should expect some swelling and possibly bruising that can last for up to 2 weeks.
What does a neck lift improve?
A neck lift or platysmaplasty is done to give the neck a more defined, youthful appearance. It is the ideal fix for a sagging, droopy neck as it removes excess skin and fat in the area of the jawline, and tightens loose neck muscles. A neck lift will refine the chin and jawline and improve neck contours.
What is neck lift surgery like?
Neck lift surgery is typically performed as an outpatient procedure under local anesthesia with sedation, or general anesthesia. The incision for platysmaplasty is normally made under the chin, to facilitate access to the neck muscles. During the operation the surgeon will remove the redundant skin, and tighten the neck muscle.
Some swelling and bruising is normal after surgery, but these side-effects should resolve within a few weeks.
Should I get a neck lift with my facelift?
Since the neck and face are close together and tend to age at the same rate, the neck can usually benefit from a surgical procedure when a facelift is being done. However, it will depend on the signs of aging that are being addressed.
A facelift and neck lift can both rejuvenate the face, and are often done together to achieve the best results. A neck lift addresses the neck and the area beneath the chin, while a facelift corrects aging in the lower half of the face.
If your main concern is sagging facial skin and wrinkles around the nose and mouth, and you don’t have sagging neck skin, you may achieve a nice result with a facelift alone.
However, if you have jowls as well as a great deal of excess skin on the neck and submental fat, a facelift alone will not correct jowls and rejuvenate the neck. It will therefore be necessary to manipulate the neck to help remove the hanging skin along the jawline.
While a traditional facelift can create some improvement in the upper neck, it is often done in combination with a neck lift. Firming the skin on both the face and neck often achieves more dramatic facial rejuvenation results.
Are you considering a facelift, but you are not sure if you also need a neck lift? It’s best to consult with a plastic surgeon to determine exactly which procedures you will need to achieve your aesthetic goals.
If you are in the Palm Coast and Daytona Beach, FL areas, contact Dr. Curtis Schalit for a consultation.
Call 386-968-1063 to set up a consultation at the Palm Coast office, or 386-463-9771 for the office in Daytona Beach.