Facial and neck creases, lines and wrinkles, loose and sagging skin—all these can change the way we look as we age. These effects can happen sooner for people who have had a lot of sun exposure. A face and neck lift should look natural and restore your youthful look without the appearance of surgery.
Your surgeon will learn about your concerns, goals and do a physical exam so surgical and non-surgical options can be discussed and an individualized plan can be created.
Face and neck lift surgery reverses many signs of aging in the face, including jowel formation and sagging neck skin by lifting and tightening the skin and underlying tissue.
Our physicians perform face & neck lift surgery at Community Medical Center. The procedures can be performed with general or twilight anesthesia. Depending on your age and health, it may be done as an outpatient or with an overnight stay.
With the traditional approach for a face lift, the incision usually begins inside your hairline at your temples and continues around to the bottom of your ear. The physician may redistribute the fat in your face and neck, and also re-position the underlying tissue to lift the deeper layers of your face as well. Your skin is then draped over your new facial contours, with the excess skin trimmed away. Incisions typically heal as inconspicuous, hairline scars. This method provides the most improvement in facial wrinkles and sagging skin.
A mini-facelift uses shorter incisions that extend around the lower part of your ear only. This method may be combined with incisions inside the lower eyelids or under the upper lip. This may be a good choice for people who have some sagging of the jowels but still have good contours in their neck or for those who want a more subtle change in their appearance.
Neck lift surgery improves sagging jowls and loose neck skin. The procedure starts with an incision in front of your earlobe, continuing under your ear and into the hairline at your lower scalp. Fat and tissue are re-positioned, and the skin is redistributed and the excess skin is trimmed away.
Recovery is 1-2 weeks. Dressings are removed the day after surgery and replaced with a soft elastic strap, which is worn the first week to reduce swelling and promote good tightening of the neck and jawline. During the second week, this strap can be removed when you are out in public. Some bruising and swelling is expected after a face lift but in most cases it is not noticeable after the first week. The only restrictions after a facelift are to avoid heavy lifting and strenuous exercise for two weeks. In most cases, women are able to go out comfortably in public after one week with some makeup for any minor bruises. For a mini facelift, this may be possible after only a few days.
As with any cosmetic medical procedure, results vary from patient to patient.