Face/Neck Lift
A face and neck lift tightens the neck and jawline in a manner that surpasses that of noninvasive skin tightening and laser treatments. It is the ultimate procedure for restoring youth to the lower face and neck.
What causes age-related changes in the face and neck?
Natural aging, sun damage, and environmental exposures lead to fine and deep wrinkles and loss of skin tightness. For lax skin, the best and most consistent improvement is with a surgical lift.
Who may benefit from a face and neck lift?
Good candidates may have prominent bands in the neck, excess fat below the chin, jowls, and skin laxity. This is not a feminizing procedure so both men and women are candidates. Some patients may have substantial volume loss in their face associated with their aging, and a lifting procedure may cause them to look gaunt. With these patients, Dr. Patel uses facial implants to permanently add volume to the face. Other patients have too much volume in the cheeks and this may be addressed with cheek fat removal.
How is the face and neck lift performed?
A proper lift will give you a sharp neck line and redefine your jawline. The procedure is tailored to the patient, and may include liposuction in the neck. Incisions are made around the ear in such a way as to not disturb the sideburn hair or disrupt the posterior hairline. The tissue is then lifted and suspended in a direction opposite to the pull of gravity, and excess skin is removed. Using special techniques, Dr. Patel ensures that anyone undergoing a lift can still wear their hair up without having noticeable incisions.
What can I expect during and after surgery?
Immediately after surgery, the patient wears a compressive dressing for a couple of days. Then for a couple of weeks, a neck sling is worn continuously. After two weeks, the sling is worn only at night for an additional two weeks. The sling is important in resisting the ever-present pull of gravity until the neck tissues heal and become stronger.
Sutures in particular locations are removed at specific times to ensure proper healing. By 2 weeks, all sutures are out and bruising has generally disappeared. Makeup may be applied. Patients will feel comfortable to "go out" at this point. Like most plastic surgery, it takes about 4-6 weeks for most of the swelling to subside and during this time heavy lifting or aerobic exercise is strongly discouraged.
For more information, feel free to call or email us.
