Facelift surgery offers men and women many different anti-aging benefits, often erasing up to a decade from their appearance. Because aging doesn’t magically stop at the jawline, however, many patients find that the signs of aging on their neck become more obvious after a facelift. Neck lift surgery can be the perfect answer to the sagging skin, banding, and other age-related problems. It can also be the perfect complement to facelift surgery for the right patients.

What Does Aging Do to the Face and Neck?

The signs of aging can creep up on us as we grow older, often in the form of wrinkles. The face and the neck are primary targets for some of the most obvious changes, and usually the first place they show up. Time and gravity can do many things to these sensitive areas, leaving men and women alike looking older and tired. These changes start happening before they’re even visible, starting deep in the skin.

One of the first things to go is the elasticity in the skin. The fibrous tissue connecting skin to muscle starts to weaken over time, leading to loose, sagging skin. As the production of collagen and elastic in the skin slows down, the sagging and drooping gets worse. Fat cells from the upper portion of the face also start to migrate downward, affected by gravity, and collect around the chin, jaw, and neck. Eventually, the result is a drooping jawline, the formation of jowls, and creases along the neck. While all of this is happening, the muscles in your face and neck may also weaken, leaving the skin to sag and perhaps forming bands up and down the neck. Many people lose the definition of their profile and jaw, while gaining wrinkles, loose skin, and other unwanted features like “turkey neck” beneath the chin.

How Can Facelift Surgery Help?

Once you’ve begun to notice the signs of aging on your face, a facelift surgery can help you to reverse them. It also doesn’t matter how advanced your aging has become; facelift surgery can take off up to 10 years from your appearance by reversing the damage and restoring your youth. A ten-year loss can help just about anyone, so there is no such thing as a “perfect” age for a facelift procedure. While there are different facelift techniques available today, the end result is always the same: a younger version of you.

Facelift surgery concentrates on the lower portion of the face, as your surgeon works to remove excess skin and fat, while tightening the muscle and underlying tissues. The goal is to refine the contour of the chin and jaw to improve the profile. Your incisions will likely be placed along your hairline and around your ears, all well hidden to reduce the possibility of visible scarring. When all is said and done, your new profile will remind you of someone you used to see in the mirror years ago.

How Can Neck Lift Surgery Help?

Just below the jaw line, where the changes from your facelift will stop, that’s where your neck lift surgery will begin. This sensitive area is an easy target for the many signs of aging, so it will be the central focus of the neck lift procedure. Jowls, folding and sagging skin, and unwanted fat deposits can all be corrected with this straightforward procedure, using similar techniques to the face lift. Skin, fat, and muscles will get the same overhaul here, leaving you with a sleeker neck, firmer skin, and a younger looking profile.

For a neck lift surgery, the incisions are typically placed behind the ear and along the hairline, right along the lower portion of the facelift incision lines. If you double up on your procedures, it is unlikely that additional incisions would be needed to begin the neck lift. From here, your plastic surgeon will be able to make adjustments to the fat cells, skin, underlying tissues, and muscles to achieve the desired, more youthful look.

Why Opt for Two Procedures at Once?

While it sounds daunting to book two surgeries in one day, remember that you won’t really need to do any of that work. While you’re sleeping peacefully under anesthetics, your plastic surgeon will work to refine your face and neck at the same time. Making this choice helps patients in many different ways, such as:

  • You’ll achieve completed results from just one surgery that includes two procedures. Treating the face and neck simultaneously is often a better choice than choosing only one surgery and leaving the other area older by contrast.
  • A facelift with a neck lift surgery saves you time spent in two consultations, two surgery dates, and two recovery periods. Combine them to make it easier on your calendar.
  • Speaking of one recovery, you’ll have to rest from one procedure anyway, so what’s the harm in two? Doubling up won’t extend your recovery time, so knock out two birds with one stone.
  • Many clinics offer savings if you combine two surgeries into one. Ask your plastic surgeon’s office about discounts you could receive. Extra money in your pocket could always go toward treating something else, like rejuvenating your hands or getting liposuction.
  • Once you’re recovered, the seamless look of your rejuvenated face and neck together will appear much more natural, almost as if you’ve always looked so young!

Double-Up on a Facelift and Neck Lift Surgery Today

Consult with a facial plastic surgeon experienced in both the facelift and neck lift procedures to get your very best results.Rami K. Batniji, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a facial plastic surgeon operating out of Newport Beach, California. He concentrates on specialty procedures to the face and neck and can performs a number of surgical and non-surgical treatments aimed at improving facial aesthetics. Contact Dr. Batniji at (310) 467-2180 to schedule an appointment.