Dear Dr. Seckel, I am 44 years old and in excellent health. I have sagging skin under my chin. I live in Boston and have seen a plastic surgeon who suggests a face lift. I have also read about the lifestyle lift and a neck lift. Can you tell me the difference between the neck lift, face lift, and lifestyle lift? Thank you, Jennifer, Boston, Massachusetts.
Dear Jennifer,
Thank you for your email about the face lift. A well done face lift should tighten any loose skin on your neck and beneath your chin. If there is a lot of loose skin on your neck and lax muscles, you may need a platysmaplasty which is a specific technique done with the face lift which tightens the neck and creates a youthful neck line.
A face lift tightens the entire face, neck, jaw line, cheek and forehead. A neck lift only tightens the neck. The Lifestyle lift is a modification of the face lift done under local anesthesia. I do not do the lifestyle lift so I cannot tell you much about the lifestyle lift technique.
The neck lift requires a less extensive incision and procedure than the full face lift. Usually a neck lift can be done with incisions behind the ear which are less visible. If however you also have facial skin laxity along your jaw and cheek, pulling the neck tight alone without lifting the jaw line and cheek can accentuate the laxity along your jaw line and cheek. Your plastic surgeon can advise you if the face lift is a better option than the neck lift alone.
A full face lift tightens the neck, jaw line, cheek, and upper face and creates a more harmonious facial rejuvenation than the neck lift alone.
The face ages as an entire unit, facial laxity usually begins in the cheek, so tightening only the neck and not the rest of the face can accentuate the appearance of the aging changes in the cheek and along the jaw line.
Face lift incisions are usually well healed and 75% of the incision is hidden behind the ear and in the hair. While the neck lift incision is hidden behind the ear, if there is facial laxity in front of the ear it can distract from the result more than the incision in front of the ear required by a full face lift.
The most important issue for you is to seek and follow the advice of an experienced, board certified plastic surgeon who is experienced at face lift surgery.
For more information on face lift and facial rejuvenation read my book or contact me.
Sincerely,