Dear Dr. Seckel, I live in Boston and have seen several doctors about the loose skin on my neck. I have received different opinions about what to do. One doctor wants to do a face-lift. Another suggested I try Thermage. I have also read about the thread lift and lifestyle lift. I am 45 years old have good skin but am concerned that my neck and jaw line are starting to sag. Can you help me understand the difference between these procedures? Thanks, Meg, Boston, MA.
Dear Meg,
It is impossible for me to make a personal recommendation for you without examining you in person. It is very important that you seek consultation with an experienced board certified surgeon who can offer you all the options and choose the one that is best for your face. Avoid having someone “fit your face” into one surgical or non-surgical rejuvenation option because they cannot offer you a choice of the various options available. Beware of advertisements that promise a non-surgical face lift-the term non-surgical face lift is misleading.
I have written many blogs about the various options available for facial rejuvenation, including face lift, mini face lift, Thread lift, Lifestyle lift®, Thermage®, Titan®, Lux IR, Refirme and Aluma with FACES® the newest skin tightening procedures, and I would encourage you to check the archives under skin tightening and read through them. You could also read my book Save Your Face which also covers the various non-surgical and surgical facial rejuvenation options in detail.
The most important thing for you to do is to choose a doctor you trust to give you good advice. Recommendations from friends who have had good experience with a doctor are a good starting place.
For a person with good skin at your age who is only concerned about early or minimal sagging of neck and jaw line skin, a modification of the face lift, often called a mini lift, can produce beautiful lasting facial rejuvenation results if done by a skilled experienced surgeon.
The newer non-surgical facial rejuvenation skin tightening procedures such as Thermage®, Titan®, LuxIR, Refirme, and the Aluma FACES® can all tighten skin and may be able to give you the result you want. Unlike the face-lift, which is a “one time” event, the skin tightening procedures, often misleadingly called a non-surgical face-lift, take multiple (3-4) treatments and 4-5 months to see a result. These techniques are new and the person performing the skin tightening procedure should be experienced and skilled at the technique to get a good result.
The thread lift, also called the feather lift and Contour Lift®, is a new procedure and is not perfected yet. You can read my other blogs about the thread lift and learn of some patients experience with this technique.
I hope I have helped you with this answer. Again, the most important thing for you to do is to seek consultation with a Doctor you trust and who has a good reputation.For further information visit my Boston Plastic Surgery Practice, read Save Your Face or contact me.
Boston, Massachusetts
Peabody, Massachusetts