In recent years, we have come across many strategies that can help a person slow the development of age-related cosmetic concerns. However, there comes the point at which many people consider the value of surgery. No amount of exercise can keep the facial and neck tissue taut and strong for a lifetime. When laxity causes jowls, flat cheeks, and “turkey neck,” surgery becomes an excellent prospect. Often, that means a combination of face and neck lift procedures.

The Aging Skin

The skin on the lower regions of the face and the neck begins to sag for a number of reasons. Muscles naturally lose strength and, without sufficient muscle contractions, tissue atrophy may appear to progress more quickly with every passing year. Fat loss in the midface compounds this. It isn’t so much that fat simply goes away; it’s that facial structure changes and looseness allows fatty tissue to drop from the cheeks down to the jawline. Just about every age-related cosmetic issue stems from the decline in collagen and elastin that occurs over time. We may not be able to rev the body back up to optimal collagen production, but we can correct the position of the skin on the face and neck for a more youthful appearance.

Facelifts and Neck Lifts

Facelift surgery is a term that describes the repositioning of tissue on the lower part of the face and chin. Through meticulous lifting, a facelift can reshape the jawline, smooth loose, and sagging skin, and restore a bit of curvature to the cheeks.

Neck lift surgery focuses on the area beneath the chin, where folds of loose skin diminish the frame of the face. Lifting the tissue on the neck and removing excess skin can eliminate turkey neck and prominent lines and creases. Because a facelift repositions facial tissue higher over bony structure, the chin and jawline may improve slightly. However, neck lifts are more appropriate when noticeable sagging has developed below the chin.

Face and neck lift surgery, when performed together, ensure that the face, as well as its frame, are sending the same message of youthfulness. The procedure lasts between two and three hours in most cases, and patients can return home soon after surgery, driving by a loved one.

Learn more about face and neck lift procedures in our office near San Jose. Call 408-559-4700 to schedule a consultation.