A facelift and neck lift are widely considered the cornerstones of long-term facial rejuvenation by plastic surgeons, as well as patients. When performed optimally, this combination procedure can reinvigorate the lower face and neck without producing any outward indications of surgery. Thanks to advances in modern facelift techniques, New York City patients can now forfeit a windswept or frozen look — telltale signs of a poorly performed facelift — for elegant, graceful enhancement. Dr. Ira Savetsky understands the face and neck do not age exclusively, and therefore combines a facelift with neck lift surgery to achieve all-encompassing renewal of the facial aesthetics.
- What is a Facelift and Neck Lift?
- Facelift and Neck Lift Benefits
- Facelift and Neck Lift Candidate
- Facelift and Neck Lift Options
- Facelift and Neck Lift Procedure
- Facelift and Neck Lift Recovery
- Facelift and Neck Lift Results
- Facelift and Neck Lift Cost
- Non-Surgical Facelift and Neck Lift
- Facelift and Neck Lift Alternatives
What is a Facelift and Neck Lift?
A facelift and neck lift are performed to smooth the lower face and neck, thereby allowing a patient to look younger, fresher, and more refined. The procedure is designed to correct the excess skin, descended musculature, and displaced fat that often lead to the development of jowls, lower facial creases, and an aged neck. Ideally, a facelift should correct signs of facial aging while highlighting a patient’s natural beauty; a number of techniques are necessary to achieve this outcome, so the importance of enlisting an extensively trained board-certified plastic surgeon to make your goals a reality cannot be overstated. With the right facelift surgeon, the results of a facelift and neck lift can be extremely effective, often reverting individuals to their appearance ten years ago.
What Can a Facelift and Neck Lift Accomplish?
When performed by a highly skilled plastic surgeon, a facelift and neck can ultimately make you look like a younger version of yourself without producing any obvious signs of cosmetic surgery. The procedure often allows patients to look and feel their best in their older years, giving each person the opportunity to age more gracefully. In general, a facelift and neck lift can refresh your appearance in many ways, including:
- Smoothing jowls and sagging skin in the lower face
- Improving deeper facial creases, such as nasolabial folds and marionette lines
- Removing excess skin in the neck to achieve a sleeker, more sculpted contour
- Reducing excess fat in the submental area, or improving a “double chin”
- Correcting platysmal bands and wrinkling in the neck
The face and neck usually age simultaneously, so a combined facelift and neck lift is considered particularly effective in helping patients achieve elegant, lasting rejuvenation. Each person enjoys different benefits based on their reason(s) for undergoing a facelift, and Dr. Savetsky will give you a more detailed understanding of what you can expect from the potential results after assessing your unique concerns.
Who is a Candidate for a Facelift and Neck Lift?
There is no “perfect age” for a facelift — rather, a facelift and neck lift can benefit individuals of any age who would like to smooth jowls, minimize deep creases (such as nasolabial folds), and reduce sagging skin along the lower face and neck. Patients who are considering facial plastic surgery should also:
- Be healthy enough to withstand the recovery process, with no uncontrolled medical conditions
- Have a positive outlook on surgery
- Maintain realistic expectations for the potential outcome
- Be willing to temporarily quit smoking before and after their procedure
A facelift and neck lift can never halt the natural aging process, but those who undergo the procedure generally always look younger than they would have if they had never received a facelift. Dr. Savetsky can perform a comprehensive facial analysis to observe whether you exhibit the concerns that a facelift seeks to treat. After a consultation, he will be able to develop a custom treatment plan to create the natural-looking rejuvenation you desire.
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After Types of Facelift and Neck Lift Surgery
Deep Plane Facelift
A deep plane facelift is a variation of the procedure designed to lift the tissues below the Superficial Musculo-Aponeurotic System, or SMAS layer. This releases and remodels the deeper attachments to the face, often leading to rejuvenation that can look more natural when compared to other techniques. The deep plane approach has also been known to create a more lifted look in the mid-face by repositioning fat pads in the cheeks. By addressing the deeper ligaments and attachments to the face, a deep plane facelift can lift the layers of tissue without creating a tight or overly pulled result. This often achieves optimal enhancement that not only looks natural and beautiful, but can also last longer than other types of facelifts.
SMAS Facelift
During an SMAS facelift, Dr. Savetsky lifts and repositions the overlying skin, as well as the internal musculature, to restore support for the facial structures. Traditionally, plastic surgeons only addressed the skin during facelift surgery, leading to unnatural, “frozen,” or overly pulled results. The SMAS technique improves upon more outdated methods by working within the Superficial Musculo-Aponeurotic System, which can provide long-lasting support and a more natural-looking outcome.
Neck Lift
A neck lift is a procedure typically performed at the same time as a facelift to restore a sleeker, more youthful look in the neck. The procedure removes excess skin while repositioning weakened musculature to reduce signs of aging, including platysmal bands, wrinkling, and the appearance of a “turkey neck.” Liposuction can also be performed during a neck lift to get rid of excess fullness and achieve a slimmer facial appearance. This can complement a facelift by creating a sharper jawline and a smoother, more contoured neck profile.
How is the Facelift and Neck Lift Performed?
A facelift and neck lift are typically completed during an outpatient procedure utilizing general anesthesia. Incisions made during a facelift and neck lift can be very inconspicuous, often being placed within the hairline or along the natural contours behind the ears and earlobes. From these access points, Dr. Savetsky can resculpt displaced fat to eliminate jowls and lift the underlying facial musculature. Excess tissue is removed to smooth the neck and lower face, and the skin is redraped over your new facial contours. The incisions are then closed and virtually undetectable once fully healed.
What is Recovery From a Facelift and Neck Lift Like?
After surgery, a bandage will be placed around your head and neck to reduce bruising and swelling. These reactions are expected immediately after your procedure, but should subside naturally as your recovery progresses. Most patients are able to resume non-strenuous work and normal activities after 7 to 10 days; however, recovery times may vary depending on a patient’s treatment plan and their unique rate of healing. Demanding or strenuous activity should be avoided until Dr. Savetsky instructs otherwise (usually a period of four weeks). Dr. Savetsky will provide you with detailed post-operative aftercare instructions and monitor your recovery through periodic follow-up appointments.
How Long Do Results From Facelift and Neck Lift Surgery Last?
Improvement from a facelift and neck lift can be seen for a lifetime. While nothing will stop you from aging, individuals who have had a facelift will generally always look more youthful and refreshed than those who are the same age and never received treatment. In order to help you extend the longevity of your facelift and neck lift, we recommend taking good care of your skin and adopting a medical-grade skincare regimen. Applying sunscreen daily can go a long way in slowing down facial aging and helping you maintain a healthy, youthful complexion. Additionally, non-surgical treatments that can help you maintain a healthy, youthful look may include:
- BOTOX® Cosmetic and Dermal Fillers: Injectable treatments can be an easy and convenient way to reduce wrinkling and restore lost facial volume. While BOTOX® Cosmetic temporarily relaxes overactive facial muscles to reduce fine lines, fillers can add fullness to the lips, cheeks, mid-face, temples, and facial folds.
- Peels: Chemical peels of varying strengths can be applied to remove the superficial damaged layers of the skin and restore a softer complexion. This allows patients to obtain a smoother and healthier skin tone and texture, improving acne scarring, wrinkles, and other common concerns.
- Microneedling: Microneedling can resurface the entire face by using the skin’s natural healing mechanisms to replace old, damaged skin with newer, healthy skin cells. This process not only improves dark spots, wrinkles, large pores, and mild skin laxity, but also stimulates your body’s natural collagen production.
How Much Does a Facelift and Neck Lift Cost?
In NYC, a facelift and neck lift can cost between $20,000 and $70,000 depending on the details of each patient’s personalized procedure. This range typically includes the standard expenses associated with cosmetic surgery, such as fees for the surgical facility, surgeon, anesthesia, and post-operative care. While the figure above provides a general approximation of facelift prices, your personalized quote will ultimately be based on:
- The complexity of your procedure
- The surgical technique utilized
- The extent of your concerns
For qualified patients, plastic surgery financing through CareCredit® can offer a convenient way to better manage facelift expenses. Once approved, individuals can choose from an array of short- and long-term payment plans — many of which do not include interest during a given promotional period — to find the ideal arrangement for their needs. Our office would be happy to speak with you about your payment options if you have any further questions.
Dr. Savetsky is truly a magnificently skilled plastic surgeon. Let me tell you, that as an RN for over 40 years I can be a very harsh critic of docs but always delighted to praise the good ones. I can be a demanding patient and Dr. Savetsky never disappointed. I was considering surgery very close to my daughter’s wedding and would have never gone through it without having complete confidence in Dr. Savetsky. In addition to being a highly skilled plastic surgeon, he is kind, compassionate and always speaks the truth. He met and surpassed all of my expectations in a surgeon. When the time comes for any other procedures I will only do them with Dr. Savetsky.
Is a Non-Surgical Facelift Possible?
The effectiveness of facelift and neck lift surgery is primarily due to a plastic surgeon’s ability to restore support for weakened tissues in the deeper layers of the face. This is only possible through a surgical procedure, and minimally invasive treatments are not able to replicate the same quality of results. Fortunately, there are still non-surgical facial rejuvenation treatments available to improve common signs of aging:
- BOTOX® Cosmetic and fillers: Injectables can reduce wrinkles and replenish volume in flat or aging regions of the face. Treatments are convenient and only take 15 to 30 minutes, providing a brighter look in the areas of injection without downtime.
- Peels: For those with a rough or dull skin texture, peels are available in varying strengths to transform your complexion and achieve a healthier, more radiant glow.
- Microneedling: MIcroneedling uses your body’s natural healing mechanisms to promote skin cell turnover and catalyze the growth of newer, softer skin.
If you’re not sure about the best treatment to achieve the results you desire, don’t hesitate to discuss your goals with our team. Dr. Savetsky can listen closely to your concerns to gain an understanding of the ideal procedure(s) for your unique needs.
Are There Alternatives to a Facelift?
If the facelift procedure isn’t the best option to give you the results you desire, Dr. Savetsky offers effective in-office skin tightening options to help address crepey, sagging facial skin without surgery. Alternatives to the facelift and neck lift procedure often include:
- Facial Fat Grafting: A facelift is specifically designed to restore underlying support and correct skin laxity in the lower face. The procedure can be a highly effective way to address skin sagging and jowls, but if signs of facial volume loss are more prominent, you may consider facial fat transfer to naturally rejuvenate sunken or thinning features. Facial fat grafting is a method of transferring your own fat cells into the face to fill nasolabial folds and marionette lines, as well as add volume to the lips, temples, cheeks, or jawline. This can enhance fullness in areas where fat is reintroduced and create a softer, more youthful contour in the mid-face. The volume enhancement achieved with facial fat grafting is long-lasting, typically enduring much longer than cosmetic fillers. As an adjunctive benefit, fat transfer to the face also provides body sculpting via liposuction in fat-rich areas, such as the tummy, hips, or thighs.
- FaceTite®: A minimally invasive treatment option, FaceTite® is FDA-approved to contour the face using FDA-approved RFAL™ (radiofrequency-assisted lipolysis) technology. This is achieved through a combination of non-surgical skin tightening and fat reduction. The FaceTite® handpiece is inserted underneath the skin through a tiny incision, allowing skin contraction and tightening from the inside out.
- Morpheus8®: Morpheus8® is a non-surgical facial rejuvenation treatment that utilizes radiofrequency (RF) microneedling to gently heat the underlying tissues of the face, tightening loose skin as well as promoting the production of new collagen. This can improve the appearance of jowls, skin laxity, and other signs of aging.
After an assessment of your needs, expectations, and the severity of skin laxity observed, Dr. Savetsky can advise you on whether a surgical or non-surgical treatment is the best approach to achieve your goals. While no procedure can stop you from aging, these in-office treatments can eliminate damage, improve skin health, and help you age more gracefully.
Facelift Consultations
A facelift and neck lift are often referred to as the “gold standard” of facial rejuvenation due to their ability to erase years from one’s facial appearance. Please contact Dr. Ira Savetsky if you are ready to schedule an initial consultation or if you would like to learn more about the procedure.