Face & Neck Lift

A face and neck lift addresses the structural changes of facial aging: descent of the mid-face, deepening folds around the mouth, loss of jawline definition, and laxity in the neck.

Modern facelift technique works beneath the skin, at the level of the SMAS — the superficial musculoaponeurotic system, the fibrous layer supporting the facial soft tissues. Lifting and repositioning the SMAS restores support where it has been lost. The skin is then redraped without tension, which is precisely why the result looks natural rather than stretched.

What Is a Face & Neck Lift?

The procedure repositions the deeper facial tissues, removes excess skin, and — where the neck is treated — addresses the platysma muscle bands and the fat beneath the chin that blur the jawline.

Face and neck lifting are usually performed together, because treating the face alone in a patient with neck laxity produces an obvious mismatch.

Commonly combined with:

• Facial fat grafting to restore volume
• Blepharoplasty for the eyelids
• Non-surgical treatments for skin quality

Benefits

• Restores definition to the jawline
• Improves jowling and mid-face descent
• Softens deep nasolabial and marionette folds
• Tightens the neck and removes submental fullness
• Corrects platysmal banding
• Long-lasting results — typically ten years or more
• Addresses what no non-surgical treatment can reach

Techniques at YCL Plastic Surgery

SMAS facelift

The standard approach. The SMAS layer is elevated and repositioned, skin redraped without tension. Reliable, durable, natural.

Deep plane facelift

Releases the retaining ligaments and repositions skin and SMAS as one unit. Offers more powerful mid-face correction and particularly good results in the nasolabial region.

Neck lift

Treats platysmal bands and submental fat through a small incision under the chin, often combined with liposuction of the neck.

Limited-incision (mini) lift

For younger patients with early jowling and minimal neck laxity. Shorter incisions and faster recovery, with correspondingly less correction. Suitable for a specific patient — not a substitute for a full lift in someone who needs one.

Who Is a Candidate?

You may be a good candidate if you:

• Have jowling and loss of jawline definition
• Have loose skin or banding in the neck
• Have mid-face descent and deepening folds
• Are in good general health
• Do not smoke, or can stop well in advance of surgery
• Have realistic expectations about what surgery achieves

Recovery & Expectations

Most patients feel presentable in public at two to three weeks, though the first ten days involve visible swelling and bruising. Many take three weeks away from work; some return sooner with careful planning.

Swelling resolves substantially by six weeks, with subtle refinement continuing for several months. Numbness along the cheeks and in front of the ears is normal and resolves gradually.

Scar Placement & Healing

Incisions follow the natural contours in front of the ear, tuck into the tragus, and continue behind the ear into the hairline. Where a neck lift is performed, a small additional incision sits beneath the chin.

Placed well, these scars are genuinely difficult to find at a year. Dr. Low pays particular attention to preserving the natural hairline and sideburn position — a detail that separates a well-executed lift from an obvious one.