The natural process of aging involves the loss of fat under the skin and a decrease in water content of the skin.  This causes the skin on the face to loosen, sag, and wrinkle.  Aging may be accelerated by factors such as sun exposure, smoking, and illness.

The neck is typically also treated with a face lift.  The skin and underlying muscles of the neck may loosen and sag with age.  This also happens to people who have lost a large amount of weight. Other people may simply have an excessive fat pad under the chin.  This is often genetic, and despite significant weight loss, may persist and give the face a weightier appearance.

If you would like a more youthful and rejuvenated appearance of your face and neck, you may be a candidate for rhytidectomy (facelift).

Facelift can treat: Loose skin of the lower face, Drooping of the lower face, Jowls, and Improved jawline.

A face lift suspends various levels of facial tissues in a vertical direction. Suspension of the deeper tissues involves muscle, fat, and fascia enveloping these tissues. Excess skin is smoothed out and removed along incisions placed strategically within the hairline, along natural creases around the ear, and behind the hairline of the neck.

• • It typically takes about two weeks to recover from a face lift. Pain is typically mild with a traditional facelift. A pressure bandage is worn during the first week. After 10-14 days, you may return to work. Usually by this time, swelling and bruising have largely resolved and you are presentable again to the public. Strenuous exercise may be resumed after two weeks.
  • Contraindications to facelift surgery may include prior radiation or skin cancer, active skin infection, actively smoking, and autoimmune skin disorders.