Neck Lift vs Lower Facelift: What’s the Difference?

“Do I need a neck lift or a lower facelift” is one of the top questions that patients often ask when looking for solutions to address their ageing problems. While a neck lift procedure and a facelift are very similar related surgeries, their main difference lies in the areas they deal with. Neck lifts focus on the lower part of the face, which means everything from your chin to the base of the neck. A lower facelift, on the other hand, deals with the middle to the low part of the face, mainly the cheeks, chin and neck. We discuss these two procedures in detail to help you determine which treatment you need.

The Difference Between Lower Facelift and Neck Lift Procedures

Lower Facelift Procedure

Many individuals think that getting a facelift means tightening your entire face, however, this is wrong. In fact, traditional facelifts focus only on the lower region of your face. During a facelift, the skin is pulled towards the hairline to tighten the surface and any excess tissue is trimmed away. This procedure aims to smoothen out the wrinkles in the cheeks and forehead while tightening the skin around the chin. That said, while a lower facelift can help give you a youthful appearance as it lifts the cheeks, to significantly transform the look of your neck and jawline, a neck lift is necessary. No need to worry, however, as the combination of a neck and lower facelift is a common procedure done to women looking to reverse the signs of ageing.

Neck Lift Procedure

A neck lift surgery procedure is ideal for dealing with issues around the neck area including loose neck skin, excess skin and fat, and muscle bands and horizontal lines running down your neck. If a facelift is concerned with the tightening of the skin on the face, a neck lift focuses on improving the laxity of the skin on the neck.

That said, there are still two different types of neck lifts depending on your desired results. A full neck lift and a limited-incision neck lift. The latter involves small incisions around the ear, resulting in shorter and less visible scars. However, because the surgery is limited, the results may be limited as well.

In some cases, a plastic surgery neck lift may not be enough to solve the issues in the problem area, in which case a liposuction would be recommended to remove the excess fat before proceeding. In slimmer patients, the platysma muscle is tightened and only the excess skin is removed. To help reduce the appearance of scars, the incisions are made across the neck and integrated into the natural lines of the skin.

Wondering whether a cosmetic surgery neck lift is best for you? While the web is a great place to learn about the different procedures, it’s best to consult a professional regarding your procedure. Artiste Plastic Surgery can determine the best treatment for you and provide you with quality face and neck lift surgery in Sydney. Schedule an appointment today!

Disclaimer: At Artiste Plastic Surgery, our Plastic Surgeons led by Dr Jack Zoumaras have been trained to the highest possible degree. All surgery has risks and it is always advised to get a second opinion. Risks are very real and we cannot guarantee any result. Results are illustrated as a guide only. All risks are managed and any need for revision surgery or complications (1-5%) can be managed by our specialist plastic surgeons.

Any statements on how you will feel is based on Level V Evidence:

Level V:  How you will feel after plastic surgery varies between individuals, depending on psychological and physical factors. Our internal research is based on how patients in our practice feel after surgery.

The blogs are not a substitute for a medical consultation and do not form as part of the doctor to patient relationship.