Facelift

Facelift surgery provides more than just skin tightening—it addresses deeper structural aging in the face to deliver long-lasting and natural-looking results. By repositioning underlying tissues and improving facial contours, a facelift can significantly enhance both appearance and confidence.

Key benefits include:

• SMAS layer tightening: Targets the deeper structural layer beneath the skin for more durable and natural results
• Improved jawline definition: Reduces sagging and restores a sharper, more youthful contour
• Reduction of jowls: Lifts and repositions tissue to eliminate heaviness along the lower face
• Softening of marionette lines: Minimizes deep lines around the mouth
• Enhanced neck and chin angle: Improves the transition between the face and neck
• Long-lasting results: Provides results that typically last significantly longer than non-surgical treatments

Tip: Unlike temporary solutions such as fillers or skin tightening treatments, facelift surgery addresses the root cause of facial aging for more comprehensive improvement.

A facelift and a neck lift are both facial plastic surgery procedures designed to address visible signs of aging, but they target different anatomical areas and underlying structures. A facelift primarily focuses on the mid-to-lower face, correcting sagging cheeks, jowls, and deep folds by repositioning deeper tissues such as the SMAS layer. A neck lift, on the other hand, targets loose skin, excess fat, and muscle banding in the neck to improve contour and definition beneath the jawline.

A facelift is most effective for patients experiencing:

• Loss of volume and sagging in the cheeks
• Jowl formation along the jawline
• Deep nasolabial folds or marionette lines

A neck lift specifically addresses:

• Loose or hanging skin under the chin
• Vertical neck bands (platysmal banding)
• Excess fat deposits creating a “double chin” appearance
• Poor definition between the chin and neck

In many patients, aging affects both regions simultaneously. While a facelift improves facial structure and lifts the lower face, it does not fully correct significant neck laxity. In these cases, combining a facelift with a neck lift provides a more complete and natural-looking rejuvenation, especially when restoring a well-defined jawline and neck angle.

For patients with minimal neck concerns, a facelift alone may be sufficient. However, when there is visible sagging below the jawline or muscle banding in the neck, a combined approach is often recommended to avoid imbalance between the face and neck.

Dr. Kitto performs both facelift and neck lift procedures and carefully evaluates each patient’s facial anatomy, skin quality, and aesthetic goals to determine whether one procedure or a combination will deliver the most optimal and long-lasting results.

Learn more about neck lift options here.

Our facelifts are equally beneficial for men and women whose face and neck have begun to sag, but whose skin still has some elasticity. Most patients are in their forties to sixties, but people in their seventies or eighties can get a facelift as well.

The results of a facelift are long-lasting, with many patients enjoying improvements for 10 years or more. While the natural aging process continues, the structural changes made during surgery help maintain a more youthful appearance over time.

Several factors influence how long results last, including:

• Skin quality and elasticity
• Lifestyle factors such as sun exposure and smoking
• Overall health and aging process
• Skincare and maintenance routine

Although no procedure can stop aging completely, patients who undergo a facelift often continue to look younger than if they had not had surgery.

Maintaining results with good skincare, sun protection, and healthy habits can help extend the benefits of your procedure.