2014 Best of Our Valley winner, Dr. Joseph Berardi shares his thoughts on facial rejuvination including neck lift and facelift surgery procedures.

At what age should we consider a facelift and/or a neck lift? Is it at 60 years of age, 50 years of age, 40 years of age? The answer truly depends on how you feel about yourself. If you have heavy folds around your nose leading to the corner of her mouth, if your jaw line is no longer well-defined, if your cheeks are flat and have lost their volume, or if you have hanging skin under your chin and have lost a definition in her neck, then you would be a great candidate for a facelift, neck lift or both.

The appropriate age for having one of these procedures is based on when you started developing the above symptoms. Much of this relies on what you inherited from her mother and father, exposure to environmental factors like smoking, sun, dry environment, massive weight fluctuations and your health status.

Facelift:

As your faces age, there are number of changes which occur. Your skin loses its elasticity and starts to hang. The fat and volume of your face begins to disappear as well as shift downward due to gravity. The deeper layer of your face called the SMAS begins to sag. Even our underlying skeleton changes.  The once tight corset around your neck called the platysma muscle also started to drift away from our deeper structures. This may happen very gradually over time or can occur dramatically if there is some life changing event. Massive weight loss is one of these events.

As discussed above, a facelift can rejuvenate various areas of the face. These areas lie between the cheekbones and the jaw line. A facelift is performed through incisions hidden in the anatomy at the front of the ear as well as behind the ear. Incisions are made along this area and the skin is raised. This reveals the deeper structure called the SMAS.  This stands for superficial muscular aponeurotic system. Once the SMAS is exposed is re-elevated into a higher more youthful position. This will help establish more fullness in your cheeks, less in the appearance of the folds around your nose as well as make a sharper more well-defined jaw line. In doing this, the skin is elevated as well. The skin is then laid back down and any excess skin is removed. The incisions are closed without tension to leave a very fine scar. Once the incisions are adequately healed, only your hairdresser may know what surgery you have had.

Neck Lift:

A neck lift, which is commonly performed along with a facelift, addresses loose skin and muscle under the neck, which typically hangs away from our underlying anatomy.  Unlike aging features of the face, some people may be born with an ill-defined neck.  Therefore, an isolated neck lift may be needed despite having a fairly youthful appearance to your face.  A neck lift is performed through an incision made under the chin.  The skin of the neck is then lifted away from the underlying musculature.  Varying degrees of fat may be removed at this time.  The musculature is then tightened with sutures in order to contour it to the underlying anatomy of the neck.  This sharpens the angle where the chin ends and the neck begins.

It is never too early to consider facial rejuvenation. Often times it is easier to address facial aging at an earlier age than at a later age. It may be an easier recovery, you can enjoy your youthful appearance for a longer period of time. The best thing to do is to schedule a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon and determine what is best for you. Even if you are not a candidate for a facelift or a neck left, it may be a good opportunity to start using other products such as injectables and skin care products to maintain your youthful appearance as long as possible.

Call Dr. Berardi today at Berardi Aesthetics and Plastic Surgery for consultation. We take provide an individual approach to your needs and have a professional staff waiting to assist you.

Content provided by: Dr. Joseph Berardi