The Lower Facelift surgery is different that a full face traditional facelift because it rejuvenates the bottom third of the face by tightening the face’s underlying structures that slacken with age, forming jowls and a fleshy neck. The procedure also trims loose excess skin, by smoothing it down to eliminate facial creases and giving a visual lift to the bottom third of the face.

Candidates for Lower Facelift Surgery

A lower facelift is what often comes to mind when people think of a facelift. Lower facelift gets rid of unfaltering jowls, targets loose skin on the neck and jawline, addresses deep wrinkles, and raises the corners of the mouth. The “full traditional facelift,” in contrast, is actually a combination of a lower facelift, mid facelift, and brow lift (forehead lift). The full facelift rejuvenates the face from forehead to neck, while the lower facelift rejuvenates the lower third of the face — an area quick to show signs of aging.

For these reasons, candidates showing aging in the bottom third of their face as well as the neck for lower facelift surgery are patients who still have some elasticity in their skin and are showing aging in the bottom third of their face as well as the neck. Those with loose exist skin around the jawline and/or drooping corners of the mouth as well as a neck with excess skin, thick bands, or excess fat, are ideal candidates for lower facelift surgery.

Lower Facelift Procedure

Lower facelift can be performed through a small incision that begins in front of the ear and extends down and behind the ear.

Another way it can be performed is the endoscopic face lift technique, which is done with small cameras (endoscopes) which are inserted through a few short incisions. If a neck lift is performed at the same time as lower facelift, a small incision will be made under the chin.

The Simoni lift removes the excess fat and skin from the neck and face through expertly mapped small incisions that begin in the hairline and extend down in front of and up behind the ear. Then the skin is re-positioned and then the underlying facial structures and drooping muscles, fat and skin is reinforced.

The standard face lift offers more comprehensive facial rejuvenation. This technique requires incisions to be made near the ear and along the hairline or side-burn.

 

Lower Facelift Techniques

The old techniques for facelift procedures were performed by simply tightening the skin, ignoring muscle laxity and the face’s underlying structures and producing a taut, pulled, or windblown look. However, newer facelift techniques avoid this unnatural look because surgeons now carefully tighten the underlying structures of the face that, along with the superficial layer of skin, sag with age.

The lower facelift, for example, not only trims excess skin but tightens the structures that underlie the jawline and neck and move downward and become loose with age. Often combined with fat removal in the neck (neck liposuction), the lower facelift is able to restore a youthful, smooth look to the neck and lower third of the face.

There are several lower facelift techniques. A surgeon will choose the approach based on the patient’s anatomy and patterns of aging.

The Simoni facelift “aka - The Super Glue Facelift” is named after Dr. Payman Simoni. The Simoni Facelift is a minor, 60-90 minute procedure with the same long lasting results as a traditional facelift but with a more natural result. Dr Simoni designed it to improve sagging jowls, cheeks, loose neck and facial skin without the need for major anesthesia. The recovery time is 3 times quicker and less painful than with a traditional facelift. This procedure uses only local anesthesia, thus the only thing you feel is an injection because each section is frozen.

The S lift facelift is named after the small, S-shaped incision the surgeon makes in front of the patient’s ear. Working through this incision, the surgeon will tighten the underlying structures of the lower face, smooth down the skin, and trim excess. This procedure is generally ideal for patients 30-50 years old and can be performed under local anesthesia.

The SMAS facelift is named after the SMAS layer of the face: the underlying layer of muscle and connective and fatty tissue, which are tightened during the procedure along with the skin. The SMAS facelift requires a slightly longer incision than the S lift. This incision begins in the temples and extends down to loop around the ear. Hiding the incision in the hairline and in the face’s natural creases helps ensure minimal scarring.

Though all three improve the appearance of an aging neck, they can all be combined with a neck lift that’s performed through a small incision under the chin.

Visit the Simoni Plastic Surgery gallery to view face lift before and after photos.

Photo credit: Payman Simoni, MD

Lower Facelift Cost

Though lower facelift cost will vary depending on the practices location, demand and skills of the surgeon, prices for the procedure generally range from $8,000 to $17,000, with an average cost of about $13,000.