Lower Face Lift: Q&A
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Can Jowls Come Back After a Lower Face/neck Lift?
Is it true that jowls can reappear just a few years after a lower face/neck lift? i know a few women to whom this has happened. They are older than I am, and had more jowling to begin with. I am not yet 50 with very little jowling and neck skin. Can I hope for a longer lasting result?
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39 Doctor Answers |
Asked by
Eva S
in Seattle, WA
+5
Lower facelift is a no-man procedure
A necklift does great things for the neck and modestly improves the jowl.
A cheek lift or mid-face lift works on the cheeks and jowl.
The combination of the two is a facelift.
A lower facelift is the jowl without the cheek. The only problem is the jowl should be lifted vertically and that involves working with the cheek.
+4
Lower facelift is not a good solution for jowls.
A lower facelift by itself is not really a good solution for jowls. The lower facelift deals with aesthetic issues below the angle of the jowls. Although jowls descent below this angle, the originate above it. Usually a full facelift is indicated to correct the neck, cheek, and jowls.
+4
Yes, the jowls can return
Regardless of what type of facelift you have had done, you will start aging the minute it is finished. This includes gravitational descent of the cheeks which causes jowling. If the first procedure really addresses this well, the result is going to be longer lasting. Other factors such as your skin elasticity and weight profile also affect the longevity of your result.
Even if you never do the surgery again, you should always look better than if you never had it done. Hopefully, if you...
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+3
How long it lasts depends on the cause of the jowls, sagging or fat bulging
This is a great question. Of course, we know that facelifts don't last forever, and the face will continue to age over time. But you bring up an excellent point, which is important for people considering facelifts to understand prior to having a face and/or necklift surgery.
Why do facelifts last longer on some people and shorter on other people?
If a regular layperson understood what exactly a facelift is for, they may be able to better predict how long the...
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+3
Treatment of jowls with a lower face or neck lift
If done properly, a lower face or neck lift can produce a long lasting result. A lower facelift will identify the tissue that has sagged in the jowls and resuspend it to strong and firm tissue. This will create a clean jawline and a recontouring of lower face. You should expect this result to last for a minimum of 5 to 10 years. As you continue to age, all tissue will begin to sag. In time this area will sag along with the rest of your tissues.
+3
Jowls and Facelift
As others have noted, jowls can be a perplexing challenge in Facelift surgery. "Jowls" can be likened to a fibro-fatty hammock that hang over the jawline, attached by deeper ligaments. Adequate treatment of more severe jowls requires a combination of aggressive liposuction along the jawline (but below the face), along with elevation of the SMAS in a deeper plane with vertical suspension. Techniques that rely simply in folding the SMAS on itself (mini-lifts, etc) are less likely...
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+3
Recurrence of jowls after lower neck lift is multifactoral
After a facelift the skin can stretch again as we continue to age. Recurrence of jowls after a facelift is multifactorial, that is it will depend on your quality of skin(lax skin will stretch more,) the technique used(how much dissection and SMAS worked was performed and who is doing the procedure.
Long Island City Plastic Surgeon
+3
How to minimize jowls
The facelift technique you have will directly influence how quickly the jowls come back. Stringlifts and Minilifts are the first to go. Deeper techniques with SMAS adjustments and aggressive platysmaplasties all help.
There is an inherent difference in the thickness of the jowl tissue vs. the tissue right in front of it. While this is minimized with the performance of deeper facelifting techniques, it is not eliminated. Volume restoration in front of this thicker area can help to...
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+2
Longevity of lower facelift
This question is made difficult by the myriad factors that impact on the outcome of lower facelift surgery. These include the quality of the tissues, the extent of the problem, facial shape, age at the time of surgery, the type of operation, and the fact that patients continue to age after the surgery. As a rule of thumb, the majority of patients are not symptomatic of their jowls for 7-10 years.
+2
Return of the jowls
Jowls can certainly return after a facelift. The key is to perform the correct procedure. Too many women have had Lifestyle Lifts which do not last or mini-lifts when a full facelift is required. I personally will not perform the "wrong" operation if that will not produce a lasting result. Lifestyle Lifts may not last more than six months. The SMAS is appropriate in patients with jowls. The trend toward minimally invasive procedures is a...
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+2
Jowls and face lifts
The average face lift result should last approximately 10 years. The problem is that in many patients who have a facelift, the jowls are treated incorrectly.
Saint Louis Plastic Surgeon
+2
Jowls will come back
Expecting a facelift to forever cure jowls is like a 20 year old expecting never to get jowls. They are inevitable should you have the fortune of living long enough. Expect heavy jowls to becomes much less and minor jowls to go away with a facelift. Expect that just like aging brought them on the first time, aging will bring them on a second time. The second time around you are at a disadvantage, however. A facelift repositions your tissues, but it does not...
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+2
Jowls after Facelift
Jowls after a facelift will always come back. The type of facelift you have will determine when. Jowls are the fat of the jaw line that sags as the SMAS layer sags over time. How that layer is lifted will be more or less successful in correcting the problem.
No one is doing a skin-only facelift anymore. Many surgeons do some version of a SMAS-lift; others do some version of a sub-SMAS or deep plane lift. In order to correct jowls, the lifting along the jawline has to lift the SMAS...
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Manhattan Facial Plastic Surgeon
+2
Treating jowels requires understanding the cause
Yes, jowels can return. The key to preventing them is treating them correctly in the first place. I think surgeons often try to pull too hard during the facelift in an attempt to flatten or lift jowels. I think jowels are related to deflation, or loss of fat, both in the malar pad above them and pre-jowel area in front of them.
I have had good success treating them by performing fat grafting to the pre-jowel area to build it up. Often proper treatment of a descending malar (cheek) pad is...
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+2
Jowl correction
As you have read the jowl is one of the most difficult parts of the aging face to correct. There are many Facelift techniques and you have probably heard some sort of hype surrounding each. The fact is that the vertical Facelift is the most effective at correcting the jowls. This requires the skin to elevated off of the jowl and then the tissue just above the jowl to be lifted directly upwards. There are other components to correcting the jowl though, and they include chin implant (when...
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+2
Jowls are the hardest to correct.
Pull too much and the ear gets pulled forward and the mouth gets pulled sideways.
Pull too little and the jowl returns early. The jowls are next to the mouth, which has a wide range of motion, and the skin has to loosen up to accommodate.
Ironically, the most important part of the facelift is what others see, and others are not looking at the jowls too much. Look at the following video and blogpost for a visual explanation of what i mean.
see video
+2
Jowls can be effectively treated with a lower facelift
Jowls can be effectively treated with a lower Facelift; however, they can return depending upon what technique is used and whether or not you have a significant amount of facial fat and loose skin.
The less loose skin and facial fat the less likely the jowls will significantly return. Also, if the the SMAS or deeper layer is lifted at the same time as a Lower face lift and properly suspended the results should last around 12 to 15 years especially if you are a non-smoker and have good skin....
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+2
Return of the Jowls
Jowls can return after rhytidectomy. In fact in revision facelifts, often times in a "successful" facelift after 10-15 years it is only the jowls which need to be addressed and not the neck. The best approach to minimize jowl reformation are deep plane facelift techniques which can provide a more effective pull in tightening the jawline and neck.
+2
Jowls
Jowl surgery( i.e. facelifts) longevity really depends upon several things. First, the technique that is used. Second, the quality of the tissues. Third, genetics of the indiviudal. Fourth, environmental factors like sun exposure and cigarette smoking. These are just some of the things that can affect results. Improvment from a good quality procedure in a patient with reasonably good tissues, etc.. should last more than a few years.
+2
Unfortunately, there is no way to completely halt the aging process; the jowls wil eventually recur.
The goal with all facial cosmetic procedures is to look and feel natural, refreshed, and younger by setting the clock back a few years. Unfortunately, there is no way to completely halt the aging process. Even after following a face and neck lift, the signs of facial aging will reoccur. On the average, a face and neck lift should last about 5-10 years. This is dependent upon the surgeon’s skill and technique, your personal genetics (physical characteristics), and skin care...
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Englewood Plastic Surgeon
+1
Recurrent jowls
Good morning!
Depending upon the type of procedure your friends underwent, the type of skin and soft tissue they have, and the severity of their jowls before surgery, recurrence can occur over time.
It is important to remember in any surgical cosmetic procedure that we are not freezing time- only "rolling back the odometer". Gravity, environmental exposure, lifestyle choices, and genetics all play a roll in the longevity of rejuvenative surgery. But it is also...
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+1
Jowls and Lower Facelift
Although jowls may return a few years after a lower facelift, they may also not return for many years. It all depends on your underlying anatomy, how severe your jowls were to begin with. A neck lift, as the name implies, mainly focuses on improving the appearance of your neck. A lower facelift, by adding work on the lower cheek, will improve the lower jowls with the neck. If your jowls are minimal and due mainly to some loose skin or bunched up fat between the corner...
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+1
Can Jowls Come Back After a Lower Face/neck Lift?
The simple answer is yes. A facelift will set the clock back but it does not stop time. In some patients with jowls secondary to heavy fat deposits, I perform micro-liposuction to help prevent a recurrence. With other patients internal sutures are used to re-suspend the lax tissue, but with time, they do settle again. Good Luck.
+1
Jowls back again after face lift
Despite turning back the hands of time with a mini or traditional facelift the clock ticks on. That is, the normal aging process that let to the jowls in the first place is still at work.In general the clock ticks faster, ageing is accelerated in fairer complexions, significant sun exposure history especially before the age of 20, not using sunscreens, smokers, and hereditary factors. However the skill of the surgeon and type of procedure used may give you some added time before you feel for...
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+1
Neck Lift for Jowls
The key to this question is stipulating that while a lower facelift can give you a much younger look, it does not stop the aging process. A neck lift is a great procedure for individuals with more advanced signs of aging, and can turn the clock back up to ten years. However, collagen production will continue to slow with age, meaning that the elasticity of skin will continue to decrease as the years pass. The result is that skin will eventually begin to sag again. However, if the procedure...
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+1
Recurrent Jowling after Facelift
Men and women age differently, but as a rule people with less damaged facial skin (sun exposure and tobacco use) do better following surgery. Once facial skin elasticity is compromised, recurrence of the jowls is inevitable. We now have elegant methods to tighten jowls and the jawline if and when they re-occur. Age is not the primarily concern for relapse, but proper skincare is. Fluctuations in weight ,especially if more than 10% body weight, will loosen both the...
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+1
Can jowls come back after facelift?
Yes. A Facelift will not stop the eternal clock of time. Jowls can return and the aging process continues following a facelift. However, many things can be done to help with the aging process such as skin care, sunscreen, filler injections and Botox injections. Because we all live on planet Earth the gravitational pull as well as our overall loss of facial fat will allow the normal process of aging to proceeed as well as for jowling to return approximately seven to ten years following a...
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+1
Jowls can recur, the question is when
I agree with the many thoughtful comments that have been posted previously. With the typical sub-SMAS or deep place facelift, jowls should not recur for many years. However, as other surgeons have mentioned results depend on how severe the problem was to begin with and what type of surgery was performed and at what time point. A face and neck lift will eliminate the jowl and reset the aging clock, so to speak, by a number of years. However, we continue to age and, unfortunately, gravity...
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+1
Facelift
It depends what has been done? There are many different types of a facelift. Most will use the same incision but the work done under the skin can range from none to complex correction of the facial fat and fascia. Mnay 1-2 hours facelift do not do much correction. Thus the jowling will be noted early after 6 months or so.
+1
Recurrence of jowls after a face lift
If during a face lift the surgeon corrects the deep structures of the face, and doesn't just do a skin lift, then one should not expect significant recurrence of jowls for a number of years. Nevertheless there is some subtle aging that happens every year.
It surprises many patients to find out that if the first face lift is performed at a younger age the results last longer. In some patients that present for their face lift later in life, or have...
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+1
Jowls after a Facelift
Yes, you could have some jowls some years after a Facelift. Sadly, we as surgeons can't stop the hands of time and/or predict when your next aging step will happen. We tend to age in 7-10 year sprouts. Every 7-10 years we go to the mirror and realized that we aged some. People that have a lot of stress age a lot faster (in 3-5 years). Also genetics play a role into this.
As you can see there is no easy way to predict how long results will last, but evaluating a patient in person...
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+1
Jowls after lower face/neck lift
In my experience, patients who have early-aging changes will frequently get more longevity out of their facelifts as compared to patients who have more advanced aging changes. However, I would point out that I have many patients in their 60s and 70s who have very good improvement following their surgery—even at 5 to 10 years post op. Overall, it is almost impossible to totally eliminate jowling in most people since we are continually fighting the pull of gravity.
+1
Loewr Facelift/Necklift and Return of Jowels
This operation can be a powerful one to rejuvenate the lower face and neck area. As plastic surgeons, we set back time, for a while. Gravity, age, tissue quality, smoking, drugs, and medical issues all can effect how long a procedure will last. Can they come back? Yes. Will they and how soon? That can be difficult to predict. Do talk with your plastic surgeon about realistic goals in your particular case.
+1
Jowls, genetics and aging
For persons who have heavy jowls before a facelift they will probably see a mild return of these features as the aging process continues. Facelifts addressing the SMAS layers will slow this process. If at 50 you have no jowls and little redundant neck skin both your initial treatment and subsequent retreatments will require less dramatic procedures.
You should have longer lasting results in regards to your jowls and neckline with a lower face lift. Genetics play a great role in...
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Annapolis Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1
Honest answer is yes, jowls can come back after lifting procedures
Facial rejuveanative surgery can lead to wonderful improvements in the signs of aging, but none of the procedures are permanent. A corny analogy would be that the hands of the clock can be turned back, but time is not frozen, the hands keep ticking. Many variables affect longevity, ranging from age, skin elasticity, sun damage, surgery performed, and even how expressive a patients face is. A "smiley" patient will pull and stretch a surgical lift thousands of time a day. If there...
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+1
Return of Jowls After Lower Face Lift/Neck Lift
Jowls occur because the cheek tissues have descended with the help of gravity. The actual tissue that descends is called the SMAS (technical name not needed). During a facelift one of the goals is to elevate this tissue back to its more youthful position. The easiest way to do this is to simply plicate or suture the tissue onto itself. This is the method that most surgeons use as it is the easiest and safe-est method. Unfortunately, I do believe that jowl recurrence is much higher with...
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+1
Jowls are rare to reappear after SMAS or Muscle Tightening Face Lift
Jowls often reappear after a simple skin tightening face lift ion just a few short years. By lifting and tightening the muscles under the face called the SMAS this is extremely unlikely and often lasts up to and often over ten years. It is important to lift this layer and tighten and not just stitch this muscle layer.
+1
Yes, Jowls can come back
Hello Teresa,
The short answer to your question is yes.
Any surgical procedure done for the lower third of the face / neck is meant to "turn back" the clock ie. restore the sagging tissues to a more youthful position. Surgery does not stop the clock and the aging process, genetic factors and external factors (smoking, sun exposure) will continue to cause the signs of aging to gradually return.
Most Surgeons agree that a well executed facelift / neck lift should have noticeably lasting...
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+1
Jowls After a Lower Face/Neck Lift
Hello there,
It is not uncommon to have some jowling after a lower facelift. However, this generally does not happen for many years after your surgery. There are many factors to consider. If you have a facelift that mainly addresses the skin with no muscle tightening, you probably will see jowling earlier. It is better to have a facelift that takes care of the excess skin and tightens the muscles.
Best of luck,
Dr. David Alessi
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