Mid 60's, obese and considering a neck lift - can this be done or should I hold off until I reach my desired weight? (photo)

There are a number of reasons for you to continue your efforts to lose weight prior to considering your surgery. First and foremost, it’s safest for you. Complication rates are lower in patients who are more near their ideal body weight. Another major consideration is that your results are likely to be better when you’re closer to your ideal bodyweight then if you still are overweight. If you’re having an elective procedure, it only makes sense to be as well prepared for it as possible, so you have a single procedure and you are very pleased with the results. Best wishes.

During a neck lift procedure, excess skin is removed to enhance the contour and appearance of the neck. It is advisable to achieve your target weight, particularly if you anticipate a loss of more than 10-15 pounds, prior to undergoing this procedure. Postoperative weight loss can magnify skin laxity, potentially leading to an increased amount of excess skin in the treated area. Performing the procedure before achieving your weight loss goals may hinder your ultimate aesthetic outcome, as residual loose skin may remain.

Hello, hope you are well. This is a great question, thank you for posting. Generally speaking, it is always best to be in a comfortable and healthy weight range to undergo face- and neck lift surgery, but that may not always be possible. You can still proceed with surgery above target weight, but one of the potential risks is that weight loss after surgery (~25lbs+) may unmask additional skin-soft tissue redundancy. So be realistic and do what you can, but if your weight has plateaued and there's no clear path to further healthy weight loss, it may be time to proceed with surgery.

Best,
Dr. Tower

Getting a lower face/neck lift is very easy to undergo under local with a little iv sedation for complete comfort. It never hurts to look your best now and feel great about yourself.

It appears that lower face and neck lift would be a procedure of choice in your case. It would be best to do it as soon as you can rather than waiting for desired weight loss. Even if you loose 20 lbs it will not significantly affect your face lift result. This is done in twilight anesthesia in our practice and recovery period is usually 2-3 weeks. In person or teleconference consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon with expertise in face lift surgery is recommended. Good luck.

Since you are in your mid 60s, you're gonna have significant loose and inelastic skin in the neck, so you're going to require a lower face and neck lift procedure. In our practice, a neck lift is only performed on people less than 50 years of age, since there's no skin removal. You should also be height /weight proportionate with a BMI of 32 or less before undergoing a lower face and neck lift procedure under general anesthesia.