For a neck lift, I'm assuming that I should do weight loss first? (photo)

It is possible that you may be a candidate for what I have termed, "The Laser Assisted Weekend Necklift:" It is a minimally invasive procedure. Cervicofacial Liposculpture is first employed to contour the unfavorable fatty changes seen in the face and neck as time passes by, such as the ‘Turkey neck’ and ‘double chin’.Careful attention is then turned to tightening the neck muscles and eliminating neck bands. Finally, I employ laser technology to ‘resurface’ the underside of the neck skin, thereby ‘shrinkwrapping’ the skin of the neck restoring a youthful contour.A consultation with a board certified facial plastic surgeon will help determine which procedures will provide the best results for you.

The presence of banding down the front of the #neck, and, amount of excess skin and condition of your skin are among some factors which determine if you are a #candidate for #rejuvenating the neck. During an in-person examination, your chin will be evaluated along with the neck and jawline. A weak #chin implies a lack of chin support for the skin along the neck line. In younger individuals a chin implant alone is usually all that is needed to improve the appearance of the neck. Subsequently, it will also improve the overall #balance of the face and can create the illusion of a smaller nose. As a stand-alone procedure, chin augmentation can be performed in the office under local #anesthesia. For individuals with signs of #aging in the neck, a chin implant added to one of the recommended procedures above, will provide optimal results.It is usually recommended that patients who have recently experienced weight loss and massive weight loss (#MWL) remain consistent at their weight for at least six to twelve months prior any cosmetic surgery. Such will better ensure longer lasting results of the procedure without risking the fluctuation and stretching of the skin tissue.
Your board certified plastic surgeon should evaluate both your anatomical features and aesthetic goals to suggest which procedure best suits your needs. In some cases there may be more than one option to choose from. If you are not a candidate at the time of your #consultation, your board surgeon can recommend non-surgical alternatives to improve your concern.

Losing weight to be at an optimal health is always a great goal. Diet and exercise is beneficial for overall longevity and health. Being healthy will also help out from the recovery process from any surgery. I do not feel that a weight loss of 20 pounds will make a difference in terms of your results. Although it is best to be at your ideal body weight for 3 months or more prior to surgery, it really takes a weight loss of 30 to 50 or more pounds to delay a cosmetic procedure for possible outcome differences. From your picture you would have a great outcome from a combined face and neck lift. Congratulations of the upcoming weight  loss and general health upkeep. Best wishes.

Dear jsflynn603,It is always best to be at your ideal weight.  Your result will be better and you may be able to have a procedure that has less downtime.  I would suggest loosing the weight and then seeing and experienced facelift surgeon.  Good luck.

First, congratulations on your resolve to lose 20 lbs in the next 3 months!  That's great, and you'll no doubt enjoy many overall health benefits because of it.  Based on your pictures, you do have moderate laxity in the submental region, but it looks like there isn't a significant fat component.  Having said that, for such a significant weight loss, I think it's prudent to complete that first, and then see what your lower face and neck tissues look like.  You may very well find that you've got even more skin laxity after weight loss, both in the neck and in the jowl region, and it would certainly be best to deal with this with a lower face and neck lift after your weight loss is complete and stabilized.  Best of luck!Ashlin J. Alexander, MD FRCSCFacial Plastic & Reconstructive SurgeryToronto, Canada