Late forties: am I candidate for a neck or facelift? (photos)

One of the most important jobs of a plastic surgeon is to help patients understand what outcome to expect. Did your surgeon not speak with you for a long enough period of time, or did you not like what you heard? I always suggest that patients bring a long list of questions to their consultations. My consultations only conclude after all questions have been answered. While you appear to have sun damage, you would very likely benefit from a facelift and neck lift, as well as laser resurfacing to both. The lifting will address the sagging skin, and the laser will vastly improve the texture of the skin. I recommend consulting with another board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your goals and expectations and to determine which procedures are right for you.

Yes you are a candidate for surgery.
The changes that we see in ourselves over time are due to skin laxity, skin texture changes and loss of facial volume.
A full facelift (one that includes the face and neck) will manage the skin laxity that you have by tightening the skin. A more defined jawline and softened facial lines are excellent goals and these can be achieved.
Because of the textural changes to your neck skin (the fine lines and crepiness), I don't expect that you will have a smooth neck so even though you skin will be tighter, it will still won't look smooth. In my practice, we recommend a neck skin program that includes various combinations of medical grade skin care and laser treatments tailored to your skin, prior to undergoing surgery. This toughens up and the skin in preparation for surgery and gives you a much better result than surgery alone by helping to smooth fine lines, enlarged pores, and discoloration.
With respect to the third component of facial aging, fillers are sometimes recommended after surgery, or in severe cases of volume loss, fat grafting can be done at the time of surgery. This does not appear to be a concern based on the portion of your face seen in the photos, however being assessed in person can confirm this.
In summary, I don't think you are asking too much, however treatments in addition to surgery will be very beneficial for you.
Although you only want to do this once, facial aging will continue, and so you will need to make that decision later in life depending on if you are satisfied with how you age. In the meantime, a healthy lifestyle, good skin care and sun protection will help preserve your result.
All the best to you,
Dr. Nancy de Kleer