Lower Facelift and Other Options for a 66-year-old?

With any surgical procedure, patients make choices. One of the most important is how good a result the patient wants. Most of our patients want to achieve the best result possible.
In almost all 66 year old women, there are many changes in the appearance that cause the face to appear to sag, the jowls to form, the face to lose volume, and neck to appear indistinct.
The most effective way to rejuvenate these areas, and to do so with the least amount of.artifact (the "done" look) is with an expertly done facelift and necklift. To do just the neck alone makes it impossible to do the beautiful restructuring of the face. It can also create a bizarre if the neck but not the face are rejuvenated.
Statistically, many patients are in a position where they cannot spend money on an initial surgery, then pay even more to redo unsatisfactory work.
So my advice to all patients is to do it right the first time. Choose an experienced facelift expert whose board certification, reputation and results you have researched.

Jowls are sagging of the facial skin and underlying tissue over ligaments attaching the skin to the bones that can cause a droopy face even in the mid 20s and 30s. They can never be corrected by  filling the face with fillers alone.
There are various types of facelift procedures that can be helpful to different age groups. A mini-facelift working on SMAS and minimal scar can help a young patient with lower face sagging (early jowls) however an older patient with sagging of the brows, midface and neck would require a full face and necklift. A facelift procedure involving pulling the SMAS should be performed for best results on the jowls. I personally in many among other techniques use the composite mini-facelift technique where a SMAS flap is elevated with minimal skin dissection, a very quick recovery and very long lasting result  (ideal for younger patients). Some parts can also be filled with fat grafting (Lift & Fill) to enhance to overall result and make you look even younger. 
In general I advice my young patients to undergo preventative care procedures. These include regular botox injections, fat grafting if a depletion in volume is starting to occur and superficial skin tightening procedures that DO NOT damage the underlying tissue (a good option is needle RF). While these procedures usually make the younger patient looking for facial rejuvenation happy, not all will be satisfied if the deformities are severe (regardless of age). As a rule of thumb, if there is sagging of tissues and excess skin, a facelift operation is inevitable!

In the mid to late 60's, injectable products and "minimally-invasive" techniques can often simply be a waste of time and money. Most patients at this age are starting to see significant signs of aging that need significant correction. The only way to achieve dramatic and long-lasting results is with surgical intervention. Traditional facelift, neck lift, and lower face lift techniques are designed to rejuvenate the face safely with excellent results. A facelift is designed to lift and tighten the cheeks, jawline, and neck and can be customized to meet the needs of the individual patient. Injectable products and other less-invasive techniques can be a nice supplement to polish off and maintain surgical results, but are often not enough on their own.
Be sure to see an expert who specializes in facial aesthetic procedures.
All the best,

Different people age differently.  In general, by 66 years of age, most individuals have some component of facial inelasticity as well as midface and lower face volume loss.  To get the most natural result in the end, your surgeon has to diagnose the different ways you are aging and reverse each problem individually.  So, if you have excess skin and volume loss, then a facelift followed by adding volume to the face with fat, filler, or implants would be ideal.  

 Thank you for your question.I have pioneered my Concept™ facelift which is suitable for men and women who wish to reduce sagging in the lower face (jowls) and neck and regain a more natural, rejuvenated appearance. The procedure is less invasive than a traditional facelift and there is less scarring, bruising and swelling for a significantly quicker recovery period. This innovative procedure combines the latest surgical techniques with the use of local anaesthetic to dramatically reduce the risks associated with traditional facelifts, while significantly reducing the bruising and downtime of your recovery, from months to a matter of days.The marionette lines will be smoothed by tightening the skin however without tightening the muscle unfortunately the lines will still appear. A lot of my patients will have fillers or chemical peel to reduce these lines.What are the benefits of the local anaesthetic Concept™ Facelift?Minimally invasive as it is a short scar faceliftThere is minimal bruising and swelling, especially when compared to traditional faceliftsAs the procedure is performed under local anaesthetic, you can go straight home following the procedureFull recovery in a matter of days rather than monthsSignificantly less risk than Facelifts performed under general anaestheticFresh, youthful and long lasting resultsAll The Best

At 66, most people have significant skin laxity and jowls due to gravity and slowed collagen production. While there are non-surgical options such as fillers or skin tightening lasers, these will most likely not be effective enough. Likewise, although it is impossible to say without seeing you in person, a “mini-lift” would likely not be enough either. I perform mini-lifts, which involve fewer incisions and less aggressive surgical techniques, most often on people in their 40s or 50s who are just beginning to see skin laxity or jowls. A full face and neck lift, which lifts and repositions the SMAS layer as well as re-draping the skin to recreate a more youthful and contoured appearance, would most likely be best for you. Please visit a board-certified facial plastic surgeon for a consultation to see what options you have. I hope this helps.

Hello! You have not included a photo, so it is hard to say what would be best for you. Depending on genetics, sun exposure, prior procedures, all 66 year olds do not benefit from the same approach. Thread lift has gotten a "bad rap" and this is for a reason. Lifestyle Lift is similarly questionable as the level of surgical provider is not standard and might not be a Board Certified plastic surgeon. The best recommendation is to meet with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon to investigate all of your possible options. There are more fillers out there which may give you the results you desire, balanced by cost, longevity of outcome, and degree of result.

  There are ALWAYS options offered by someone as an alternative to a lower face lift procedure.  They may not work at all or may be only mildly effective.  They may be costly, and they may be painful, but these options do exist and include radiofrequency units and ultrasound machines with fancy sounding names and websites.  Consider speaking to an experienced facelift surgeon who may successfully alleviate your concerns about having a mini lift procedure.

More the major improvement will  likely come from some sort of lift procedure. However you may also require fillers. Forget about the threadlift as this is a temporary solution without lognevity in my opinion. First consider how you age and what components you need to turn back time.

The aging process involves 3 things ; downward decent from facial soft tissue laxity, skin surface aging characterized by wrinkles and discoloration, and loss of volume especially in the cheek area and lower lid cheek junction. Failure to treat all three factors may make you more aware of what is not treated.

If it is mainly the lower face and upper neck you may be a great candidate for one of the mini-lifts. Most have brand names such as LifeStyle Lift, S-Lift, Quick Lift, LiteLift, MACS and others. However, if you have a large amount of redundant skin and fat or turkey waddle defromity, you may benefit more by liposuction and a traditional facelift which does better with lower neck skin redundancy.

Probably most important is the skill and experience of the surgeon. Always check out his/her before and after photos and ask to see long term results and most of all that he is trained and a board certified plastic surgeon.

You are correct in assuming that fillers and threads will be inadequate in solving your issues. In most 66-year old women and men the muscular support of the lower 1/3 of the face including the jawline, jowls and upper neck has weakened. The only way to restore that muscular support is a conventional Facelift. The good news is that the procedure has consistently nice results. Often chin implants, liposuction, and other small procedures add to the overall result. 

It is very difficult to give an opinion without seeing pictures, more importantly than your age is how you have aged, which is dependent partly on genetics and skin care. Most women your age would not benefit from a mini Facelift or dermal fillers alone, this is more for women in their 40's. It would be unusual if a lower Facelift alone would give you the results you want. Many women are bothered by their jowls and neck and don't realize that by only correcting these, they will then see that they should possibly have had a brow lift and eyes done as well, to have a balanced natural result. I would recommend that you get two or three consultations from Board Certified Plastic Surgeons to see what options they recommend. Also, be sure to ask to see before and after pictures of their patients so you can see what type of results you can expect.