Is it possible to have a lower facelift and/or a necklift without involving the muscles in any way?

For unique cases where a variety of modalities could be used to treat the condition, I would suggest an in-person or virtual consultation to develop a custom and effective treatment plan. It is difficult to precisely define the best option without collecting the same information. I suggest reaching out to an expert for a consultation with surgical and non-surgical methods to get a comprehensive option. Best, Dr. Emer.

TMJ can be a very frustrating diagnosis. While I'm sure your physical therapist is only concerned about your outcome, he or she may not be exactly correct on if the procedure is right for you. I would suggest finding a reputable board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your options. Likewise, it may be beneficial to include your TMJ specialist as well on the true risks for you personally.If you are against surgery, you can opt for a non surgical face lift, such as FaceTite which uses RFAL (Radio-Frequency Assisted Lipolysis) and does not leave any incision.Best of luck!

Thank you for your question to whether it is possible to have a facelift without targeting the muscle, only the skin.  The answer is yes, but please be aware this will not have the longevity as if the SMAS muscle was targeted.  If the muscle is targeting typically lasting 5-10 years.  It would only be a short term solution.  I would not based your advice on your PT instructions, they will not be clear on the anatomy of the facial muscles.  Please make sure you find a reputable and qualified plastic surgeon who can assess you properly to give you a realistic idea of what outcome you can achieve.  All The Best 

A manipulation of SMAS (superficial masculo-aponeurotic system) of the face, which is involved in contemporary face lift, does not affect the function of deep mastication muscles of the face and TM joint. So, manipulation of SMAS based face lift should not affect in any way your TMJ status. It is possible to achieve improvement with skin only face/neck lift although this result is not long lived.
You should have a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon with solid reputation in facial rejuvenation to discuss your goals and options. Good luck.

It is possible to only tighten the skin in a lower facelift/neck lift but the results are generally not as good and do not last as long as doing a normal face/neck lift.  Without examining you or seeing photographs of you, it is impossible to know if you might be a good candidate for any alternative procedures.  There are some radio frequency treatments, such as Fractora or FaceTite that can produce some skin tightening, although normally not to the same extent as with a traditional face/neck lift.  

  Yes, it is possible to perform a skin only facelift, neck lift without involving the muscles.  This will be a pre-1973 facelift before muscles were tightened in the face.  Unfortunately it will not last for long

Facelifts were, many years ago, done only by tightening the skin. However, the results were not good and did not last. It is absolutely not possible to do a neck lift without tightening the muscle. The thing you need to know is that your PT does not understand the anatomy of the facial muscles since the muscles treated with a face/neck lift are not the ones effecting the TMJ. You should, in fact, have no changes in your TMJ symptoms due to a facelift.

Discuss your concerns with your surgeon as you are describing a mini face lift.  This may work well for you since you are a TMJ patient.

  Hi, I have performed many facelifts over the past 30 years.  Perhaps your PT doesn't quite understand what we Facelift Surgeons mean when we speak about tightening the underlying muscle when performing a facelift.  This refers to the SMAS layer in the face and the Platysma muscle in the neck.  The SMAS is a residual muscle/fascial layer just above the Parotid Gland in the face.  It's more of a vestigial muscle than an active muscle that moves the face.  The Platysma muscle is a thin corset muscle, in the neck, whose main function is to create a grimace when it contracts.  Neither of these muscle will have any impacts on opening or closing of the mouth and TMD (previously called TMJ).  So manipulation of one or both of these muscles should not pose any issue with your TMD.  "Jowls” are sagging facial tissues and the primary indication for some form of a SMAS facelift.  The underlying SMAS layer, of the face, must be dissected, lifted, trimmed and re-sutured (not merely folded or suspended with threads or sutures that will not last).  The excess skin is then removed and the facelift incisions closed.
 For over 15 years now, my most popular facelift is the minimally invasive, short incision facelift that has all the benefits of more invasive facelifts (traditional, mid-face, deep plane, cheek lift and subperiosteal facelifts) but with these added benefits:
very small incisions and no incisions extend or are placed within the hair.
minimal tissue dissection = less bruising and swelling = rapid recovery ( several days instead of weeks or months with the more invasive type facelifts mentioned)
can be performed in 90 minutes or less, with or without general anesthesia
no incisions within the hair = no hair loss
excess fat can be removed
excess skin removed
cheeks, chin and jaw line can be augmented with dermal fillers (I prefer Restylane Lyft) or facial implants
most patients fly back home to parts all over the world in as little as 3 days post-op
 I combine facial shaping with every facelift procedure.  When jowls are present, these should be done in concert and not alone or separately in order to create a naturally, more attractive face.  If a Neck Lift is performed, the platysma muscle may need to be plicated (tightened in the midline similar to muscle plication in Abdominoplasty).  Older versions of "skin only" facelifts were done up until the mid 1980"s when the benefits of tightening the underlying muscle layer (SMAS, Platysma) proved to provide far superior aesthetic and longer lasting results.  In my opinion having a facelift without proper manipulation of the underlying muscle layer(s) is taking a giant step backward in terms of aesthetic results.  
Hope this helps.