What do you think should I spend my money on Sculptra or put my money into a mid facelift? (Photo)

Thank you for your question.  A facelift will definitely give you what you are looking for in terms of softening the jowls.  If you are looking for a non-surgical option, I would recommend Profound, a radiofrequency microneedling device that stimulates Elastin, Collagen and hyaluronic acid.  It may not be as big a change compared with surgery, but it can definitely help soften the jowls.  I would also consider injectables in the midface to lift the jowl tissue and I would use Sculptra to better define the jawline as this will also soften your jowl.

Sculptra is very different than a facelift.  It is used for short term lifting and contouring.  It is often used to prevent a face lift or used after to maintain it.  It does not give a facelift like result.  With your pictures, liposuction of the neck and skin tightening with thermage/venus legacy or ultherapy would be great.  Then adding sculptra would help increase collagen and give more lifting and tightening.  But if you want a facelift like result, there is no comparison to noninvasive techniques. Best, Dr. Emer.

Based on your photos, your face does not appear to be in need of additional volume so I would not recommend Sculptra for you.  A facelift would give you the most improvement for your jowls and neck, but a less costly alternative would be Ultherapy.  However, Ultherapy would give you more mild improvement than surgery.  

From the photos provided, there appears to be some jowl formation along the jawline and some excees submental fat. I am not much of a fan of Sculptra, since it tends to be expensive, doesn't give immediate results, and requires a series of treatments. I am also not surprised that Restylane was not particularly effective. In my experience, it is more for filling fine lines and superficial wrinkles, rather than for raising deep folds and contouring jowls.In my Upper East Side Manhattan practice, I would opt for Voluma XC or Radiesse for treating jowls. The results are seen typically after only one treatment seesion, are immediate ,and tend to last at least 1.5 years. (In my Israel satellite facility, where a far greater number of regulatory agency approved fillers and volumizers are available, I would opt for Emervel Volume or Teosyal Ultra Deep). For submental fat (double chin) I would suggest waiting for the new FDA approved injectable fat dissolver, Kybella to become widely available (probably within the next few months). I have been successfully treating this area in Israel with regulatory agency permitted extemporaneously compounded versions of Kybella that have been available for quite a few years already.I am not much of a fan of lasers, nor radiofrequency and ultrasound devices. They tend to be relatively expensive treatments and their results often subtle and inconsistent.. Consultation with an experienced board certified physician injector would be strongly urged. Make sure to ask to see his/her before and after photos. . 

Thank you for posting the photos.  It appears that you have mostly skin laxity in that area as opposed to volume loss.  I would recommend Thermage for non-surgical tightening of the skin.  Thermage will produce new collagen and tighten the jowl area with no down time.  Please consult a board certified dermatologist with a great deal of experience with Thermage for the best cosmetic results.