Do I need a lower face & neck lift? (Photo)

It is very unlikely that skin treatment with laser will eliminate issues in your neck like fat deposits and muscle laxity. Only on the basis of in person evaluation one could give you a more accurate plant of threatment; lower face/neck lift seems to be far better choice. Good luck.

Although a consultation is necessary to fully elucidate this response, the skin laxity shown in the photo will not be adequately addressed with CO2 laser resurfacing or threadlifts. Your Doctor is correct that a year is required to see the final result. However, the final result that most of my patients are seeking is not offered by this modality. A deep plane facelift will address the cheek, jawline and neck.

With significant neck sagging you would need a facelift / neck lift with muscle tightening (platysmaplasty). At the same time, I would recommend lasers (Fraxel, CO2, Halo, or Erbium) and microneedling RF (Fractora, Morpheus8, PiXel8, Intensif) to improve the crepey skin and wrinkles. Overall, the neck can be treated with a combination approach:

1. Microneedling and laser treatments for texture
2. Botox, Dysport, Xeomin or Jeuveau to help platysmal bands
3. Intensif, Fractora, PiXel8, or Morpheus8 microneedling RF for crepey skin and lifting
4. Injectable fillers like Belotero, Restylane Silk, Versa, and Juvederm Volbella to improve lines and folds
5. Face/neck lifting if sagging is prominent or premature, with or without platysmaplasty (muscle tightening)
6. Renuvion (J-Plasma), ThermiRF, and InMode FaceTite/AccuTite for internal tightening
7. Ultherapy and Thermage for external tightening
8. Regular Venus Legacy, Exilis Ultra, or InMode Forma treatments with facials to maintain tightness
9. PDO NovaThreads or Silhouette InstaLift cone threads for lifting and long-term collagen production

See an expert for a formal evaluation and to develop a personalized treatment plan based on your individual situation and goals. Best, Dr. Emer