I Am a Thin, Fit 48 and Have a Turkey Neck and 1 Inch Jowels. Is There a Benefit to Early Surgery Rather Than Waiting?

It is possible that you may be a candidate for what I have termed, "The Laser Assisted Weekend Necklift:" It is a minimally invasive procedure. Cervicofacial Liposculpture is first employed to contour the unfavorable fatty changes seen in the face and neck as time passes by, such as the ‘Turkey neck’ and ‘double chin’.Careful attention is then turned to tightening the neck muscles and eliminating neck bands. Finally, I employ laser technology to ‘resurface’ the underside of the neck skin, thereby ‘shrinkwrapping’ the skin of the neck restoring a youthful contour.A consultation with a board certified facial plastic surgeon will help determine which procedures will provide the best results for you.

If you have the changes you suggest, then a lower face and neck lift would be a good option. Find
a plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds of
facelifts, necklifts, facelift revisions, and facial procedures each
year. Then look at the plastic surgeon's website before and after photo
galleries to get a sense of who can deliver the results. Kenneth
Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Getting a face/neck lift under local anesthesia is fairly easy and can really make a great improvement in the neck and jowls for roughly $8-10,000 with 1 week downtime. It is better to do it sooner when it is starting to show. Sincerely,David Hansen,MD

The time to have a facelift is determined more by "anatomical" age than "chronological" age. Simply put, if you took 3 female patients that were all 48 years old, all of whom were physically fit, nonsmokers and who took good care of themselves you very well may find different "surgical" ages for each of them.

Patient A might have loose skin, heavy jowls and a turkey neck. She would certainly be a good candidate for a facelift and neck lift or a facelift by itself depending on her anatomy.

Patient B might have mild jowls and a little fat under her chin and would therefore be better suited for a Mini Facelift or modified facelift with liposuction under her chin.

Patient C might look like she is 28 and not have any noticeable jowls or loose skin and may need only some botox injections or a chemical peel.

So end of the day, the best way of answering this question is to sit down with 2 to 3 experienced and established surgeons and let them examine your anatomy, hear what your goals are and let him / her give you their best advice.

The benefits of early surgery are:

1. Less invasive procedure will be needed

2. Quicker recovery time

3. Less costs associated with surgery

4. More natural and less drastic changes to your appearance

5. Preventative in the sense that the jowls and turkey neck will not be as bad down the line (you will still keep aging however and will need additional surgery down the line)

The key again though is to let a well qualified surgeon help you understand and reach a decision that makes sense given the anatomy that you have.

Increasingly patients are seeking out facelift surgery at a younger age than they did 30, 20 and even 10 years ago. This has happened due to many factors including the increasing popularity of Mini Facelifts that feature natural / subtle results with quick recovery and the desire for patients to avoid more excessive surgery at a later time in their lives. This "natural" approach has worked well for many patients. It is quite possible that 10 years ago most surgeons would have told you to wait another 10 years and have a full facelift, now it is more likely that you will be offered a modified version of a full facelift or a Mini Facelift by most surgeons.

Also make sure to have your neck examined by the surgeons. It will be important to determine what if anything needs to be done there.

You are on the right track by asking good questions,

Take Care,

Dr. J

but from your self-description of 1 inch jowls, you should have a marked improvement and result.  Realize that your body and face will continue to age but with a procedure, you should always appear 'younger' then if you had not had it.  And with enough time, you may even desire a secondary procedure 5-10 years down the road to maintain the results you have achieved with the procedure.  48 is not too young to have this... you have to decide if you're willing to accept the risks of the procedure in order to achieve the benefits.

Timing of a facelift is very individual.  If you are showing signs of aging in your neck and lower face with skin and soft tissue laxity then you would benefit from a facelift procedure.  There are a few benefits to addressing these changes sooner rather than later.  The first being you will enjoy the changes from your surgery sooner and your rejuvenated appearance will match how the rest of you looks and feels.  As of face continues to age, we also lose volume and earlier surgery (when warranted) can produce a more natural result.  Its important that you see a qualified facial plastic or plastic surgeon that evaluate you and help guide you with your decision.

Thank you for your email.  Yes  an early neck lift before you have severe neck laxity with muscle banding and advance jowls is your best option.

Results of the neck lift are better in younger patients who have healthy skin.  In addition, you will enjoy the benefits of yourrefreshed look and clean jawline and neck at a younger age when you are more socially active and visible.

Be sure to consult a plastic surgeon who is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and who is experienced in neck lift and face lift techniques.

If you already have that much excess skin, then you will definitely benefit from surgical correction. Unfortunately, any non-surgical procedure will probably give you only minimal improvement, not matter what the doctor says! There are various options rather than the traditional facelift/neck lift that could be done, even under a total local anesthetic.   

 I have performed many Facelifts for well over 25 years.  Fifteen years ago, 48 years old would have been considered young for a full, traditional facelift with a neck lift.  This 5-6 hour, invasive surgery was most often done by those in their mid fifties.

 For the past decade however, with the advance of minimal incision facelifts that offer smaller incisions, less tissue dissection = less bruising/swelling/recovery, the average age has dropped to the mid 30's.  My advice would be to have a consultation with an experienced facelift surgeon who understands and follows the proper aesthetics, of facial beauty, for the creation of a naturally more attractive face to discuss your options.  At the very least, you'll know if you're ready or not for the procedure.