Lower Face Lift

A lower face-lift is an operation to improve the loose skin of the neck, the jaw line, the deeper wrinkle lines, and the corners of the mouth.

Why does this occur?
As we age, the structures in our face become looser.  This laxity, together with the effects of gravity, causes the tissues, and fatty structures to slide and sag.  This gives us the enlarged jowls, and the rooster neck.

What can be done?
There are number of different procedures used to tighten and reshape the lower face.  One of the more popular procedures is called a SMAS lift or SMASectomy.  These procedures can be used to restore the more youthful appearance of the face.

How is this procedure performed?
An incision is made in the hairline at the sideburns.  This is carried along the ear, under the ear lobe, along the back of the ear, and into the hair line, so as to hide the scar.  Dissection is carried subcutaneously above the SMAS layer (an anatomic layer of connective like tissue named the subcutaneous muscle-aponeurotic system).  The SMAS layer is then tightened, the extra skin removed, and the wound closed.  This can be coupled with open or closed liposuction to better contour the face.

What can I expect?
Because the lower face and neck have an excellent blood supply, small episodes of bleeding and bruising are likely to occur, resulting in areas of thickening underneath the skin.  This will usually resolve within 1-2 weeks with out any problems.  Infections are unusual but can occur and can cause some problems with wound healing.  The nerves of facial expression are underneath the muscle layer of the face and these can very occasionally be bruised or injured when doing lower face-lift surgery.  This occurs most often with the nerve that goes to the side of the mouth, resulting in mild weakness.  However, it is unusual for this to occur and normally resolves over a period of a few months. Numbness of the ear may also occur because the nerve that gives sensation to the ear is close to the surface of the skin in the neck region.