The goal of a facelift and neck lift is to subtly restore a younger look, enhance your appearance and bring out the best of your unique features. You want others to notice that you look more attractive, brighter, and more energetic, but not to suspect that you’ve had cosmetic surgery.

What advanced surgical techniques are available to help you meet your aesthetic goals, and how do you choose a plastic surgeon who will create beautifully natural-looking results? Here’s a quick guide to the best in modern facelift procedures.

How a Deep-Plane Facelift Creates Beautifully Natural Results

The first generation of facelifts smoothed wrinkles by tightening facial skin, which often produced a stretched, windswept look. In contrast, today’s skilled surgeons restore your youthful look by lifting and repositioning muscles, connective tissue, and fat before making changes to smooth face and neck skin.

This “bottom-up” approach to facelift and neck lift surgery is the secret to ideal outcomes. We call it a deep-plane facelift or, more precisely, a bilaminar SMAS composite deep-plane facelift.

• “Deep-plane” means the surgery builds a foundational structure in the deepest levels of facial tissue. The surgery repositions and tightens the muscles and connective tissues that have loosened with time.
• “Bilaminar” means your surgeon separates the skin from the underlying muscles – first adjusting the muscular structure, then draping skin smoothly over the repaired foundation.
• “SMAS” stands for superficial musculoaponeurotic system, the layers of muscle and tissue beneath the skin.

The full medical term is a mouthful, so you’ll often see this approach referred to more plainly as a deep-plane or SMAS composite facelift and neck lift.

Facial fat grafting can also shift fat from where it has settled under your chin or jawline and place it in the cheeks or under your eyes, where the additional volume gives you a healthy, well-rested look.

The Importance of a Holistic Approach

My high-quality New Jersey facelift considers the face and neck as a unit, rather than focusing only on a narrow aspect of your appearance. Part of what makes the best facelift results look so natural is the coherence of the changes. If we smooth facial wrinkles without addressing signs of aging like jowls or a “turkey neck,” you’ll end up with an unnatural, partially young appearance. Your face might look great, but your jawline and neck will give the game away. The same can be true if you have advanced signs of aging in the upper third of your face, such as drooping brows or eyelids.

The best facial plastic surgeons take a holistic approach in planning treatment, so rejuvenating improvements to one part of your face are in harmony with the rest of your face and neck. You might get wonderful results with a lower facelift alone if the skin and muscles of your neck, jawline, eyelids, eyebrows, and forehead are smooth and resilient. If that’s not the case, I may suggest pairing a facelift with a neck lift or perhaps a brow lift or eyelid surgery.

Skin texture and coloring can be a factor in youthful looks, too. Cosmetic facial surgery won’t make rough skin feel soft or remove sun damage like hyperpigmentation. For comprehensive facial rejuvenation, you might combine or follow up your facelift and neck lift with complementary skin care treatments, such as a chemical peel or microneedling.

Choose a Plastic Surgeon Who Creates Beautifully Natural Results

When considering any cosmetic surgery procedure, it’s crucial to choose a plastic surgeon with the necessary medical expertise, surgical skill, and aesthetic sensitivity to create excellent results. These qualities are especially critical for facelift and neck lift surgery, where subtlety and customization to your unique features are so vital.

Some credentials are easy to check. Be sure to choose a board-certified plastic surgeon with experience in performing facelifts. Read reviews from other patients. Finally, look at the doctor’s before-and-after photo gallery.

I am proud to be a board-certified plastic surgeon who has honed my skills with deep-plane SMAS techniques. I regularly rank as a “top doctor” or “best surgeon” in national and New Jersey ratings. The before-and-after pictures of my facelift and neck lift patients show my care and artistry in creating beautifully natural results.

Schedule Your Facelift and Neck Lift Consultation Today

Learn whether a facelift is right for you and whether I am the plastic surgeon you’ll trust with your treatment. Contact Spiro Plastic Surgery online or call (973) 736-5907 to schedule your private consultation.