Face & Neck Lift FAQs

During a neck lift procedure, your Mercy surgeon will make small incisions near your ears and under your chin, removing the fat from around your jawline and under your chin. This operation can be performed using local or general anesthesia. 

A lower facelift addresses those areas of the face below the corners of the mouth. It can also impact the contours of the neck and chin, in addition to the nasolabial folds (laugh lines) and jawline. 

A mini facelift is an alternate version of a traditional facelift where your Mercy surgeon makes small incisions at your hairline to help raise the lower half of your face upward. It adjusts loose skin around your neck and jawline. 

Many patients can return to work or school approximately 2 weeks after their surgery. You may still experience swelling and tightness as late as 4 weeks from your actual surgery. Most patients return to normal activities completely after 1 month. 

At Mercy, we understand that you’ve already come a long way on your weight loss journey. We work closely with the bariatric surgery team to address the unique challenges you’re facing. During your face or neck surgical consultation, we’ll answer your questions and ease any concerns you have. The consultation will include:

• Discussion of your surgical goals, medical conditions, medications and previous surgeries
• Health evaluation, including risk factors and any pre-existing conditions
• Discussion of your options and recommended course of treatment
• Review likely outcomes of the surgery and potential complications

For some people, a traditional facelift won’t address the upper cheek and lower eyelid areas of the face. Also known as a cheek lift, a mid-face lift raises the fat pad of the cheek, which can help the face appear more youthful. 

The decision of whether to receive a mini or full facelift depends on what your goals are for the surgery. In general, a mini facelift is less invasive than a full facelift, with less tissue being removed or adjusted. 

A neck lift procedure, also known as a rhytidectomy, removes excess skin and fat from around the neck area. It restores the contours of the neck, so they align more closely to those of the face.  

While every person’s body is unique and can respond to surgery in different ways, in general, a surgical facelift should last about 10 years. Certain factors, like how you treat your skin and your dietary habits, may also impact this timeframe. 

Deciding whether to have plastic surgery of any kind is an immensely personal decision. Usually, good candidates for a facelift procedure are nonsmokers who are generally healthy and have realistic expectations for the outcomes of their operation. 

Facelift surgery can help raise loose or sagging skin in certain areas of the face and neck. For many people, this can result in them having a more youthful appearance and stronger facial contours than before.