When you reach your early 40s, the skin between your neck and jaw, which was once a taut right angle, may now slowly start dropping, if it hasn’t already. What causes this “drop zone?”

Your neck is comprised of three layers: skin, fat, and muscle. Sagging muscles and bulging fat are located under the thinnest skin on the body (except for eyelid skin). To make matters worse, a thin ropy material called platysma tends to split into a V-like formation of two cords that stick out, especially when they contract. To see this phenomenon in action (if you’re over 40) look in a mirror, say “eee,” and watch what happens.

4 Ways to Lift Your Sagging Jawline Including a Neck Lift vs. Facelift

1. Neck Lift vs. Facelifts

A neck lift has traditionally been part of a full facelift surgery and many plastic surgeons believe it should remain so. This is because your neck muscles are connected to your face muscles, and if you choose a neck lift vs. a facelift and tighten one without the other, you will do your face a disservice.

Neck lift surgery involves wrapping sagging muscles crosswise to the jaw, restoring that youthful right angle under the chin. Compared with facelift surgery, neck lift sutures are smaller, there is less pulling, and recovery time is much shorter.

In most cases, even if your biggest complaint is the appearance of your neck, you will get better results if you get a facelift in conjunction with a neck lift.

Find out which procedure is right for you in a consultation with Dr. Rotatori.

2. Liposuction for the Dreaded Double Chin

During facelift surgery, your face and neck are usually treated at the same time, often in conjunction with liposuction to sculpt the area beneath the chin and jawline.

Some sagging jawlines, however, are simply due to excess weight and can be treated with liposuction alone.

This is because excess fat, combined with loose neck skin and weak jaw muscles, causes double chin that makes it look like your entire face is drooping when in reality it’s the weight of this fat causing your sagging appearance. Younger patients who have fatty necks but no significant signs of facial aging may be treated with liposuction alone.

3. Preventative Botox

As you age, your skin weakens and the muscles in your face grow stronger, which leads to the creation of deep wrinkles and creases. To prevent these, it’s better to avoid allowing those ‘angry’ or ‘tired’ lines develop in the first place.

Using Botox Orlando in areas where wrinkling and creases commonly occur prevents your muscles from moving, which ultimately smooths wrinkles while also preventing wrinkle lines from becoming deeper.

Preventative Botox is not only minimally invasive, but it’s difficult for others to notice if you’ve had any procedure done at all. Botox can also be used to soften those V-shaped platysmal cords in your neck, replacing the need for a neck lift for eligible patients.

4. Using Your Body’s Own Healing Factors

Another neck lift vs. facelift alternative is injecting fat from your belly into your jawline and/or nasal labial folds. This provides a bit of extra volume where it’s needed on your face, neck, or jawline to smooth wrinkles and prevent a sagging appearance.

No matter which of these neck lift vs. facelift options you favor, it’s best to have an open mind when you come in for your consultation with Dr. Rotatori. Not only can he answer your questions about each option but will work with you to take your unique facial characteristics into account and suggest the neck lift or facelift procedure that will give you the best results possible.