Lower Facelift: What It Treats and Who It Suits

The lower face is often where aging shows first in a way that bothers people. The jawline that used to be a clean line softens, small jowls form beside the chin, and the corners of the mouth start to pull down. Skin care and fillers can help a little, but they cannot put tissue that has dropped back where it came from. A lower facelift is the operation designed to do exactly that.

What a lower facelift treats

A lower facelift focuses on the lower third of the face, from the corners of the mouth down to the jaw and the top of the neck. It is aimed at:

Jowls. The small pockets of tissue that hang below the jawline on either side of the chin.
A blurred jawline. The loss of the sharp line between the face and the neck.
Marionette lines. The folds that run down from the corners of the mouth, which are largely caused by the same descent that creates jowls.
Early laxity in the upper neck. Loose skin just under the jaw that blurs the angle between the jaw and the neck.

It does not lift the brows, change the eyelids or treat deep lines around the eyes. Those areas have their own procedures, and they can be combined when it makes sense.

Why the deep layer matters

Jowls are not just loose skin. Under the skin sits a supportive layer of tissue and fat called the SMAS, and with age it slides downward. When it does, it carries the skin with it and gathers along the jaw. Pulling only on the skin flattens the face for a while, then stretches out again, and it can leave a tight or windswept look.

Dr. Newman's technique repositions the deep structural layer (the SMAS) and underlying facial fat compartments, so the skin can then lie smoothly over a lifted foundation without tension. That is what gives a natural result, and it is also why results from a well done lower facelift tend to last.

Lower facelift, mini facelift or full facelift?

These names overlap, and different surgeons use them in different ways, which is why patients get confused. A useful way to think about it:

Mini facelift. Usually means shorter incisions and a lighter lift. It suits early jowling and good skin quality. Our guide to facelift versus mini facelift covers the trade-offs.
Lower facelift. Describes the area treated rather than the size of the operation. It can be a full structural lift of the jaw and upper neck.
Full facelift. Treats the midface as well, including the cheeks and the folds beside the nose, along with the jaw and neck. A deep plane facelift is one way of doing this.

The label matters less than the plan. Dr. Newman selects his technique based on your anatomy and the degree of aging present, not on a preference for one approach over another. If your cheeks have dropped as well as your jaw, a lift that only addresses the jaw can leave the face looking unbalanced, and a fuller lift may be the better choice.

Who is a good candidate

You may be a good candidate for a lower facelift if:

Jowls have formed along your jaw and your jawline has lost its definition.
Your midface and cheeks still sit reasonably well.
You have some loose skin under the jaw, but not heavy neck banding.
You are in good general health, do not smoke, or are willing to stop well before surgery.
You want a natural result rather than a tight or pulled look.

Dr. Newman examines your facial anatomy in detail, including skin quality, tissue descent, bone structure and volume loss, before recommending any operation. Sometimes the honest answer is that a smaller procedure, or a different one, will serve you better.

How the surgery is done

The incisions usually run around the ear, following its natural contour, and into the hairline behind it. When the upper neck needs work, a small incision under the chin may be added. Dr. Newman performs a careful preoperative marking of the planned incisions, which are positioned to be concealed within the hairline and natural skin creases.

Through those incisions the deeper layer is lifted and secured in a higher position, the excess skin is trimmed, and the incisions are closed without tension. A lower facelift is commonly combined with a neck lift when the neck has aged more than the jaw, or with fat transfer when the face has lost volume. For a closer look at where the scars sit and how they heal, see our guide to facelift scars.

Recovery

The first few days. Expect swelling, bruising and tightness along the jaw and neck. Keeping your head raised and resting helps.
The first week. Most stitches come out within the first week or so, and the worst of the swelling begins to ease.
Two weeks. Many people feel comfortable going out in public once the bruising has faded.
Activity. Avoid heavy lifting, bending and hard exercise until your surgeon clears you.
The final result. Subtle swelling along the jaw keeps settling for a few months as the result refines.

The facelift recovery guide walks through the weeks after surgery in more detail.

Cost

The price of a lower facelift depends on what is being lifted, whether the neck is included and what it is combined with. Our page on facelift cost in Beverly Hills explains what goes into the fee. A consultation gives you an exact quote for your own plan.

The short version

A lower facelift lifts jowls and restores a defined jawline, usually along with the upper neck, by repositioning the deeper tissue layer rather than pulling the skin. It suits people whose aging is concentrated along the jaw. If your cheeks or neck have changed as much as your jaw, a fuller facelift or a neck lift may give a more balanced result, and a consultation is the place to work that out.

Are jowls softening your jawline?

A consultation looks at your jawline, your neck and your midface together, then explains whether a lower facelift, a neck lift or a fuller facelift would give you the result you want.

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A facelift focused on the lower third of the face. It lifts the jowls, restores a clean jawline and usually tightens the upper neck, by repositioning the deeper tissue layer rather than simply pulling the skin.

Not always. The names overlap and different surgeons use them differently. A mini facelift usually means shorter incisions and a lighter lift for early jowling. A lower facelift describes the area treated, and it can be a full structural lift of the jaw and upper neck. Ask any surgeon exactly which layers they will lift.

It often includes the upper neck, because the jawline and neck age together. Loose skin or bands lower in the neck may need a dedicated neck lift as well.

Typically around the ear, following its natural contour, and into the hairline behind it. A small incision under the chin is sometimes added when the neck needs work.

When the deeper tissue layer is lifted, results tend to age gracefully for many years. You keep aging, but from a fresher starting point.

Most bruising and swelling settles over the first two weeks, and many people feel comfortable in public around then. Subtle swelling along the jaw keeps fading for a few months.