Dr. Lindsey's Newsletter #46: The Facelift Millennials Are Discovering They Need

The Facelift Millennials Are Discovering They Need: A Post-Weight Loss Solution

Achieving significant weight loss through lifestyle changes or medications like Ozempic is a commendable accomplishment with enormous health benefits. However, one of the less discussed challenges that can accompany this achievement is the impact of weight gain and loss on your skin's elasticity, especially in the face and neck. Face and neck lift surgery is not just for your golden years.

How your skin recovers after weight changes will influence your need for surgery. Weight gain puts significant stress on the skin, which is further exacerbated by factors like sun exposure, nicotine use, excessive caffeine, a diet low in antioxidants, and environmental toxins. Fortunately, these factors are modifiable. By adopting a healthy lifestyle, you can reduce the risks associated with these issues and even impact your genome through epigenetics. While genetics play a crucial role in how well your skin can handle significant weight fluctuations, lifestyle choices can still make a difference. Ultimately, your surgical needs after weight loss depend on two main factors:

1. The amount of stretch that was put on your face and neck by weight gain - the more weight you carried above the clavicles, the more damage is done.
2. The ability of your skin to recoil - this is a function of the elasticity of your skin, largely impacted by your lifestyle choices.

If the Spanx-like elastin fiber in your skin is pushed beyond it’s limits then this results in deflated, sagging skin after weight loss. This can occur at any age and can create the need for surgery to address a prematurely aged face and neck.

Understanding Skin Laxity And Facial Aging After Weight Loss

When you lose a significant amount of weight, the fat that once supported your skin diminishes. This sudden reduction can leave your skin loose and saggy, particularly in areas where the skin is thinner and more prone to showing signs of aging, such as the face and neck. The loss of volume can lead to the appearance of jowls, deep nasolabial folds, and a "turkey neck," all of which can make you look older than you feel.

Face and Neck Lift Terminology

The terms used to describe lifting the face and neck can get confusing. This is because the term facelift is often used loosely to describe any number of approaches to face and neck rejuvenation. When plastic surgeons use the term facelift, they are most often referring to a lifting of both the face and the neck, from cheeks down. The term neck lift is more specific in it’s use and describes a surgery that lifts the neck without addressing anything above it.

Neck Lift Surgery

If your drooping skin is focal to your neck then you may be a candidate for neck lift surgery. The key components of a neck lift include:

Direct fat excision: Removes remaining excess fat.

Platysmaplasty: Tightens the neck muscles.

Skin Removal: Excess skin is excised to create a firmer neck contour.

Not only does neck lift surgery address changes from weight gain and loss, but it can also address stubborn areas of fat that are driven by genetics. Oftentimes these focal deposits of fat will reveal themselves after weight loss because they do not deflate in a manner that is proportionate to the nearby areas. A neck lift is a powerful tool that can dramatically change your appearance for the better.

Facelift Surgery

The best way to understand if you need a facelift, and not just a neck lift, is to examine the jawline. If your jawline has signs of sagging skin and noticeable jowls then you will likely need a facelift (remember this includes the neck too!). The key components of a facelift include:

Neck lift: Fat excision, muscle tightening, and skin excision.

Jawline lift: Careful work is done both superficially and deep to tighten muscle, smooth irregularities, and contour the jawline.

Cheek lift: The fat compartments that give the cheek youthful fullness are lifted from their drooping position.

Skin tightening: The skin is redraped over the lifted face and excess skin is excised.

If your eye is drawn to bulges and shadows along your jawline, then you may be a candidate for a facelift. A facelift will contour your neck, snatch your jawline, and lift the cheeks.

Facelifts Aren’t For Retirement Anymore

• Enhanced Career: Many people experience a sort of agism in the workplace as a result of the human impulse to prefer youth. Face and neck rejuvenation procedures can make you look less tired, appear more fit for your job, and give you that confidence from within that is magnetic in a workplace.
• Enhanced Confidence: Restoring a youthful appearance can significantly boost self-esteem.
• Prolonged Results: Younger skin generally heals better and more rapidly, potentially leading to longer-lasting results.
• Comprehensive Rejuvenation: Addressing skin laxity early can complement your overall weight loss transformation.

If you are wondering if a face or neck lift can help you reach your goals, I invite you to make an appointment with me for a private consultation. Together we can determine what tools are appropriate for your anatomy and goals.

As always, here's to choosing how we age, on our own terms!