While facelifts in men are less common in women, men also have concerns about their sagging jowls and in particular about their neck waddles. My observation about men and facial aging is that they usually only undergo a procedure when their problem is much more advanced and, as a result, they are usually older than the average woman who undergoes a facelift procedure. For the sake of clarification, many patients and plastic surgeons frequently use the terms facelift and necklift interchangeably. And while that concept is reasonable most of the time as most facelifts have their greatest impact on the neck, a necklift can also be different than a facelift particularly in men.
A facelift, with its incisions in and around the ears, is a powerful procedure for the jowl and neck area. The greatest benefit with a full facelift is in the neck area. In men, the placement and management of the incisions in and around the ear is critical given where the beard line stops and with most men’s shorter hairstyles. For some men, the severe lack of hair around the ears and the amount of neck waddle present poses a challenge for the traditional facelift operation. Plus, some older men simply do not want to undergo the magnitude of a full facelift and don’t want any significant recovery.
For these select few men, a direct neck lift is another option. In this procedure, the skin and fat is cut out directly in the neck, greatly simplifying the operation and recovery. And the result is much better and more long-lasting than a traditional facelift. The trade-off to this benefit is a scar that runs down the middle of the neck, from under the chin down to the lowest horizontal skin crease. While this scar should be given serious consideration, I have always been impressed in my practice here in Indianapolis with how well it does in the bearded neck skin of the male patient. That same scar in a woman does not usually do as well, and for this reason, a direct neck lift is rarely done in necks without beard skin.
For an older male with a significant neck waddle, a direct neck lift can be a very simple and uncomplicated procedure that can quickly get the results that you want. A direct neck lift produces immediate and dramatic results that do not change one’s facial appearance (above the neck) at all. If one can accept a thin discrete scar down the middle of the neck, the direct neck lift may be an option to consider that is not familiar to most patients seeking plastic surgery.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana