A characteristic of youthful appearance is a heart- or triangle-shaped face with sufficient facial volume, high cheekbones, and a defined jawline that transitions to an attractive neck. A facelift is a valuable technique to enhance the face by redraping redundant soft tissues, including skin, subcutaneous tissues and facial muscles.
However, flattering contour improvement along the neck and jawline can be accomplished for many patients with a less intrusive approach. A neck lift employs smaller incisions around the ear and lifts tissues creating a desirable jaw-neck transition beneath the chin and smooth defined jawline. For some patients with less laxity, and often a congenital predisposition to excess neck volume, which can reduce definition, a minimally invasive approach can involve Kybella treatment or submental liposuction.
Kybella is an innovative technique that Dr. Lyford-Pike employs to “dissolve” excess neck and jawline volume with several in-office treatments and no downtime. Liposuction or liposculpture is accomplished with small incisions under the chin and removes excess volume that provides immediate improvement and further definition over a six week period of time. For many patients, a better balanced facial form may be achieved with carefully selected augmentation in specific areas to create definition.
Chin augmentation with a chin implant can add definition by not only adding projection and enhanced chin contour, but re-draping and tightening the overlying soft tissues. When it is aesthetically desirable, flattering contours can be developed with other minimally invasive methods that have no downtime. For example, injectable fillers can be used near the jowls or at the angle of the jaw to enhance the shape of the jaw and neck. When prominent bands or “cords” develop in the neck, Botox injections can relax the muscles and allow the skin to drape more favorably.
A more attractive aesthetic can also sometimes be achieved by adding volume to adjacent areas. Enhancing the cheek or malar region to improve facial proportions in the lower face appearance is an example of this concept. Injectable fillers such as Voluma or Lyft can be added to the cheek area with simple, in-office treatment. Similarly cheek implants or malar implants can provide permanent contour improvement. Once contour and volume correction have been achieved, skin quality can be enhanced through micro-needling and peels with our aesthetician, Stacy.
3D digital or video imaging can help guide your appreciation of these concepts and are useful tools that we can use to develop the most desirable plan for you.
