What Is a Lower Facelift?
A lower facelift, sometimes searched as lower face lift, combines a deep plane facelift with a standard neck lift. It focuses on the jowls, the jawline and the upper neck.
Beneath the skin, the deep plane dissection releases selected retaining ligaments so the skin, fat and SMAS of the lower face and jawline can be repositioned together, and the platysma at the side of the neck is suspended. The standard neck lift adds a repair of the platysma at the front of the neck (platysmaplasty), which treats platysmal bands and fullness under the chin.
The incision runs in front of and behind the ear and extends along the temporal and occipital hairlines, with a separate small incision under the chin for the neck lift.
A lower facelift is the short scar facelift with the standard neck lift added. It does not include brow lift, eyelid surgery or lip lift, which are added in a Vertical Restore Facelift. A neck lift performed on its own treats the neck without the facelift. How the lower facelift compares with the other options is set out on the facelift surgery in Sydney page.
What a Lower Facelift Treats
A lower facelift may be considered for descent around the jowls and jawline together with changes at the front of the neck. Suitability depends on anatomy and on what the neck assessment shows.
- Jowls. Soft tissue descent creating fullness below the jawline; the deep plane dissection repositions the tissue of the jowls.
- Jawline changes. As lower-face tissue descends, the line of the jaw loses clarity; repositioning the tissue along the jawline is the main aim.
- Marionette-line area. Repositioning the tissue that has descended around these lines may soften their appearance, although the lines themselves are not eliminated.
- Lower-cheek descent. The lower-cheek component of descent toward the jowl.
- Platysmal bands and fullness under the chin. Treated by the standard neck lift through the incision under the chin.
- Deeper neck structures. Subplatysmal fat, digastric muscle bulk or submandibular gland prominence need a deep neck lift instead of the standard neck lift.
A lower facelift does not include brow lift, eyelid surgery or lip lift. These are assessed as separate procedures or combined in a Vertical Restore Facelift.
Lower Facelift for Jowls
Jowls occur when lower-face tissue descends around the jawline. A lower facelift may be considered when jowls and the jawline are the main change and the front of the neck also shows platysmal bands or fullness under the chin.
If there are no platysmal bands or fullness under the chin, a short scar facelift may be enough. If changes extend to the brow, eyelids, lips or facial volume, a Vertical Restore Facelift may be discussed. If the change is mainly in the neck, a neck lift may be more appropriate. The right procedure depends on where the changes sit and how far they extend, assessed at consultation.
Lower Facelift Compared With Other Facelifts
| Procedure | What it includes | May be considered when |
|---|---|---|
| Lower facelift | Deep plane facelift with lateral neck lift, plus a standard neck lift | Jowls and jawline change with platysmal bands or fullness under the chin |
| Short scar facelift | Deep plane facelift with lateral neck lift, without work at the front of the neck | No platysmal bands or significant fullness under the chin |
| Deep plane facelift with deep neck lift | Deep plane facelift with lateral neck lift, plus a deep neck lift | Deeper neck structures contribute to the neck contour |
| Vertical Restore Facelift | A deep plane face and neck lift with brow lift, eyelid surgery, lip lift and fat grafting | Change extends across the whole face |
| Neck lift | Neck skin, platysma and selected deeper neck structures, without the facelift | The change is mainly in the neck |
How a deep plane facelift differs from a SMAS facelift is explained on the SMAS facelift page. Technique selection is made at consultation based on anatomy, tissue position and neck findings, and the facelift surgery hub covers how Dr Turner plans each facelift.
Who May Be Suitable for a Lower Facelift?
A lower facelift may be considered where the main changes are around the jowls, jawline and upper neck, including platysmal bands or fullness under the chin. Suitability depends on anatomy, tissue position, skin quality, neck findings, medical history, prior surgery, smoking status and recovery capacity, rather than age alone.
Considerations assessed at consultation include:
- Jowls and lower-face tissue descent as the main change.
- Neck findings: platysmal bands or fullness under the chin that a standard neck lift can treat, and whether deeper neck structures contribute.
- Brow, eyelid and lip position not requiring treatment.
- Skin quality and the amount of skin to be redraped.
- General health and suitability for general anaesthesia.
- Smoking status, with nicotine cessation required before and after surgery.
- Realistic expectations about what surgery can and cannot change.
A face-to-face consultation following GP referral is required to determine candidacy. Two consultations are required before surgery, and a seven-day cooling-off period applies before surgery can be booked or a deposit paid.
When a Lower Facelift May Not Be Appropriate
A lower facelift may not be the right combination when the neck findings or the extent of change point elsewhere. In those cases, another procedure may be discussed during consultation:
- No platysmal bands or fullness under the chin: a short scar facelift may be enough.
- Subplatysmal fat, digastric muscle bulk or submandibular gland prominence: a deep neck lift is used instead of the standard neck lift.
- Change across the brow, eyelids, lips or facial volume as well: a Vertical Restore Facelift may be discussed rather than adding procedures one at a time.
- Change confined to the neck: a neck lift on its own may be more appropriate.
- Brow or eyelid changes on their own: brow lift, upper blepharoplasty or lower blepharoplasty may be assessed.
Selecting the procedure that matches the pattern of change matters more than selecting any single named technique.
Optional Combined Procedures
Other procedures can be performed in the same operation, each adding to the theatre time. Where several facial areas are involved, a Vertical Restore Facelift may be discussed rather than adding procedures one at a time.
- A deep neck lift in place of the standard neck lift, where deeper neck structures contribute.
- A brow lift where the brow and temple have descended.
- Upper blepharoplasty for excess upper-eyelid skin.
- Lower blepharoplasty for under-eye fat and lower-eyelid skin.
- An upper lip lift where the distance between the nose and the upper lip has lengthened.
- Facial fat grafting for volume in selected facial areas.
The facelift cost page shows what each procedure adds to the fee.
Lower Facelift Recovery Timeline
Recovery after lower facelift surgery varies between patients and depends on the surgical plan, whether other procedures are included, health factors and individual healing. Swelling, bruising, tightness and altered sensation are expected, including under the chin where the neck lift is performed.
- First 24 to 48 hours. An overnight hospital stay. Drains, if used, are removed within this period, head elevation is maintained and discomfort is managed with prescribed analgesia.
- First week. Swelling and bruising build and peak, with a review at day 3. Light walking is encouraged while bending and lifting are avoided.
- Weeks one to two. Sutures are removed in stages from the day 7 review. Swelling begins to settle, and many patients plan two to three weeks away from desk-based work.
- Weeks three to four. Visible bruising often resolves over this period. Light exercise resumes with surgeon approval.
- Several months after surgery. Healing and tissue settling continue over several months, and later-stage healing varies between patients.
The deep plane facelift recovery timeline covers each stage in more detail.
Lower Facelift Scars
The facelift incision runs in front of and behind the ear and extends along the temporal and occipital hairlines. The neck lift adds a separate small incision under the chin. Scar healing and visibility vary between patients and may be influenced by skin type, smoking history, wound healing and aftercare.
Points discussed at consultation include where the incisions sit relative to the ear, hairline and chin, the normal variability of scar healing, and the uncommon possibility of hypertrophic or keloid scarring. Scars appear pink initially and typically change over months, and healing is monitored at follow-up visits. The facelift scars guide covers placement and healing in more detail.
Risks and Complications
All surgery carries risks. Risks relevant to lower facelift surgery, discussed in detail at consultation, may include:
- Haematoma. A collection of blood beneath the skin, most common in the first 24 hours.
- Infection. Uncommon in clean facial surgery but possible.
- Scarring. Including the uncommon possibility of hypertrophic or keloid scarring.
- Delayed wound healing. Increased in patients who smoke or have poorly controlled medical conditions.
- Facial nerve injury. Temporary or, less commonly, permanent weakness of the muscles of facial expression; the marginal mandibular branch is particularly relevant in lower-face dissection and its protection is a focus of the technique.
- Altered sensation. Numbness around the ears and cheeks, usually improving over months; the great auricular nerve, which provides sensation to the lower ear, is relevant during lower facelift dissection.
- Asymmetry. Minor asymmetry may persist, as no two sides of any face are identical.
- Hair loss near incisions. Usually temporary.
- Skin contour irregularity. Near the incision or redraped areas.
- Neck contour concerns. Where the upper neck is treated as part of the plan.
- Under-correction. Particularly where midface descent contributes to the appearance of lower-face change; careful patient selection reduces this risk.
- Anaesthetic risks. Associated with general anaesthesia.
- Need for further surgery. To address healing or to revise an outcome.
- Dissatisfaction with the outcome. Where the result does not meet expectations.
Risk is reduced by smoking cessation, optimisation of general health, careful surgical technique, an accredited private hospital setting and structured follow-up. Further information is available on the risks and complications page.
Lower Facelift Cost in Sydney
A lower facelift is $37,463 all-inclusive for surgery in Sydney, about 4 hours 30 minutes in theatre. The fee covers the surgeon, specialist anaesthetist, private hospital and scheduled post-operative reviews.
Fees reflect theatre time, surgical complexity and the procedures combined, so a deep neck lift, brow lift, eyelid surgery, lip lift or fat grafting performed in the same operation changes the fee. A formal itemised quote is provided after assessment. Facelift surgery for facial ageing is cosmetic, so there is no Medicare rebate or private health insurance benefit.
See the facelift cost page for the fee for each combination of procedures and a calculator to estimate yours.
Lower Facelift FAQs
What is a lower facelift?
A lower facelift combines a deep plane facelift with a standard neck lift (traditional platysmaplasty) to treat the jowls, jawline and upper neck. It takes about 4 hours 30 minutes in theatre and is followed by an overnight hospital stay. It does not include brow lift, eyelid surgery or lip lift. Dr Scott J Turner performs lower facelift surgery at Bondi Junction Private Hospital and Delmar Private Hospital, Dee Why.
Is lower face lift the same as lower facelift?
Yes. Lower face lift and lower facelift are the same procedure written two different ways, and both terms are used by patients searching for surgery on the lower third of the face. On this page, lower facelift is used as the main wording for a deep plane facelift combined with a standard neck lift.
Can a lower facelift treat jowls?
Yes. Jowls are one of the main reasons a lower facelift is considered: the deep plane dissection repositions the tissue of the jowls and jawline, and the standard neck lift treats the front of the neck. If there are no platysmal bands or fullness under the chin, a short scar facelift may be enough, and if changes extend to the brow, eyelids or lips, a Vertical Restore Facelift may be discussed. Suitability is assessed at consultation.
How does lower facelift differ from deep plane facelift?
A lower facelift is a deep plane facelift. It uses the same dissection beneath the SMAS, with the lateral neck lift, and adds a standard neck lift through an incision under the chin. Deep plane describes the technique; lower facelift describes this combination, which takes about 4 hours 30 minutes in theatre.
How does lower facelift differ from neck lift?
A neck lift on its own treats the neck without the facelift. A lower facelift combines the deep plane facelift with a standard neck lift, so the jowls, jawline and front of the neck are treated together. Where subplatysmal fat, digastric muscle bulk or submandibular gland prominence contribute, a deep neck lift is used instead of the standard neck lift.
Who may be suitable for a lower facelift?
A lower facelift may be considered where the main changes are around the jowls, jawline and upper neck, including platysmal bands or fullness under the chin, with the brow, eyelids and lips not requiring treatment. Suitability depends on anatomy, tissue position, skin quality, neck findings, medical history, prior surgery, smoking status and recovery capacity, rather than age alone. Candidacy is determined at consultation following a GP referral.
What is the recovery timeline for lower facelift surgery?
Recovery varies between patients and depends on the surgical plan and whether other procedures are included. An overnight hospital stay is followed by reviews at day 3 and day 7. Swelling and bruising peak in the first week, sutures are removed in stages from day 7, and many patients plan two to three weeks away from desk-based work. Healing and tissue settling continue over several months.
What does lower facelift cost in Sydney?
A lower facelift is $37,463 all-inclusive for surgery in Sydney, about 4 hours 30 minutes in theatre, covering the surgeon, specialist anaesthetist, private hospital and scheduled post-operative reviews. There is no Medicare rebate or private health insurance benefit. The full breakdown and a fee calculator are on the facelift cost page.
Related Guides
Facelift techniques: Facelift Surgery Sydney (the facelift procedure hub and related facelift technique pages), Deep Plane Facelift, SMAS Facelift vs Deep Plane, Vertical Restore Facelift, Short Scar Facelift, Ponytail Facelift and Revision Facelift.
Neck and complementary procedures: Neck Lift, Deep Neck Lift, Facial Fat Transfer, Buccal Fat Removal and Lip Lift Surgery.
Reading more: Facelift Cost, Deep Plane Facelift Recovery Timeline and Lower Facelift: Jowls and the Lower Face.
