Incheon Plastic Surgery: Why Just a Facelift Without Neck Wrinkle Lifting? The Key to Lifting You May Easily Miss!

Hello,

I’m Director Lee Seong-joon of Leeting Plastic Surgery Seoul Branch.

After facelift surgery,

many people more often than expected

carefully share this kind of concern.

“My face feels tighter,

but the wrinkles on my neck seem the same,

so it feels a little awkward.”

When part of the face improves,

the surrounding areas, especially the parts that were not treated,

tend to stand out more by comparison.

So it is only natural to think,

“Why does the neck look the same?”

Today, at Incheon Plastic Surgery,

I’d like to talk about a topic we often discuss in consultations:

why you should consider a facelift and neck wrinkle lifting together.

Would lifting only the face be enough?

Of course, there are cases where

a facelift can deliver satisfying results.

But if you also want improvement in the neck area,

what is the reason?

When only the face is operated on,

neck sagging or wrinkles may become

relatively more noticeable.

When many people hear “facelift,”

they think of a surgery that lifts the entire face at once,

but in reality, the surgical area is

designed mainly around sagging in the midface and lower face.

So first,

it is helpful to look at how the face is divided anatomically,

and how aging progresses in each area.

How does aging progress differently by facial area?

The face can be broadly divided anatomically into

upper face (forehead, area above the eyes)

midface (cheeks, cheekbones, nasolabial area)

lower face (jaw, area around the jowls)

and the neck.

Each area ages in slightly different ways.

📌 Forehead

As the elasticity between the frontalis muscle and the skin gradually weakens,

wrinkles become easier to form.

📌 Upper eye area (upper face)

As the muscles between the forehead and the eyebrows weaken,

the eyelids may sag

and the eyes can appear heavier.

📌 Midface

As the SMAS layer located below the cheekbones and around the cheeks descends in the direction of gravity,

cheek sagging and nasolabial folds may deepen.

📌 Lower face and jawline

Due to double chin formation or sagging skin under the jaw,

the jawline becomes less defined,

and the facial contour may appear collapsed in various ways,

such as a double chin, marionette lines,

and hollowing in the jowl area.

📌 Neck

As the platysma relaxes,

skin elasticity decreases, and fat accumulates,

neck wrinkles may form

and the overall impression may appear older.

A facelift is mainly a surgery that

improves sagging in the midface and lower face.

So depending on the case,

the forehead or neck may appear to change less relatively.

In situations like this,

it is natural to think,

“Hm? Why does this area look the same?”

Then what areas does a neck lift address together?

A neck lift is not simply a surgery that

pulls the skin tighter.

The structure of the neck is more complex than you might think,

so several anatomical elements

must be considered together.

Platysma
A muscle that covers the entire neck. When the muscles on both sides separate in the center, vertical wrinkles are more likely to form. A process of bringing this muscle back together and refining it is needed.

Subcutaneous fat
If fat accumulates excessively or unevenly, it may look like a double chin. In such cases, treatment to reduce or refine the fat may be performed together.

SMAS layer (fascial layer)
Because the face and neck are anatomically connected, for a natural neck wrinkle lift, it is better to address the sagging under the chin as well as the stretched neck wrinkles together.

In this way, rather than looking at the face and neck separately,

it is key to design them anatomically as one connected flow.

Do you have to do everything at once?

The decision to have surgery

is by no means a light one.

For those with busy schedules

or who feel burdened by it,

a step-by-step approach, starting with smaller procedures,

is also possible.

However, the following points

are worth considering in advance.

If you undergo multiple procedures separately, the total cost may end up being higher
The results may be spread out, or the connection between areas may feel insufficient

So in cases of moderate or greater sagging,

it may be more efficient to design the facelift and neck lift together from the beginning.

Considering the overall balance,

it is worth thinking about the option of refining everything at once.

These people may want to consider it together.

✔️ People whose neck wrinkles or sagging look more prominent after a facelift ✔️ People who have had lifting procedures before but still feel dissatisfied with the neck area ✔️ People who want to improve the jawline and neck line together ✔️ People concerned about both a double chin and neck wrinkles

If you are preparing for a facelift consultation,

it may also help to refer to the question list below.

☑️ Is the scope of surgery something I can manage financially and during recovery?
☑️ Will a facelift alone be enough for my satisfaction?
☑️ What about planning to include the neck as well?
☑️ What condition are my forehead and eye areas in right now?
☑️ Which is more appropriate: one major surgery at once, or separate surgeries in stages?

After surgery, will there be a lot of scarring?

The incision site is usually designed

after making it less visible,

such as behind the ears or inside the hairline.

So the chance of scars showing externally,

that is, in visible areas,

is relatively low.

Of course, because this is a surgery that includes incisions,

we cannot say there will be no scars at all.

That is why it is important to make the incision as inconspicuous as possible,

and to use delicate suturing techniques

to minimize scarring.

However,

the degree of scarring and the recovery process

may vary from person to person depending on skin thickness,

body type, and genetic factors.

If you are worried that recovery will take a long time, pay close attention!

Right after surgery, for a few days

there may be swelling or a feeling of tightness.

The average recovery period is about 2 to 3 weeks

before daily life becomes possible again,

but this can vary depending on the surgical scope,

skin elasticity, and recovery ability.

Because recovery happens gradually,

you should try not to be too impatient.

In many cases, most discomfort naturally decreases over time.

For the first few days after surgery,

there may be temporary discomfort such as mild tightness or changes in sensation,

but this is generally considered a normal part of recovery,

so there is usually no need for major concern.

However, if the discomfort continues or becomes more severe,

please be sure to let Incheon Plastic Surgery know.

When considering a procedure or surgery,

the neck is often an area that is easy to overlook compared to the face.

But because the face and neck are connected

both anatomically and in terms of appearance,

it is better to look at them together.

Starting from your current concerns,

I hope you can move forward step by step toward a natural change tomorrow.

I hope you become more naturally youthful,

day by day, more than yesterday and even more than today.

This was Director Lee Seong-joon

of Seoul Leeting Plastic Surgery.

This post is

content intended to provide general information

about facelift surgery and

neck wrinkle lifting.

Whether actual surgery is appropriate

should be determined according to the individual’s health condition and goals,

and should be decided through consultation with a medical professional.

If you would like more details,

please check the YouTube link below for more information.

https://youtu.be/uVT-Mwubbik?si=Pr7DJ5uXvoED-Nu6