The Secret to a Good Face and Neck Lift: BALANCE

Beauty and balance are cozy bedfellows. The Greeks and Romans knew this thousands of years ago. Michelangelo realized this in the Renaissance with his statue of David. Considered one of the truest artistic recreations of human beauty, his statue of David is revered for its attention to balance and form (minus the large right hand!). Modern day architecture, even in its most abstract form, relies on the basic tenants of balance to appeal to all of us aesthetically. Therefore, although understanding the complexities of beauty can be difficult due to things like differing cultural influences, let us focus first on its strong but simplistic foundation.

Unconsciously, when we judge if someone or something is beautiful, we inherently look for balance. Scientifically speaking, balance in the human form is based on reproducible measurements that are desirable to the human brain. But in a macro sense, our perception of balance in human form is more of a gestalt—kind of like the old adage, “You know it when you see it.” This also applies to the alternative: when something is unbalanced, you notice it immediately. (Think overly injected lips!)

So, if you are considering a face and neck lift to counter the dastardly physical effects of father time, just remember the most important tenant: balance. Channel your inner Michelangelo and look at your face and neck as a whole. Consider them as one piece of marble that needs to be addressed as one project. Michelangelo once said that David was trapped in the marble, and his job was to free him with his chisel. Even while accepting the inherent hyperbole in that belief, there is no better summarization of aesthetic surgery of the face and neck. Your beauty is there already; we just need to free it from its current tethers.

Jowls, neck bands, wrinkles, sagging cheeks, drooping brows, and heavy eyelids all frame your neck and face like a locked door without a key. To cross that threshold to a world with improved self-perception, empowerment, and natural beauty requires a key to unlock the door. This key, in many cases, is aesthetic surgery. But unlike monolithic blocks of marble, which have no form, aesthetic surgery of the face and neck focuses on refining shapes that already exist. Consider another analogy found in nature: imagine clearing away the brush and downed trees in a mountain meadow to reveal all its beauty. The meadow has always been there; you just needed to clean up the effects of time in this beautiful spot in the world.

We have many resources on our site to learn about aesthetic surgeries of the face and neck. I invite you to study and educate yourself on all the possibilities. My motivation to write this post is less about education and more about my desire to support you along this journey as a board-certified plastic surgeon that focuses and excels in facial aesthetic procedures and surgeries.

My patients’ biggest concern before surgery is that they don't want to look “different”. And can you blame them? Look at all the garish and unbalanced examples in the media and pop culture. To me, these are offensive. It is these examples that motivate me professionally to show anyone who is interested that natural and balanced alternatives exist! In my hands, you will not look “different”. You will become a better version of you. We will just clear away the brush and debris that has collected over time. However complex the technical aspects of the surgeries may be, the philosophical approach really is that simple.

Check out the video above that shows a patient just two weeks after surgery. Also, I highly encourage you to listen to our podcast about face and neck lifts. It goes into excellent detail regarding these surgeries and what they can accomplish. Good luck!