Refine your jawline and restore youthful definition with a lower facelift by Carrie L. Morris, MD, FACS. This precision procedure treats sagging skin, jowls, and deepened folds—sculpting your natural contours without changing who you are. Trust a trailblazing expert committed to bringing world-class facial artistry home to the Gulf Coast.
Refine your jawline and elegant contours
A lower facelift is a procedure that targets the lower third of the face—primarily the jawline, jowls, and neck. It aims to lift and tighten sagging skin, redefine facial contours, and smooth deep folds around the mouth and chin. Unlike a full facelift, it focuses on the areas most impacted by aging while maintaining a natural, balanced look. Dr. Morris uses advanced, minimally invasive techniques to achieve seamless, sculpted results with less downtime—restoring what makes you feel like your most confident, radiant self.
Actual Patient
A Lower Facelift Treats:
- Sagging skin along the jawline and neck
- Jowls that create a heaviness in the lower face
- Deep nasolabial folds and marionette lines
- Loss of definition in the chin and jaw
- Skin laxity that blurs natural facial contours
- Signs of aging that make the face appear tired or heavy
Lower facelift vs. full facelift
Lower facelift
A lower facelift focuses on the bottom third of the face—mainly the jawline, chin, and upper neck. It’s ideal for those noticing early to moderate signs of aging, such as jowls or loose skin under the chin, but who don’t yet need a full facial rejuvenation. The goal is to sculpt and lift the lower face while preserving a natural, refreshed appearance. With Dr. Morris’s precise approach, patients enjoy noticeable definition with less downtime.
Full facelift
A full facelift addresses the entire face, including the midface (cheeks), lower face, and neck. It’s often recommended for individuals experiencing advanced signs of aging—such as volume loss, deep facial folds, and significant skin laxity across multiple areas. A full facelift typically combines several techniques to elevate the cheeks, tighten the jawline, and smooth the neck for comprehensive rejuvenation and restore youthful balance from top to bottom.
How a lower facelift is done
A lower facelift begins with meticulous incisions—typically starting in the natural crease in front of the ear, extending behind the earlobe, and following the hairline. Dr. Morris carefully elevates the skin to expose the SMAS (superficial musculoaponeurotic system), the fibromuscular layer responsible for the facial structure. She lifts and repositions the SMAS vertically and laterally to correct jowling and deep folds, using secure sutures for long-lasting support without tension.
Once the deeper structures are resuspended, Dr. Morris precisely re-drapes the overlying skin, excising any redundancy to ensure a natural finish. In select cases, submental liposuction or platysmaplasty is performed through a small incision under the chin to address excess fat or banding in the neck. Dr. Morris’ approach minimizes trauma, reduces downtime, and produces sculpted, harmonious results tailored to your unique anatomy.
Benefits of a lower facelift:
- Targets the most noticeable signs of aging in the lower face
- Lifts sagging jowls and redefines the jawline
- Smooths deep folds around the mouth and chin
- Preserves natural facial expression and movement
- Involves shorter incisions with minimal visible scarring
- Requires less downtime than a full facelift
- Delivers long-lasting, structurally supported results
Actual Patient
Am I a good candidate for a lower facelift?
If you’re experiencing sagging along your jawline, visible jowls, or deep folds around the mouth but still have good skin elasticity, you may be an ideal candidate for a lower facelift. Most patients fall in the 40s to 60s age range, but candidacy is less about age and more about individual anatomy and aesthetic goals. You should also be in good overall health and have realistic expectations about the outcome. During your consultation, Dr. Morris will evaluate your facial structure and skin quality to determine whether a lower facelift—or another approach—will best meet your needs.
Lower Facelift FAQs
What’s the recovery like after a lower facelift?
Most patients experience swelling, mild bruising, and tightness for the first week. You must keep your head elevated, avoid strenuous activities, and follow all aftercare instructions. Stitches are usually removed within 7 to 10 days, and most people can return to work and social activities within two weeks. While subtle swelling may persist for several weeks, you’ll see improvements in definition as healing progresses. The final results typically emerge within three months.
How long does a lower facelift last?
You can expect the results of your lower facelift to last 8 to 12 years, depending on factors like your skin quality, lifestyle, and genetics. Because Dr. Morris tightens the underlying SMAS layer—not just the skin—the outcome is more structurally supported and longer-lasting. While natural aging will continue, most patients enjoy a significantly more youthful appearance for nearly a decade or longer before considering any further surgical enhancements.
Will I look pulled or overdone?
Absolutely not. Dr. Morris specializes in achieving natural, refined outcomes that enhance—never alter—your unique facial features. By focusing on deep tissue support and avoiding excessive skin tension, she ensures your results look balanced and youthful, not stretched or artificial. Her pioneering work in minimally invasive techniques allows her to sculpt the lower face with precision, leaving you looking like a more refreshed version of yourself.
Can a lower facelift be combined with other procedures?
Yes, and in many cases, combining procedures can enhance your overall outcome. A lower facelift is often paired with submental liposuction, a neck lift, or laser skin resurfacing to further tighten and refine the jawline and neck area. It can also be combined with facial treatments like a brow lift or eyelid surgery for full-face rejuvenation. Dr. Morris will create a surgical plan based on your goals, facial anatomy, and timeline—always prioritizing harmony in the final result.
Prioritize yourself… do what feels right
Dr. Carrie L. Morris is a triple board-certified oculofacial plastic surgeon and one of the region’s most trusted experts in lower facelift surgery. With nearly two decades of experience and a pioneering approach to laser-assisted surgical techniques, she combines surgical mastery with an artist’s eye for natural results. At Southern Coastal Aesthetics, every detail is personalized. If you’re ready to restore what makes you feel like you, schedule your consultation in Gulf Shores, AL.
