Your Guide to Face Liposuction

Most patients will be familiar with liposuction as a body contouring treatment, but did you know it can also be used to sculpt the face and neck? Face liposuction can slim your features and target localized pockets of fat, such as a double chin or jowls, that may give your face a heavy, aged look.

This guide will cover the basics of face liposuction as well as some of the nonsurgical alternatives we offer at Plastic Surgery Center of the South.

What Is Face Liposuction?

Also called cheek liposuction, jawline liposuction, or jowl liposuction, face liposuction is a surgical procedure to remove stubborn fat deposits in the face and neck.

As we age, facial fat descends toward the jawline, creating sagging cheeks, prominent jowls, and a double chin that slopes into a “turkey neck.” Face liposuction can target these areas to sculpt a slimmer, sharper appearance.

What Happens During Face Liposuction?

Face liposuction is performed as an outpatient procedure. Depending on whether you are targeting other areas with liposuction or combining it with another surgery, such as a facelift or neck lift, you may be put under general anesthesia or local anesthesia with light sedation.

A tumescent solution is first injected into the “pinchable” areas of fat requiring treatment. In addition to making the fat firmer for easier removal, this injection also has important protective functions, both as an anesthetic and as a vasoconstrictor to minimize swelling, bruising, and blood loss.

Your board-certified plastic surgeon will make a delicate incision (only a few millimeters long) and then insert a thin tube called a cannula. This device breaks the fat into smaller pieces that are then suctioned away.

Once the fat removal is complete, your surgeon will suture the skin closed and wrap the area in a compression garment to help with postoperative swelling. Most patients are back at work or school within a week, though it can take up to 6 weeks for most swelling to diminish.

Nonsurgical Facial Sculpting

Patients who may not feel ready for surgery can still attain a sculpted neck, chiseled jawline, and defined facial features. We offer several minimally invasive alternatives to liposuction, including:

• LipoDissolve – An injectable fat-dissolving treatment, LipoDissolve is an option for smaller spot treatments, such as under the chin, the pads of fat beneath the eyes, the cheeks, and jowls.
• ThermiTight® – This noninvasive treatment heats the subdermal tissues with radiofrequency energy, causing the fat cells to shrink and the skin to tighten. It can be used on both the face and neck.
• CoolSculpting® – While primarily used for body contouring, the cooling technology of CoolSculpting can also be used on submental (beneath the chin) fat.
• BOTOX® – BOTOX may not eliminate fat, but it does earn a spot on the list for its ability to “lift” sagging skin by relaxing the muscle. It can also make the jawline appear slimmer through masseter (chewing muscle) injections for a more sculpted appearance.

Face liposuction—and its nonsurgical alternatives—can target stubborn, unwanted fat for more flattering and youthful contours. Curious about which option may be best for you? Our related blog post may help! If you’re ready to slim your face or neck and want to discuss your next steps, please request a consultation or call us at  (770) 421-1242 to begin your facial sculpting journey.