Vertical Facelift at 62 with Dermabrasion & Fat Transfer

This 62-year-old patient underwent a vertical facelift with dermabrasion and fat transfer, performed by Dr. Joseph Cruise at his Newport Beach practice. Notably, her neck was corrected through the facelift itself, without a separate neck lift.

Most faces don't age straight backward; they descend. Jowls, deepening folds, and loose neck skin are largely tissue that has slid downward over time. A vertical facelift addresses this by lifting the deeper tissues back up along the direction they actually fell, rather than pulling them toward the ears. Two things follow from this. First, the result looks natural rather than tight or windswept, because the tissue returns to where it started. Second, in the right candidate, elevating the lower face vertically re-suspends the neck along with it — which is how her neckline and jaw were restored without a separate neck lift procedure.

Dr. Cruise paired the lift with two refinements that address what lifting alone cannot. Dermabrasion resurfaced the skin itself, smoothing the fine lines and texture that develop around the mouth and chin — surface aging that no lift can correct, because it lives in the skin rather than beneath it. Fat transfer then restored lost volume, supporting the lifted tissues and softening hollows so the result reads as rested and refreshed.

Her photographs show the outcome: a defined jawline, a clean neck angle, smoother skin texture, and a face that looks naturally younger rather than pulled.

Not every neck can be corrected through a facelift alone; it depends on skin quality, muscle separation, and how much descent has occurred. A consultation at our Newport Beach office will determine whether your neck needs its own procedure or whether, like hers, a vertical lift can restore everything at once.