For many people the visible signs of ageing can be difficult to come to terms with, especially for those who feel young at heart. There are many cosmetic surgery procedures and non-surgical treatments available to reduce and reverse these signs, and a Neck Lift is one of the most popular. A Neck Lift, also called a Platysmaplasty, is a surgical procedure by which any loose skin along the jaw line and on the neck itself is removed. The final result gives you a smoother, wrinkle-free neck and jaw line and overall rejuvenated appearance. This procedure can also be used to remove excess skin following substantial weight loss or reduction of skin elasticity due to genetics, sun damage or treatment for illness.
This procedure alone can be effective in making a person look younger, but is often combined with a Face Lift surgery in order to create a younger overall appearance. Our experienced surgeons will recommend the best procedure or combination of procedures for you depending on the results you wish to achieve.
What Neck Lift surgery can treat
- Excess fat and skin relaxation in the lower face that creates jowls;
- Excess fatty deposits under the chin;
- Loose neck skin;
- Muscle banding in the neck, which created abnormal contours.
The loss of youthful contours in the face and neck can be due to a variety of factors, including heredity, gravity, environmental conditions and stress.
Some people feel they are not ready for a full facelift because the upper face is still pleasing. However, many patients will note excess wrinkling of the neck skin, a double chin or “turkey wattle” and jowl lines.
When the neck area doesn’t match the upper facial appearance, a neck lift may be a good solution.
Rejuvenation procedures that can be performed in conjunction with a neck lift are: a brow lift, to correct a sagging or deeply furrowed brow, fat transfer, to add fullness to the lips and cheeks and reduce the appearance of wrinkles, or eyelid surgery, to rejuvenate aging eyes.
The Procedure
A Neck Lift procedure includes the following steps:
- Anesthesia: Medications are administered for your comfort during the surgical procedure. The choices include intravenous sedation and general anesthesia. Your doctor will recommend the best choice for you.
- The incision: Depending on the degree of change you’d like to see, your neck lift choices include a traditional neck lift incision or a limited incision neck lift. A traditional neck lift incision often begins in the hairline at the level of the sideburn, continues down and around the ear and ends in the posterior hair. Fat may be sculpted or redistributed from the jowls and neck. The tissue underlying the neck skin is repositioned, and commonly the platysma muscle is tightened. Skin is redraped over the uplifted contours and excess skin is trimmed away. A separate incision under the chin is often necessary for liposuction of this area and for repair of the muscle. Sutures or skin adhesives close the incisions. A limited incision neck lift may involve incisions only around the ear. While the incisions are shorter, the results may be more limited.
- Closing the incisions: Incision lines are closed with sutures and perhaps skin glue. Sutures may be dissolving, or may need to be removed after a few days. Once healed, the incision lines from a neck lift are usually well concealed within the hairline and in the natural contours of the ear.
- See the results: The visible improvements of a neck lift appear as swelling and bruising subside. Your final neck lift result should not only restore a more youthful and rested appearance, but also help you feel more confident about yourself.
