Neck Lift

Source: https://www.plasticsurgery.org

A neck lift, or lower rhytidectomy, is a surgical procedure that improves visible signs of aging in the jawline and neck.

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.

What neck lift surgery can't do

As a restorative surgery, a neck lift does not change your fundamental appearance and cannot stop the aging process.

A neck lift can only be performed surgically; nonsurgical rejuvenation treatments cannot achieve the same results, but may help delay the time at which a neck lift becomes appropriate and complement the results of surgery.

What are the risks of neck lift surgery?

The decision to have a neck lift is extremely personal. You will have to decide if the benefits will achieve your goals, and if the risks and potential complications of a neck lift are acceptable.

You will be asked to sign consent forms to ensure that you fully understand the procedure and any risks and potential complications.

Neck lift surgery risks include:

  • Anesthesia risks

  • Bleeding

  • Temporary or permanent hair loss along the incisions

  • Facial asymmetry

  • Rare nerve injury that could cause weakness of the lower lip

  • Fluid accumulation (hematoma)

  • Infection

  • Unfavorable scarring

  • Prolonged swelling

  • Skin irregularities and discoloration

  • Skin loss

  • Sutures may spontaneously surface through the skin, become visible or produce irritation and require removal

  • Numbness or other changes in skin sensation

  • Persistent pain

  • Poor wound healing

  • Rare risk of deep venous thrombosis with cardiac or pulmonary sequelae

  • Unsatisfactory results which may require revisional surgery

These risks and others will be fully discussed prior to your consent. It is important that you address all your questions directly with your plastic surgeon.

 

What are the steps of a neck lift procedure?

A neck lift procedure includes the following steps:

Step 1 - 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.

Step 2 - 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.

Step 3 - 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.

Step 4 - 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.