Neck Rejuvenation

Introduction

There are various ways to improve the appearance of your neck. The most reliable and consistent improvement is seen during a full facelift procedure accepting the associated scarring.

A traditional neck lift incision 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. The procedural expectations and complications are those of a facelift.

A limited incision neck lift may involve incisions only around the ear. While the incisions are shorter, the results may be more limited.

There are other surgical and non-surgical options available to improve the appearance of the neck. The non-surgical options include Botox and non-surgical skin tightening procedures such as Ulthera and Thermage. I would recommend the skin tightening procedures prior to surgical intervention as not only may they give a dramatic improvement and delay surgery, it will certainly improve the quality of skin and underlying connective tissue framework and the eventual scarring associated with subsequent surgery.

There are other surgical options available other than a facelift or rhytidectomy. These include but are not limited to liposuction, direct excision below the chin or even along one of the neck lines of the neck, a limited posterior excision along the posterior hairline or a posterior neck procedure where there is a midline scar in the posterior neck. We will decide together which procedure would best address your concerns.