Why the Neck Lift is One of the Most Popular Cosmetic Surgeries
Why get a neck lift?
The neck lift, or lower rhytidectomy is a surgical procedure that rejuvenates the neck by tightening the neck muscles, then removing excess fat that has accumulated, and extra skin. The neck has a big impact on our overall appearance. Unfortunately, it’s especially susceptible to gravity and other forces and so is one of the first areas of the body to show signs of aging. Sun damage and extreme weight loss are other factors that can contribute to loose, sagging, aged neck skin. For some, it’s primarily a matter of genetics. –No wonder so many people undergo this transformative procedure!
When a person’s neck is aging faster than the upper face, a neck lift can make a person look years younger. Most candidates are between 40 and 80 years of age—the span of time when many people are self-conscious about sagging neck skin
Why Dr. Roth is the ideal choice for you necklift
A neck lift uses different techniques and carefully calibrated incision locations to better tighten your skin. The precise symmetry that Dr. Roth uses to create a firmer, more refined appearance of the neck has earned high praise from his patients. The procedure is accomplished through a mixture of scientific measurements customized for each individual’s neck-to-chin ratio. Dr. Roth will methodically use your aesthetic goals to produce a balanced and defined jawline-to-neck proportionality technique to better align your facial features.
This procedure involves Dr. Roth making a small incision under the chin. Your muscles are then re-positioned and the underlying tissues are tightened. If needed, excessive skin will be removed and the remaining skin will be tightened to restore that youthful appearance to the neck. Dr. Roth’s exemplary neck lift technique has had a very powerful, confidence-building impact on his patient’s self-esteem.
A Neck Lift is Often Combined with Other Facial Procedures
Neck lift surgery (Platysmaplasty) is often performed in combination with other facial surgeries, such as a facelift, brow lift, eyelid surgery, and chin augmentation. The neck lift is among the most reliable, safest cosmetic surgeries, incorporating minimally invasive techniques with exceptionally natural-looking results.
Many patients get a neck lift with a facelift. Doing so allows the surgeon to rejuvenate your face while resolving neck issues in a single surgery. It makes little sense to have a facelift without eliminating jowls, under chin fat deposits, and vertical banding (vertical bands along the front and sides of a person’s neck).
A Neck Lift Procedure–
- Smooths out wrinkles and creases throughout the neck.
- Provides permanent results (unless the patient gains significant weight).
- Leaves minimal scarring (there are usually only two small incisions).
- Removes ‘turkey wattle’ under the chin (i.e., hanging, skin which resembles a turkey gobbler’s neck).
- Eliminates double chin fullness by removing excess fat and skin.
- Removes vertical banding.
- Refines the jaw-line to enhance the chin.
- Gives a person a thinner appearance.
When exploring your options, be aware that nonsurgical “neck contouring” provides only limited, shorter-term enhancement compared with the much more comprehensive, longer-lasting results of a neck lift.
Are You a Good Neck Lift Candidate?
If you’re in good health, have a positive outlook and realistic expectations for your post-surgery results, you’re probably a good candidate for this procedure. You also must be free to take off a week, sometimes longer, from work to recover.
The Consultation
Dr. Roth has significant experience and success with neck lifts. Before your first consultation, visit his website at westaveplasticsurgery.com to see his strong credentials, experience, and educational background.
During your consultation, Dr. Roth will listen carefully to your concerns and answer your questions. He will assess your medical history and as well as your mental and emotional readiness for the procedure. (All patients are required to complete a medical evaluation with their primary care doctor before their surgery).
He’ll show you before and after photos of his neck lift patients.
Neck Surgery Preparation
After you and Dr. Roth jointly decide to schedule your surgery, he’ll factor in your skin texture, bone structure, skin elasticity, and ethnic background to fine tune a surgical strategy that best meets your individual needs.
He’ll also guide you through your anesthesia options. Many patients require only local anesthesia combined with a sedative; others prefer general anesthesia so they can remain unconscious throughout the procedure. If you’re having a combination of procedures, general anesthesia is almost always recommended.
His staff photographer will then take ‘before’ pictures of your face and neck for comparison with your post-surgery results. Dr. Roth will then provide you with comprehensive pre-surgery information. You’ll need to arrange for someone to drive you home on the date of your procedure and stay with you for at least the first night following surgery. You’ll also get instructions for what you’ll do the night before and the morning of surgery.
In the weeks before your surgery, you’ll need to avoid tobacco, alcohol, and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin and ibuprofen to prevent compromising your surgical results.
What to Expect During Surgery
The neck lift usually takes two to three hours. However, if you have a neck lift in conjunction with liposuction, facelift, brow lift, or other surgeries, it will, of course, take longer.
A neck lift normally includes a cervicoplasty (to remove excess skin) and, often a platysmaplasty (to tighten loose neck muscles). Surgery begins with a small incision behind each ear and, depending on your circumstances, also a third small incision underneath the chin. Through these incisions, Dr. Roth will tighten the neck muscles and other underlying tissues and remove excess sagging skin to restore a smoother, firmer, and more youthful appearance. Depending on the how much change you prefer, your neck lift choices include either a longer, traditional neck lift incision or a shorter, limited incision neck lift—which may only involve incisions around the ear. In many cases, liposuction will be performed at the same time to remove fatty tissue.
Once underlying tissues have been tightened, the skin is then redraped over the area, and the excess is removed. This ‘natural positioning’ creates a more natural look, one that is not too tight or ‘excessive.’ The skin is then sutured. Sutures will either be absorbed or be removed a few days later. After bandaging, some patients may require a tube to drain excess fluid following the procedure. All patients will be instructed in how to replace dressings and maintain their drain, if applicable.
Results
Following a neck lift procedure
Bruising and swelling will dissipate over the course of a few weeks to a month. The incisions from the procedure are hidden along the hairline and in the natural folds and creases around the ears. Any resulting scars will continue to fade over the course of a year.
Final results will begin to appear beginning within a week or so but take three to six months for complete resolution. Of course, recovery and results are different for everyone. Final results usually stabilize within three to six months. As with many other cosmetic surgeries, neck lift results will not be immediately evident but will be increasingly noticeable over time, reaching a full resolution within three to six months.
Patients who refrain from smoking, drinking and other lifestyle habits recover more quickly. Your final neck lift result should restore a more youthful and refreshed appearance and help you feel more confident.
What to Expect During Recovery
Dr. Roth will provide you with detailed instructions for recovery and aftercare. Again, on the first day after surgery, patients should arrange to have a friend or family member stay with them. This is because movement will be difficult and should be kept to a minimum. You’ll also need to take off one week or more from work. Of course, the recovery period will be longer for patients who combine neck lift surgery with other procedures, such as facelift or browlift.
Common side effects after neck lift surgery
Often includes some discomfort, bruising, and mild to moderate pain, which is easily controlled by prescription medication. Some degree of swelling and bruising is unavoidable. A slight “tight” feeling may remain for up to several months. To help alleviate bruising and swelling, you should sleep and rest with your head elevated. You may use cold compresses (but never ice packs) to accelerate the healing process.
Your post-surgery symptoms will decrease noticeably within two or three days. Two weeks after surgery most of the pain, bruising, and swelling will disappear, and you’ll begin to see the results of surgery. After returning to work, you’ll still need to avoid strenuous activity such as heavy lifting or sports for at least several more weeks. It may take weeks to months for swelling to fully dissipate and up to six months for incision lines to mature.
Life-long sun protection and a healthy lifestyle will help extend the results of your rejuvenated, more youthful appearance.
Dr. Roth typically schedules several follow-up appointments to ensure that you are healing properly. He is adamant about maintaining long-term relationships with his clients and making sure they are comfortable with their procedure well beyond the surgery date.
Neck Lift Risks
There are risks with any surgery, and cosmetic procedures are no exception. In choosing to undergo a neck lift, the patient may risk infection and possible allergic reaction to the anesthesia. As with any surgical procedure, there is a risk of infection and bleeding associated with neck lift surgery. Patients should be attentive to any signs that healing is not progressing properly, such as pus at the incision sites, and contact their surgeons immediately if there are any issues.
Other potential Neck Lift Concerns
A statistically small group of patients may also experience more serious complications, such as–
- Hematoma: The collection of blood beneath the skin
- Seroma: The collection of fluid under the skin
- Numbness: Patients often experience numbness at the incision site after surgery
- Skin irregularities: These can include lumpiness or mottling (blotchy skin texture)
- Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
