Re: Why Do They Cut the Nape of Your Neck when Having a Facelift.

asked 1 year ago by Mia 229 in San Jose, Ca
Latest answer by Sam Naficy, MD
Question viewed 539 times
Tags: face, neck

I had a few reply's about this and most of them said that it was because I must have had alot of loose skin where my neck was and I did. The only thing is alot of skin was taken away but after only 1 month my neck and jowls are coming back. I look the same as I did before this surgery. Someone said I have to wait 6 months to have this fixed, is this true & why? Can my neck and jowls be tightened and what is the best procedure for this. Thank you.

11 answers to Re: Why Do They Cut the Nape of Your Neck when Having a Facelift.

Face Lift, Mini Face Lift, The Palmer Celebrity Face Lift, Beverly Hills Face Lift

Face Lift incisions that continue behind the crease, of the ear, into the posterior hair are for full Neck Lifts to tighten and remove excess skin of the neck. If performed properly, the neck should remain tight for 5,7 years or longer. If you're sagging already, you may wish to see an experienced face lift surgeon for a consultation.

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Facial relaxation after a facelift

In patients who have significant tissue sagging, a secondary facelift may be necessary. Remember, one of the key factors for the surgeon is improving your look without creating a deformity. Sometimes there is only so much that can be removed at one time. There are some patients whom require the severe laxity be removed in a staged manner.

Marc Schneider, MD
Fort Myers Plastic Surgeon

A facelift is not a facelift

There are a variety of facelift procedures. Some are more rejuvenating than others. I don't know why an incision was made in the nape of your neck, and I don't know whether that was the best technique for your particular anatomy without examining you personally. More than likely it was the best technique. Everyone has differences in their elasticity of their skin and everyone reacts differently to surgery. I would recommend discussing your concerns with your surgeon. See if there... more

Andrew Campbell, MD
Milwaukee Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.campbellplastics.com

Early recurrence after facelift

The main reasons for an early recurrence after a facelift are if you have terrible skin elasticity from sun damage or massive weight loss or acne scarring. Otherwise, it is possible that your tissues needed to be undermined farther to redrape them. In my experience, unless you go all the way across the neck undermining, you will see less result in the midline area after about 6 months.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Why must I wait for touch up face lift plastic surgery?

Scar tissues must "mature" prior to repeated surgery. This means that normal anatomic planes are restored to some degree that permits tissues to be properly and adequtely dissected, mobilized, repositioned and secured.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Redo Facelift

I think an important consideration in any facelift surgery is the quality of the skin and underlying muscle. If the skin is heavily damaged from sun damage, smoking, and genetic reasons, the result will always be less than ideal. It is important for your surgeon to discuss this with you beforehand, such that realistic expectations and results are ensured. I typically refrain from revision neck contouring for 12 months to ensure the tissues are soft/pliable and to... more

Paul S. Gill, MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon

Facelift - nape of neck

If you had a lot of loose skin and have strechy skin, it's not uncommon to get return of some laxity especially in your chin area. Anatomically there's only so much pulling you can you in a facelift surgery. Dr. Cat Begovic M.D.

Catherine Huang-Begovic, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Redo face lift

The neck skin can be very difficult to completely treat. The skin of the neck may lack the elasticity that it once had and therefore after a facelift can sometimes loosen prematurely.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Patient's with a lot of excess neck skin and poor elasticity may need a "double lift"

After years of experience with all types of neck lifts, it has become apparent to me that some patients may need to have a "double lift" if they have poor elasticity of neck skin or genetically poor skin. (Leos-Daniels Syndrome). There is a limit on how much tension you can place on any lift without creating loss of circulation and the true disaster of Necrosis. You can sometimes determine this in advance in patients who have a family history of poor aging, massive... more

Nathan Mayl, MD
Fort Lauderdale Plastic Surgeon

Neck incisions

The extent of face & neck lift incisions needed depends on how much laxity there is and where the laxity is. With severe neck laxity the incisions in the back of the beck can be extensive

Sam Naficy, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

Incision in the hairline next to the nape of the neck is needed to tighten the neck during Facelift

The incision in the neck which should be hidden in the hairline is necessary if lax neck skin is to be adequately tightened. In addition, when there is a lot of excess neck skin and folds or bands under the chin, an incision beneath the chin is also required to repair the neck muscles, a procedure called a Platysmaplasty. Recurrence of neck laxity after a full Facelift with Platysmaplasty can happen for a few reasons: Inadequate muscle repair and... more