Treatment for neck bands when Botox and neck lift aren't options?

I am 39 and have decent skin tone and texture but hereditary Platysmal banding...no smoking at all and a positive history of sun exposure but no sun in the last 5 years (religious use of sunscreen in 7 years).

I have had several consults with surgeons (board certified plastic and facial plastic) regarding my neck. I have platysmal bands that go down from chin to my scapular bone and have had Botox 3 times in this area with no result and Total FX (conservatively done).

No improvement with Botox with three attempts by two surgeons (despite their incredible credentials). The two surgeons also didn't consider me a face lift/neck lift candidate and don't do isolated neck lifts in their practices due to inconsistency of results....therefore they won't work on me because I'm not a face lift candidate.

Can someone suggest another option for my platysmal bands besides a neck lift or Botox?

5 answers to “Treatment for neck bands when Botox...”

A: Platysmal Bands Require Neck Lift and Platysmal Plication

By Raffy Karamanoukian, MD - Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

Platysmal bands occur because of a diastasis of the midline platysmal muscle and a laxity of the submental fat. Serious thought should be placed into performing the gold standard for correction, neck lift and platysmal plication, rather than other non-invasive procedures that do not address the muscle... more

A: Platysmaplasty can be performed alone or with additional facial surgery

By Michael Law, MD - Raleigh-Durham Plastic Surgeon

Immediately under the skin of the neck is the platysma muscle, which you can easily see in a mirror when you clench your teeth and tighten your jaw. In youth, this paired muscle meets in the midline below the chin. With age, the right and left sides of the platysma often separate, producing vertical 'cords' in... more

A: Treating neck bands with minimally invasive treatments

By Brent Moelleken, MD - Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Neck bands are usually a combination of three things: 1. Loose skin of the face and neck 2. Loose muscles 3. Loss of volume of the face The reason you did not have success with minimally invasive tightening treatments and Botox to the neck muscles lies in the weaknessof those treatments... more

A: Thanks for the question Skylar - I know that your...

By Steven H. Williams, MD - Bay Area Plastic Surgeon

Thanks for the question Skylar - I know that your research and interaction with surgeons has provided you with a great deal of information and it seems like you've gone down pathways that are reasonable places to start. In my practice, patients that are not facelift candidates because they have a... more

A: I can understand your frustration and can see that you...

By Sirish Maddali, MD - Bay Area Plastic Surgeon

I can understand your frustration and can see that you have researched your options well. Botox has limited success with platysmal bands. As far as I am aware, surgically treating the platysmal bands is the only method to give you a reliable result. Traditionally, we (plastic surgeons) do not do isolated neck... more