Neck Lift: Q&A
Ask a QuestionNeck Lift Procedure Options
I went to my plastic surgeon to see if there was something I could do about the wrinkles and loose skin on my neck, in the throat area. He suggested I have a facelift or I could just do the neck with the incision straight down the throat area. I looked at before and after pictures and didn't like the looks of the neck lift incision, so I opted for the facelift. It's been about a year now, and I don't think it's holding up like I envisioned. My questions is: is there another kind of neck lift available? I'm 59 years old and was 58 at time of surgery. It was my first facelift, although I've had upper eyelid surgery twice...once at 40 and then at 55.
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17 Doctor Answers |
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anon
+7
Platysma tightening is the key!
It sounds like your facelift did not adequately address the platysma. The platysma is the muscle that creates the neck contour. As you age, the muscle splits into two parts, one on either side of the midline. The free edge of the muscle sags and causes the turkey gobbler that makes you look old.
Many people think that the cause of the turkey gobblers is excess skin. This is only partly true. Excess skin can make a neck look old but typically an early recurrence of the neck folds after a...
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+6
Neck Lift Options
I see a large number of patients who are interested in improving poor neck definition and/or loose neck skin only, but who do not want or need a full facelift. Many of these patients are in their 30s and 40s and find that their neck is their only major facial aging issue. However, I will also perform a necklift only for many patients in their 50s and 60s who do not want to change their upper facial appearance and who feel that it is primarily their neck makes them look older or...
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+6
Excess Loose Skin Makes a Necklift less Optimal
This is a very good question and brings up a number of very good points.
The two general types of procedures that would be discussed with you in my practice are a "Minimal Incision Necklift" and a Facelift; I will explain the difference. Direct removal of skin via a Z plasty is also possible but generally only applies to a small sub-category of patients willing to have a mid-line scar.
A "Minimal Incision Necklift" involves an incision just under your chin, below the...
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+4
Longevity of results varies as do patient expectations
From what you describe, the right operation was done on you. The direct excision of skin in the neck is almost never done except in older men as it can leave an obvious scar that looks unsightly and is permanent.
Sometimes a patient expects more than the procedure can deliver. This should have been addressed before your surgery, but you should still discuss this with your surgeon.
Sometimes, the elastic nature of a patient's skin has been badly damaged by the sun and this can...
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+3
Sometimes volume restoration, midfacial elevation or resurfacing help as well
It sounds as if you underwent a facelift. For whatever reason, you were unhappy with your results.
There are several possible explanations, many elucidated by my excellent colleagues below (expectations too high, sun damaged skin loses its elasticity, possible additional laxity). You should definitely mention to your doctor your dissatisfaction and see if there is any additional tightening that is reasonable to do without causing distortion to anatomic structures.
You might also want to...
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+3
Necklift aka Platysmaplasty
Hello Imogene,
Based on your description of things it sounds as though you would benefit from a neck lift or platysmaplasty.
I am assuming that the results from your faclift are still satisfying to you since it has only been a year. That means your jaw line is smooth and your lower third of the face has a more youthful appearance.
Think about your anterior neck as the area over your throat and under your chin. This area is covered by the platysma muscle. If you can see muscle bands on...
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+2
Necklift options depend on unique issues of patient
Necklifts can be performed as a stand alone procedure, or as part of a traditional facelift. In many cases, a patient may not want or need a full facelift, but it depends on the unique issues and goals of the patient. In simple terms, with the first option, often excess fat is removed, and the platysma muscle is stitched together in such a way as to keep the proper contour. This is usually done when there is minor sagging in the middle of the chin.
With a traditional facelift however, not...
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+2
Options for correcting an aging neck
A Neck Lift is sculpting and restoring your neck's contour and tightness back to a youthful state. This requires addressing the multiple components involved (muscle, skin, fat, and the ligaments).In youth, the neck skin sticks and clings to the deeper neck muscles and connective tissue layers tightly. As you age, these layers start to disconnect from each other and loosen, which causes the platysma muscle (the major sheet of muscle that covers your neck) to form "BANDS" in some...
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+1
There can be some replase of skin one year after a neck lift.
This can related to further loosening of the skin secondary to weight loss or just related to the elasticity of your skin. However, you should not notice much further change in the next few years, and the result you have now should stay as is for years to come.
+1
Neck Lift Longevity
There are many methods and techniques for facelifts. Some of the techniques are simplistic, while others may involve much more sophisticated knowledge of facial and neck anatomy. In my experience, I have found that simplistic techniques are inadequate in creating neck and jawline definition. Myself and a colleague have created a lift based on the anatomy of the platysma muscle (see link below for more information) which has resulted in more lasting and robust changes...
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These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.
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