{"id":22864,"date":"2022-05-10T10:47:17","date_gmt":"2022-05-10T17:47:17","guid":{"rendered":"https://www.realself.com\/news\/?p=22864"},"modified":"2023-10-11T14:47:43","modified_gmt":"2023-10-11T21:47:43","slug":"neck-botox","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https://www.realself.com\/news\/neck-botox","title":{"rendered":"Should You Be Botoxing Your Neck? Doctors Explain When It\u2019s Worth It."},"content":{"rendered":"

Queen Nefertiti, ruler of Ancient Egypt, is perhaps the oldest beauty icon on record. An impeccably preserved 3,000-year-old bust<\/a> of the queen (whose name literally means “a beautiful woman has come”) is said to perfectly capture her legendary features—a powerful jawline and graceful neck, the most notable among them. Her neck, so enduringly famous, even inspired the eponymous neurotoxin treatment. The “Nefertiti lift” was first described<\/a> by Swiss dermatologist Phillip M. Levy in 2007 as a “minimally invasive and acceptable alternative for those patients seeking an effective way to push back surgery.”<\/p>

While legions of plastic surgeons would likely challenge Dr. Levy’s assertion that some strategic shots can stave off surgery, the procedure does boast certain irrefutable benefits. “Neuromodulators reduce the bulk of the platysma muscle and the strain that the muscle exerts on the jawline and lower face,” explains Dr. Jessica Weiser<\/a>, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. “This reduced muscle bulk and diminished pull creates a sharper jawline delineation and a smooth neck contour.”<\/p>

Can it deliver angles that rival the queen’s? That too is debatable—and depends on an individual’s age, anatomy, and unique neck issues. Ahead, doctors reveal how the neck evolves over time (majorly influencing your profile), the precise way in which toxins work to reshape the neck, and how injectors spot ideal candidates for this treatment.  <\/p>

How the neck changes with age<\/h2>

Stretching from our lower jawbone to our collarbone, the platysma is largely responsible for how the neck looks. A “paired” muscle, it consists of two halves, both thin rectangular sheets, which “act to tense the neck and assist with the downward pulling of the corners of the mouth,” says Dr. Danny Soares<\/a>, a board-certified facial plastic surgeon in Fruitland Park, Florida.<\/p>

In youth, Dr. Soares explains, “the platysma is tight and elastic, hugging the contours of the jawline and neck.” Its two sides lie nice and flat, abutting each other in the midline of the neck. With age and repeated use, the muscle weakens, droops, and separates, blunting the contour of the neck and contributing to the formation of jowls, lax skin, and static neck bands. <\/p>

What we perceive as bands or cords under the skin are the free edges of the platysma (or, in some cases, wrinkles in the muscle), which become more pronounced as the muscle stretches and descends. Some bands, it’s worth noting, are unrelated to age and tend to stand out on certain people when they’re eating, speaking, or expressing. “That’s just the muscle flexing,” notes Dr. Amir Karam<\/a>, a board-certified facial plastic surgeon in San Diego. These dynamic bands are not generally caused by looseness.<\/p>

As the platysma stretches over time, its natural tone changes. “In an attempt to maintain its function, the platysma transitions into being more hyperactive,” Dr. Soares tells us. And as the muscle holds increasingly more tension, it gradually thickens, making bands more evident.<\/p>

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What neuromodulators can do for the neck<\/h2>

Typically, during a Nefertiti lift, a neurotoxin, like Botox<\/a> or Dysport<\/a>, is injected into the platysma at various points along the underside of the jawline and down each vertical band. (Dr. Levy’s original technique focused on treating the muscle overlapping the jawline, but injectors have since expanded the concept, to treat the length of the platysmal bands as well.) This series of injections may require anywhere from 20 to 50 units of toxin, notes Dr. Weiser.<\/p>

The classic Nefertiti lift is “very superficially treating the upper facial platysma that inserts along the mandible,” explains Dr. Elizabeth Chance, a board-certified facial plastic surgeon in Charlottesville, Virginia. “You’re inactivating all the muscle fibers that pull the mouth and neck down, essentially allowing the elevator [or lifting] muscles to work unopposed.” In addition to targeting the jawline, Dr. Chance also injects the central platysmal bands that run right under the chin as well as those found along the sides of the neck.<\/p>

@drjanellevega<\/a> #Botox<\/a> has so many more used than you think and one is to snatch the #jawline<\/a>. #learnontiktok<\/a> #dermatologist<\/a> #foryourpage<\/a> #fillers<\/a> ♬ original sound – DrJanelleVega<\/a> <\/section> <\/blockquote>