Crepey and loose neck skin at 43 - what is the best treatment for this? (photos)

Morpheus 8 is a non-invasive skin and soft tissue tightening treatment that is consistently amazing in our patients. We use the Morpheus to exact fractional induced RF into the skin or tissue in order to tighten collagen and stimulate contraction of the tissue. For acne scars, it is quite useful to build collagen in patients who have atrophic scars but is not very productive for ice-pick scars which require TCA Cross. For tissue tightening, Morpheus is ideal for the face and neck and we often combine it with CO2 laser or Ultherapy to further enhance results. Chemical peels and skin resurfacing should be done at least 5 to 7 days after, but can be performed earlier, depending on treatment severity. Avoid exfoliating skin treatments before Morpheus and expect a period of 2-4 weeks for skin contraction to set in.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Hello, and thank you for your question. While it’s difficult to provide a recommendation without photos or a personal evaluation, crepey and loose neck skin are common issues that can be addressed with a neck lift. Those who have significant skin laxity that has led to the formation of a “turkey neck” will benefit most from neck lift surgery. A neck lift procedure can also address submental fat that has formed under the chin and horizontal banding that can develop when the underlying muscle loses some of its firmness. A good surgeon will be able to customize your surgery to tighten the muscle, reposition tissue, and remove fat and excess skin. The best way to determine your eligibility for a neck lift would be to schedule a consultation with a reputable board-certified facial plastic surgeon. Your surgeon can do a proper evaluation of your skin, recommend the best treatment plan, and ensure the best possible results.

Without good photos and/or in person clinical evaluation, it is impossible to give you meaningful opinion. Quality of skin, fat deposits, platysma muscle tone and insertion are only few aspects of changes that happen on this area with aging, sun damage, genetics. Consultation with an expert in face/neck lift (even third time!) may be justified before doing anything. Good luck.

A combination approach would give the most improvement. Nonsurgical options such as Kybella, PDO NovaThreads, and Ultherapy do well in combination for skin tightening, but the results are mild compared to surgical options.

I would recommend a VASER Hi-Definition Liposuction with ThermiRF, Renuvion (J Plasma) and InMode BodyTite to contour and tighten the chin and neck. A neck lift can be performed at the same time, if you're a good candidate. I suggest seeing a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist to develop a personalized treatment plan that works for you. Best, Dr. Emer.​

In our practice, a neck lift does not address laxity of skin in the neck. It simply removes extra fat deposits located above and below the platysma muscle in addition to platysma plasty and liposuction. When there's laxity of skin in the neck, a lower face and neck lift is required to tighten that loose facial and neck skin.

Your photographs demonstrated both laxity of the neck skin and sun damage. A neck lift will certainly help to reduce the laxity and improve the contour but you must also address the sun damaged skin for best results. This may entail adding Morpheus 8 (microneedling with radiofrequency) to the neck lift procedure to tighten the skin. This will require additional in office treatments in the range of 3 to 6 for best results in improving the neck skin. Topical treatments with produces, peels and even fractional lasers may also be needed for best results.