Loose Neck Skin, What Options do I Have other than a Full Neck Lift?

You sound like you need a neck lift. Most women who try to just have a little skin removed under the chin end up with bulges at the sides of the neck and are unhappy. See several experienced surgeons for an opinion.

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

A combination of non-surgical options like Kybella, PDO NovaThreads, Ultherapy and Thermage would do well in combination for skin tightening for the neck. VASER Liposuction (with ThermiRF, Renuvion and InMode FaceTite) is a great alternative for contouring and tightening the chin and neck and can be combined with a neck lift at the same time, if you're a candidate. I suggest getting a formal evaluation with a cosmetic dermatologist to develop a long-term treatment plan that works for you. Best, Dr. Emer.

It's difficult to determine if a non-surgical treatment will address your concern. Especially via online and without photos to view. Also, it really depends on the amount of #sagging you are experiencing.  If anything, non-surgical treatments may improve the appearance of your concern and many treatments may be required. A board-certified plastic surgeon should evaluate both your anatomical features and aesthetic goals to determine which option best suits your individual needs. Factors which are considered during your consultation to determine if you are a #candidate for #rejuvenating the neck include: 
•Visibility and amount of excess fat below the chin and along the neckline.•The presence of banding down the front of the #neck.•The amount of #excess skin and condition of your skin.•Chin Deficiency.•Presence of Prominent Digastric Muscles (a.k.a. submandibular gland fullness).
During your consultation, your chin will be evaluated along with the neck and jawline.  A weak #chin means there is not adequate chin support for the skin along the neck line. In younger individuals a chin implant alone is usually all that is needed to improve the appearance of the neck. Subsequently, it will also improve the overall balance of the face and can create the illusion of a smaller nose. As a stand-alone procedure, chin augmentation can be performed in the office under local anesthesia. For individuals with signs of aging in the neck, a chin implant added to one of the recommended procedures above, will provide optimal results.According to your evaluation, your plastic surgeon may give you more than one option to choose from. Also, she or he can recommend non-surgical methods if you are deemed a candidate. 

It is very difficult to answer your question without seeing your pictures – you should consider posting images showing your areas of concern.  It may be that you do need a surgical face/neck lift.  As far as other options, smart lipo can sometimes tighten skin without the need for cutting skin out.

The reason most doctors dont want to perform these interventions is that the results are very poor.  To retain a natural look the removal of skin and new support vectors have to be spread in a natural way.  there are many options that can be comppleted under local including a full neck lift in the right patient.  Stay away from the 'mini' interventions offered mostly by para-plastic practitioners.  Find a Plastic and reconstructive surgeon that you trust and  let them guide you.  usually short cuts like ultrasound and energy based interventions just take a lot of your money and leave patients undertreated or even worse unnatural looking.  If you do want to try a noninvasive, Infrared light such as Sciton SkinTyte if carefully temperature monitored and administered by a plastic and reconstructive surgeon can be safe with noticeable effects.  This however is not even close to a replacement for surgery.

 

All the best,

 

Rian A. Maercks M.D.

It's hard to say what the best method to address your concerns is without examining your neck. Your age and skin quality are important factors.

There are several methods to address loose neck skin. The most direct, which can be done with local anesthesia, is to directly excise the excess skin from the midline neck. Of course, this would leave a scar there, though, so depending on your goals and skin appearance this may not be a good option. If a loose platysma muscle is contributing to the problem then performing a platysmaplasty may be helpful. A mini-facelift may be an additional option if there is the concern that the excess skin won't redrape appropriately.

 

Of course I would need photos to advise you intelligently.

Why don't doctors want to do "these minimal corrections"?

Often it's because the correction involves more than you'd think to get a good result. I will decline to do a procedure if I don't believe a minimal treatment or operation will deliver a result that the patient will be happy with.

Beware of some of the non-surgical promoters who will promise correction with injectables and lasers. These treatments can often involve considerable expense and are not necessarily long-lasting.

Moreover, when you return to see them as a dissatisfied patient, they will confidently tell you that all you need is another series of treatments.

Good luck!

First, your cosmetic surgeon should evaluate to your particular aging pattern and anatomy. And of course, it is important to understand your goals such as acceptance of surgery, recovery and your desired longevity of the improvements.

Options range from non-surgical treatments such as Ultherapy to a comprehensive neck lift. And then there are a variety of surgical modifications possible. Consult with an experienced face and neck lift surgeon (or two) and have him/her outline your options. It is impossible to suggest the right approach from the distance.

There are a variety of possible approaches to management of aging features localized to your neck.  The best approach depends not only on your anatomical presentation and complaints, but your budget, risk tolerance, and available recovery time. 

Neck bands can be treated with Botox, Dysport, or Xeomin.  Skin tightening radiofrequency treatments may help in combination with the above injectables.  Surgical options include suction lipectomy (office procedure under local anesthesia), direct excisional procedures originally written about years ago by Dr. Thomas Biggs and Dr. Gilbert Gradinger, and necklift / cervicoplasty. 

If you have true platysmal bands, these muscles extend from the chin to below your thyroid gland.  To visualize them, bring the edges together, and separate from them from the overlying skin and underlying fat and connective tissue facilitating aesthetic neck skin redistribution is a major surgical effort, best accomplished by a skilled and experienced operator with high quality specialized surgical equipment for lighting, control of bleeding, and sufficient exposure to accomplish the procedure without injuring any of the many critical structures nearby:  Your facial nerves, submandibular glands, thyroid and parathyroids, facial artery, jugulars and/or carotids, hypoglossal nerve, trachea, etc.  The "minimal" correction you are requesting is, in reality, not so minimal, although it may seem so to you.

If it were so easy, it wouldn't take the lifetime investment in training, board certifications, multiple accreditations and expensive liability insurance for surgeons to perform.  In agreement with other responders, photos would help in assessing and responding to your inquiry.