Is It Possible to Do a Skin-only Lift for Lower Neck?

Question

A couple of plastic surgery nurses have suggested a skin only lift for my loose and crepey lower neck, with the scar mid central at the back of the neck. What is this called and is it effective?

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

"These are all natural parts of the aging process. What we can do is try preventative treatments or get a neck lift / face lift earlier in the aging process. There are numerous non-surgical options available, and some can be used in combination to get best outcomes, but you would need a consultation with an expert.

Some options for skin tightening include:

- Thermage radiofrequency to heat the skin, tighten it over time, and prevent the aging process
- Ultherapy high-intensity ultrasound to contract the muscle, tighten the face and neck, and prevent the aging process
- PDO NovaThreads or InstaLift threads for immediate lifting without surgery and long-term collagen production
- Sculptra injections for collagen production to areas of the face and neck with crepey skin or early sagging
- BTL Exilis Ultra, Venus Legacy, and Thermi250 for monthly collagen stimulation with facials
- ThermiRF, Renuvion (J Plasma), or Inmode BodyTite for internal heating and tightening with or without surgery
- Fillers (or facial implants) to contour the jawline and chin to improve the appearance of the neck
- Face lift / neck lift with fat grafting and fillers if you need a significant improvement​

​I would suggest getting a formal evaluation with a cosmetic dermatologist. Best, Dr. Emer​​​​"

Jed H. Horowitz, MD, FACS · Answer

Necklifts are designed to remove only deep grooves and #wrinkles, not fine ones. Smoothing out every tiny line in your face would leave you with an eerie, unnatural, and undesirable result. The goal should be to make your necklift look as natural as possible, simply turning back the clock a few years.  #Liposuction is often used during the neck lift if necessary. During your initial examination, your chin will be evaluated along with the neck and jawline. A weak #chin implies a lack of 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.The type of necklift incision will depend upon your gender, your hairline and preferred hairstyles, any scars from previous surgeries, and a variety of other factors.  As a general rule, a #necklift #incision starts right in front of or within the hairline on the temple, follows the curve of the front of the ear, travels underneath the earlobe, and ends at the hairline behind the ear.  There are also shorter #scar techniques preferred by many patients, which do not have incisions in the hairline.  Some patients who wish to have liposuction or tightening of their neck will need an additional incision under their #chin, which can be hidden in a natural skin fold.If you are not a candidate at the time of your #consultation, your board certified plastic surgeon can recommend alternatives to address your concern. Consulting with a board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in #neck lift procedures is important to ensure you are receiving the best advice, care, and surgical experience possible.

Etai Funk, MD · Answer

The neck lift is typically reserved for those patients with loose neck skin, banding of the muscle and minimal to no jowling. The incisions are behind the ears and just in front of the earlobe. Another incision may need to be placed just under the chin to address the bands of muscle that appear with aging. I am not sure what you mean by skin only, but failure to address the underlying muscle will not lead to a long lasting result.

Toby Mayer, MD · Answer

This is called a posterior neck lift and leaves a scar in the back of the neck. If your hair is long, you may consider the tradeoff as worthwhile. Others may not be happy with a vertical scar in the back of the neck.

Raj S. Ambay, MD · Answer

The modality to be used to im-prove neck contour  is based on the physical exam. Non-invasive therapies are only useful for minor corrections. Skin only incision are not useful because skin is elastic and will only relax over time. More often than not, the underlying structure (muscle, deep and superficial fat) need to be tightened, some removed and repositioned. This type of lift tightens the neck muscle (platysma) if they are loose or splayed. During this procedure a 3cm incision is made just behind the chin crease and the muscle in the neck is accessed and tightened with sutures in way a corset would be tightened. Chin implant and liposuction can be done through this same incision.

Is It Possible to Do a Skin-only Lift for Lower Neck?

Answers (10)

Answer: Skin face lift for sagging neck skin.

Answer: Skin face lift for sagging neck skin.

Answer: Skin onlt neck lift not effective

Answer: Skin onlt neck lift not effective

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Everything you need to know about Neck Lift

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Is It Possible to Do a Skin-only Lift for Lower Neck?

Answers (10)

Answer: Skin face lift for sagging neck skin.

Answer: Skin face lift for sagging neck skin.

Answer: Skin onlt neck lift not effective

Answer: Skin onlt neck lift not effective

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Neck Lift

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.