My Neck Looks Wrinkly and The Muscles Tighten Up When I Speak. What Can I Do? (photo)

"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.​"

It's best to begin by consulting with a surgeon in-person to discuss your options. The presence of banding down the front of the #neck, and, amount of excess skin and condition of your skin are among some factors which determine what treatments will best rejuvenate your neck . 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.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.

Neck cords may respond well to Botox as long as the skin tone is OK.  If Botox doesn't help then a neck lift may be the next step

The platysma contributes to wrinkles of the neck and sagging tissue. For younger patients like yourself, Botox Cosmetic can help soften the neck wrinkles. It may be too early for other treatments such as a lower face lift or neck lift. However, only after a comprehensive evaluation can a neck lift plastic surgeon help determine appropriate for you.

Lastly, please stop smoking. Your face and neck will look much better, and you voice will better too. Best of luck.

 

Dr. Chaboki

 

Botox along the edge of the platysma muscle can give some temporary help to platysma banding.  Later on, they will need surgical repair.  I think skin tightening technology is a waste of time and money.

You are describing 2 issues:

1. Hyperactivity of your superficial neck muscle known as platysma;

2. Early skin laxity.

When I examine the photo you provided I would describe these issues as "early" and "mild". I think you can expect some nice improvements with non-surgical treatments such as Ultherapy and Botox or Dysport.

Consult with a facial cosmetic surgeon for a thorough in-person assessment.

Lastly, smoking does do significant harm - also related to aging; but you knew this already.

It’s hard to tell exactly what is bothering you from the picture (the problem sounds more dynamic- seeing you in person would obviously help) but there are a few options available depending on the specific issue. If it is the platysma muscle (the thin circular muscle just under the skin of your neck) that is tightening up (which gives the appearance of tight bands that form with certain movements) then a neuromodultor like Botox, Dysport, or Xeomin can work well. This is injected into the muscle and causes it  to relax. Since it is the tightening that causes the problem, this option makes sense. It is done in the office, needs no anesthesia, starts working within 4 days, and lasts 3-6 months. If it is the neck skin that is getting a little bit lax and causing the wrinkly look, then a combination of good skin care used daily  (Retin A, antioxidants such as vitamin C, and human derived growth factors), a series of chemical peels (2-3 days of peeling, essentially no down-time), and/or 3-4 in office laser treatments (using a fractionated non- ablative laser such as the Palomar Icon 1540 or the Cynosure Affirm) would cause some nice tightening of the neck skin. If you really wanted to be aggressive, you could consider a neck lift (where we would remove the excess skin, remove any excess neck fat, and re-suspend the neck muscle). While this would give a near perfect result, it looks from the picture that this would be more aggressive than you would need to be.

Most 41-year-old women do not require a facelift.  The only neck muscle that can be treated with a neck lift is the platysmal muscle.  The anterior most platysmal bands are tightened along the submental jaw line in the center portion of the neck and when the 2 cords are present, they are released through the submental incision as well.  The sternocleidomastoid muscle is not adjusted with the neck procedure.  Any excess skin that is present will need to be addressed with a lower face/neck lift.

At my practice in New York, I have found the use of Botox/Dysport to be helpful with "neck bands". As you've probably observed, the neck skin gets thinner as we age and the underlying muscles become more prominent. In my practice, I often combine Botox/Dysport for the muscle bands with radiofrequency (Pelleve) treatment for the skin.

 Botox or Dysport injections can soften the horizontal lines and over-active Platysma muscle within the neck.  For neck skin laxity, either Ulthera or a localized skin ellipse through an incision under the chin.