Why is my Neck Sagging 4 Weeks After Neck Lift?

Your problem may lie in the type of procedure performed... or not.

Many minilifts or neck-only lifts do nothing for the jowl area, and little to pick up and adjust the deeper, or SMAS, tissues.  They are just not powerful enough.  Once the swelling goes down, the disappointing results become apparent.

Fortunately, it is possible to revise the necklift and correctly elevate and fix the SMAS to a higher position.

This assessment is quite speculative, however, and we don't see a photograph of your before-after pictures and a description of what was done in surgery, so nobody can do anything more than speculate and speak generally about procedures.

In some cases, no matter who the surgeon, the neckline will not be perfect if there is a large amount of soft tissue to adjust or if the bone support is not adequate.

Since you are only a few weeks out from surgery, do not judge the results just yet! As swelling goes down you will see improvements overall. Loose skin under the chin is the most likely problem I see after a few months as you have to be able to move your neck, raise your head up and down and chew your food! But it is usually mild and can be made better with RF microneedling in the future.

hello Spokane6975 It is very early in your recovery journey, your results at this point is far from permanent. You should visit or contact your PS about this concern. #results #sagging

Many patients who have neck liposuction see swelling distort their features for a few months after surgery. If the liposuction is combined with surgery, such as a neck lift, platysmaplasty, etc. then the swelling can be more severe. Keep your followup appointments and see the improvement along with your doctor. Many patients are told by their surgeons that they should wear a compression garment which may help make the swelling recede faster.

It is hard to say whether your neck skin will tighten further at this stage (especially without seeing you in person and examining your neck).

However, there is more healing to occur and your skin may tighten some more. Continuing to wear your compressive neck dressing at night may help with this process.

At 56 the neck skin may not have enough elasticity to contract fully after neck lift. This can be improved with a facelift procedure to tighten the underlying muscles and remove excess skin.

Hi Spokane6975-

Swelling after neck surgery is generally 90% better after twelve weeks. Sleeping elevated and wearing a support strap at home and at night help. Long term neck lift results really depend on the quality of the neck skin - it's elasticity, sun damage and genetics. Be patient - it's still early ion the process.

Sincerely,

Tom Kaniff

It can be difficult to remove the extra skin in a lower face lift thorugh limited incisions.  I rarely offer my patients a lower face lift/neck lift alone because the extra skin is best removed and the entire face is addressed through a full face and neck lift.  If the lower face is sagging, the upper face certainly is as well.  Make sure you are seeing a surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

Samer W. Cabbabe, M.D.

Board - Certified Plastic Surgeon

St. Louis Plastic Surgery Consultants

At 4 weeks after your surgery, it is too early to judge final results. There is likely still a fair amount of swelling under your chin and jawline.

If, after 4-6 months, you still have concerns, seek out an experienced facial plastic surgery specialist.

It is possible to have some swelling and sagging after surgery, especially this early on.  Wear a gentle compression wrap and make a more careful assessment in about 2 months or so.  It is possible that the liposuction may leave some excess skin behind but it is too early to tell.

You may or may not achieve the success you hope for. Often at 54 you  need more than just a neck lift.  WIthout doing the face, parts of the upper neck may not look as good.