How Much Pain is Involved with a Neck Lift?

  I think the answer to this question depends on your surgeon's technique.  I RARELY have patients who complain of pain after this procedure.   In fact, I honestly cannot recall where this has ever been a problem. 

Neck lifts involve freeing the skin of the neck, sometimes thinning the underlying fat either with liposuction or directly, and usually a tightening procedure to the platsyma muscle underneath the skin.  The skin is then "redraped' in a cosmetically "concealed" way so as not to see the incision lines.  There is expected brusing and swelling but pain is not a usual complaint.  I think sometimes in the first few days there may be some mild discomfort with extreme head turning or jaw opening but I instruct my patients to be very "gentle" with head turning in the first 2 weeks after neck lift.  I hope this helps!

Sincerely,

James F. Boynton, M.D., F.A.C.S.

 

One or two pain pills is average for the minimal pain of a neck lift. Twenty percent take nothing or a Tylenol.