Surgical options for sternocleidomastoid removal with platysmaplasty? (photos)

Tightening of the platysma and removal/redraping of skin will be accomplished with a well performed facelift. The appearance of the sterrnocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle is often enhanced by these maneuvers. However, the SCM should be left alone surgically to avoid distortion as seen in patients who have had neck dissections.

Unfortunately, you have so thin subcuteneous tissue (fat underneath the skin) that every single muscle band is visible. One of the options is to transect all platysma muscle and tighten it posteriorly. I would not suggest any treatment for SCM muscle since it is very functional muscle of the neck/head. In person consultation with a plastic surgeon, board certified, with extensive experience in face/neck lifts, is recommended. Good luck.

Hi there! As an ENT, the only time we remove the SCM muscle is during radical neck procedures to treat cancer. The SCM muscle helps to turn the head and protect the underlying blood vessels like the carotid. I would advise against anything which removes the muscles and I'm unaware of thinning or reducing them in size. The platysmal bands can be addressed with a platysmaplasty, but I would leave the SCM muscles alone. Hope this helps!