What you are seeing now is a part of the normal healing process and at only 5 weeks, definitely not your final result. The lumpiness, swelling, numbness, itching and hardness after a face or neck lift like you had typically persists at least 6-8 weeks after the surgery then slowly begin to go...
I suggest RF treatments and pulsed dye laser to help soften the tight skin. This is normal healing but may be permanent if you do not do some post operative treatments to promote healing and improvement in the circulation of the area. Best, Dr. Emer.
On the basis of these pictures the cords are probably secondary to residual platysma muscles bands requiring revision surgery. If Botox has been properly injected without success some scar tissue may be present. An examination is necessary to determine the cause of these unwanted bands before...
