Loose skin under chin. What are my treatment options? (Photo)

Question

In the last 6 months a small amount of loose skin has occurred under my chin, why has this happened the rest of my neck seems fine and I do neck exercises to try and help but its getting worse, what are my treatment options? My father has the worst turkey neck I have seen is this what I have inherited? At this stage I would like to avoid major surgery as I'm in my early 40's Any help would be so helpful.

Deborah M. Longwill, DO · Answer

Hello and thank you for your inquiry and for sharing your picture. You may benefit from Ultherapy, an FDA non invasive therapeutic technique that targets the area deep beneath the surface of the skin, in order to generate collagen production, the protein responsible for skin elasticity. Ultherapy will also help you lift, tighten your skin and improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Results build up over time 2-3 months post treatment, optimum results are 6 months post treatment. A suitable medical grade skincare regimen to support and further enhance results from treatment. Hope this helps, best of luck.

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Morpheus 8 is a non-invasive skin and soft tissue tightening treatment that is consistently amazing in our patients. We use the Morpheus to exact fractional induced RF into the skin or tissue in order to tighten collagen and stimulate contraction of the tissue. For acne scars, it is quite useful to build collagen in patients who have atrophic scars but is not very productive for ice-pick scars which require TCA Cross. For tissue tightening, Morpheus is ideal for the face and neck and we often combine it with CO2 laser or Ultherapy to further enhance results. Chemical peels and skin resurfacing should be done at least 5 to 7 days after, but can be performed earlier, depending on treatment severity. Avoid exfoliating skin treatments before Morpheus and expect a period of 2-4 weeks for skin contraction to set in.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Best, 
Dr. Karamanoukian 
Realself100 Surgeon

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

​A combination of non-surgical options like Kybella, PDO NovaThreads, Ultherapy and Thermage would do well in combination for skin tightening for the neck. VASER Liposuction (with ThermiRF, Renuvion and InMode FaceTite) is a great alternative for contouring and tightening the chin and neck and can be combined with a neck lift at the same time, if you're a candidate. I suggest getting a formal evaluation with a cosmetic dermatologist to develop a long-term treatment plan that works for you. Best, Dr. Emer.​

Giuseppe Fiore, MD · Answer

Hi, 
Thanks for your question and and picture.
There are several skin-tightening methods (surgical and non- surgical) to approach the skin under chin.
In my opinion you are not candidate for face/neck surgical lift but for a less invasive approach. 
The lower face (jaw line, jowls, marionettes lines) and neck area in my opinion are the most challenged area to treat as the results are not always satisfactory and what you would you expect. The reason of this is that the ageing process (bone and fat absorption, reduction of collagen and skin elasticity) involves also the upper and mid face: temporal area, cheek, mid face. 
My approach always involves a detailed assessment of the face and the neck as a whole unit in order identify the ageing trigger points and so understand which areas of the face need to be prioritised and treated in order to restore the volume lost and achieve a lifting and natural looking effect. On the neck area the combination of botulinum toxin and Profhilo® is a good option if you want to increase skin tone, texture and tightness.
However, in your case the results could be not completely satisfactory and so possibly you should consider more invasive and effective treatment such as radiofrequency with e.g. FaceTite or Renuvion (J-Plasma) which allow to increase the probability of skin tightening and improve Jaw live definition. The procedure can be performed awake with local anaesthesia. The aftercare is very important including manual lymphatic drainage and a garment support for few days to maintain and improve results. 
I would recommend to make an appointment with a surgeon expert in face/neck for a medical/surgical assessment in order to make a bespoke treatment. 
Best Wishes, 
Dr Giuseppe Fiore

Laurie A. Casas, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question!  An in person consultation is always best, but Ultherapy is a great non-invasive treatment to help tighten the skin under your chin.  Ultherapy uses heat energy to help produce collagen and improve the laxity you are experiencing.  Results are seen over 2-3 months and we recommend that you use Alastin Regenerating Skin Nectar before and after treatment for an improved result.

Chris Funderburk, MD · Answer

Thank you for the excellent question. Over the last few years, a number of new skin-tightening technologies have come to market. I feel that the best results come from either plasma or radiofrequency devices. This is applied through a tiny incision or needle stick below the chin. The underlying collagen network is then heated, causing tightening and skin contraction. This is a great procedure and can be couple with small volume liposuction to remove any excess fat in the neck at the same time.This can be done awake with local anesthesia if desired. Afterwards, I recommend a neck support garment for a few weeks to obtain the best result.