Weight loss: am I candidate for a neck lift? (photos)

I would caution you against any non-invasive procedures, which (if they were successful) might grant you a short amount of time, but ultimately wouldn’t stave off the need for surgery, and most of these procedures employ treatments that make surgery more difficult since they produce substantial amounts of scar tissue. In truth, the best thing would be a physical exam in person to give you a definitive answer about what would be best for you. If you are considering adding projection to your chin (which is not shown in the photos), then you could consider an implant placed at the same time as the neck lift. In your case in particular, I recommend that you consult in person with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your goals and expectations and to see which approach(es) would best suit your needs.

The two vertical lines running just beside the midline of your neck are the edges of the platysma muscle. In some patients these can be made less obvious through injections like Botox/Xeomin. They can also be sutured together in a procedure called a "platysmaplasty". If you had a neck lift or lower facelift I think you should consider a platysmaplasty at the same time. These terms can be all used interchangeably which can be confusing. Often a necklift includes a platysmaplasty so discuss all this thoroughly with your surgeon.

Excess saggy neck skin following weight loss usually has poor elasticity, and so removing and tightening it with a standard necklift solves the problem for the long term. The frontal photo seems to show sagging platysma muscle bands which can be lifted and tightened with a necklift. However, the horizontal neck creases are not removed with a necklift. Nevertheless, I think this is your best option.

A combination approach would give the most improvement. Nonsurgical options such as Kybella, PDO NovaThreads, and Ultherapy do well in combination for skin tightening, but the results are mild compared to surgical options.

I would recommend a VASER Hi-Definition Liposuction with ThermiRF, Renuvion (J Plasma) and InMode BodyTite to contour and tighten the chin and neck. A neck lift can be performed at the same time, if you're a good candidate. I suggest seeing a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist to develop a personalized treatment plan that works for you. Best, Dr. Emer.​

Thank you for your question and sharing your photographs.

In general, the features of your jawline and neck contours are good indication for neck lift surgery in particular with deep plane volume reduction.

The horizontal lines are generally attenuated by the neck lift procedure but they do not disappear. They tend to be present from early life and related to the support mechanisms of the skin which are different from person to person. These lines can be improved with small amount of fat transfer or filler into the lines but in general the degree of improvement through the neck lift is also noticeable.

It would be very hard to decide whether neck lift or face/neck lift is needed to correct your condition. In person consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon, expert in face/neck lifts, is recommended. Good luck.

Chin liposuction helps reduce the bulge under the chin and can be done for the whole neck. Once the fat is removed the skin can become loose and saggy in some cases. It can be avoided by combining it with Thermitight which is a radiofrequency heat delivered under the skin to tighten it. Both chin liposuction and Thermitight can be done at the same time. The recovery is fast and it can be done under local anesthesia.
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Regards
Dr. J

Dear qwerty31,
it is hard to tell for sure without an examination. Based on your photos, it looks like you would benefit from neck lift. If you are considering a surgery, I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Based on your photographs I would recommend you consider neck liposuction and Face Tite. Neck liposuction will remove the excess fat under your chin and throughout the neck which will improve your jaw line and neck line. Face Tite uses radiofrequency energy under the skin to further tighten the skin of the lower face and neck improving the jaw line. Fillers to augment the chin as you mentioned would further improve your result.