What can a neck lift do to your appearance?

 

Facial aging happens to everyone at some point. You can take care of your skin, wear sunblock, establish a healthy diet, and apply anti-aging products, but sooner or later, your face begins to show your age. Gravity pulls at the soft tissues of the face, causing drooping, and the quality of the skin changes with fine lines and hyperpigmentation.

 

Necklifts are a cosmetic surgery procedure that combats the signs of aging in the lower face and neck. A practiced plastic surgeon can reverse the signs of gravity on the face by getting rid of jowls, redefining the jaw line, and reversing the appearance of a turkey neck. 

 

Necklifts are a versatile treatment, addressing every layer of the neck, including skin, fat, tissues, and muscles. Keep reading to learn more about necklifts and how they can improve your appearance.

Take Years Off Your Face

 

The primary goal of a necklift is to reverse the signs of aging on the face. Sagging cheeks, jowls, neck bands, and a turkey neck are all telltale signs that time is taking its natural toll on the lower part of the face. Necklifts specifically address lower facial aging, taking up to seven years off your appearance.

 

The overall structure of the face does not change with age since the bones and cartilage stay relatively stable throughout your life. A plastic surgeon can turn back the clock on an aging face and neck by reversing the drooping of the soft tissue layers.

 

Aging affects everyone differently based on lifestyle choices, genetics, and sun exposure. But these days, you do not need to wait until the signs of aging appear before beginning to treat them. Facial rejuvenation at a young age refreshes your look and keeps you feeling confident even as you age.

Reverse A Turkey Neck

 

Gravity eventually pulls the skin of the neck down, resulting in what is colloquially known as a turkey neck. Sun exposure is another cause of loose skin, especially when the dropping seems premature. A necklift is one of the ways a plastic surgeon reverses the appearance of sagging neck skin. 

 

The type of necklift used to correct excess skin on the neck is called cervicoplasty. During the procedure, your surgeon creates incisions behind the ear and jaw, removes excess skin, and reattachs the remaining skin. As a result, the jawline is more defined and the neck looks years younger. 

 

Depending on your specific goals, your surgeon may also suggest a chin implant (mentoplasty) or full face (rhytidectomy) lift to improve your profile and improve the overall aesthetics of your face.

Smooth Out Neck Bands

 

The neck contains several muscles, one of which spans the front and back underneath the skin and fascia. The platysma may tighten as you age or with certain muscle usage. Platysmal bands run down the sides of the neck and become more visible as the platysma contracts. 

 

As you age, the appearance of the platysmal bands may become more pronounced. While banding is not harmful, it does change your appearance and profile over time.

 

A necklift is used to smooth out the platysmal bands. The surgeon will carefully cut away part of the muscle and reconnect it, effectively removing the prominence of the bands and flattening out the neck. This type of neck lift is called a platsmaplasty.

Redefine Your Jawline

 

The face is made up of several layers of soft tissue which are greatly affected by gravity as you age. The surface skin, the mid-layer of fat and connective tissue, and the SMAS (subcutaneous musculoaponeurotic system) layer of fibrous tissue eventually start to droop with gravity and time. 

 

Some people start to see the effects sooner than others. Fat deposits and loss of skin elasticity result in jowls or drooping skin around the jaw. This hangdog look makes many people self-conscious and affects the overall youthfulness of the face.

 

Necklifts address the drooping skin around the jaw, tightening the jawline and improving facial contours. If the sagging of the soft tissue is significant, a full facelift might be necessary to reconstruct the jawline for a pleasing overall aesthetic. If jowls are just starting to appear, a necklift could be enough to correct a drooping jawline.

Smooth Out Jaw and Neck

 

Necklifts can also be used to address excess or a lack of facial fat. The surgeon repositions, removes, or adds facial fat in whatever configuration best suits the patient’s specific goals. 

 

Fat grafting takes excess fatty tissue from select areas of the body and adds it to the face to craft a fuller, more youthful facial contour. The surgeon can also remove fat deposits that emerge with age. Lipomas, or skin lumps, are removed to smooth out and define the jawline.

 

Often the manipulation of facial fat is done alongside the removal of excess skin and reconfiguration of the muscles. Your surgeon will discuss the specifics of your procedure during the initial consultation and address any questions or concerns you might have.

Virtually Undetectable Anti-Aging

 

Since the incision for necklifts is discreet and hidden in the hairline behind the ears and chin, the signs of your procedure will be virtually undetectable. Compared to other plastic surgery procedures, recovery time for a neck lift is relatively short. You should be able to return to your normal routine within a week to 10 days.

 

Dr. Gordon is part of an elite group of international facial plastic surgeons. He specializes in procedures that reconstruct the face and neck, performing plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Retreat at Split Rock in Connecticut and New York. For more information about neck lift surgery, contact us to schedule a consultation.