Have you been taking greater notice of your neckline lately? If so, you’re not alone. Millions of Americans are now working from home and staring down at their reflections during countless ZOOM meetings and video conferences. This has prompted many of us to become a little more tuned in with our appearance and where and how our faces may be aging. If loose, sagging skin along your neck is making you look and feel older than your years, Neck Lift Surgery may be an option for you.
#1 – Your neckline is especially sensitive to the aging process.
Although most of our anti-aging efforts tend to be focused on our faces, our necks are especially vulnerable to the passing of time. The aging process weakens the underlying muscles of the neck and causes overlying skin to lose elasticity and sag. This can also result in a heavy, jowled appearance to the lower face. Environmental factors such as sun exposure and free radical damage can cause the skin to become crepey and loose, sometimes referred to as the “turkey neck” effect. Genetics, lifestyle, and significant weight loss can also play a role in how our neck ages.
#2 – A Facelift and Neck Lift Surgery go hand in hand.
“Our neck is comprised of a band of muscles called our platysma muscles,” explains Dr. Robert Wilke, a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon with Edina Plastic Surgery. “As we age and these muscles weaken, the overlying skin begins to lose elasticity and starts to droop and sag,” he continues. “We will also see sagging in the lower quadrant of the face and jawline. This is why Edina Plastic Surgery chooses to include Neck Lift Surgery in our Facelift Surgeries. Doing one without the other can lead to unbalanced results and create disharmony to your features. We need to address the lift and placement of the entire lower face to see true correction and rejuvenation.”
#3 – You don’t need to be over 50 to benefit from Neck Lift Surgery.
Although the aging process is most often to blame for sagging skin on your neckline, dramatic weight loss can also be a culprit. When we lose a significant amount of fat in our bodies, especially in our cheeks and under the chin, our skin also loses the support that fat provided. As a result, many people who have success with weight loss now face the frustration of droopy, deflated, sagging skin along their jawline and neckline. Furthermore, many people are genetically predisposed to have a heavy, double chin that causes them to have a sagging, jowled appearance as early as their late 30s. Neck Lift Surgery may be a viable solution to restore contour and definition to a patient’s profile in ALL of these instances.
#4 – Neck Lift Surgery is commonly performed with other procedures.
“Having Neck Lift Surgery without Facelift Surgery is like putting your winter boots on with a pair of shorts during a snowstorm. Things need to overlap, converge, and meet in the middle for the best results. If you’re experiencing sagging in your lower face, you will have drooping along the jawline and neckline and vice versa. That’s why you won’t see Neck Lift Surgery listed as a stand-alone procedure at Edina Plastic Surgery,” says Dr. Wilke. “We want our patients to have the absolute best outcomes, and we don’t believe that is possible without addressing the lower face and neck as two components of the same painting.”
Neck Lift Surgery is also commonly combined with liposuction to remove excess pockets of fat under the chin. This can provide further definition and contour to a patient’s profile. In the event of a recessed chin, a chin implant may also be inserted during Neck Lift Surgery to enhance the proportions and balance of a patient’s facial features.
#5 – Neck Lift Surgery scars are minimal.
“During Neck Lift Surgery, the most common incision sites are behind the ears and/or under the chin,” shares Dr. Wilke. “This allows your surgeon to access the platysma muscles to tighten them. Excess skin and fatty tissues will also be removed at this time, with or without the assistance of liposuction. In the end, scars tend to be far more minimal than patients anticipate.”
#6 – You see your results immediately with Neck Lift Surgery.
Although there will be some discomfort and swelling after Neck Lift Surgery, results are immediate. Downtime is usually more attributed to other surgeries performed in tandem with your Neck Lift, like Facelift Surgery. Patients are advised to avoid certain movements with their neck, like looking upwards and putting strain on the newly tightened neck muscles. Most return to work and daily activities within two weeks.
“The neckline can be a problem area for so many of us, regardless of how well we take care of our skin and bodies,” says Dr. Wilke. “It always amazes me how restoring definition, contour, and lift to the jawline and neckline can take so many years off a patient’s appearance!”
Are you tired of hiding a sagging neckline behind turtlenecks and scarves? Schedule a complimentary consultation to discuss Neck Lift and Facelift Surgery with an Edina Plastic Surgery surgeon.
