Neck Lift

Overview

The earliest obvious indications of aging generally appear around the eyes, followed by the neck and lower face. The effects of aging on the neck differ from patient to patient. Aging causes changes in the size and form of the mandible, the amount and distribution of cervical fat, the placement of the hyoid bone, and the thickness and anatomic variation of the platysma muscle's medial fibers.

So, if you're worried by drooping, loose skin on your neck, a neck lift surgical operation may be a good option for you. Neck lift surgery is also known as cervicoplasty (to remove extra skin) or platysmaplasty (to tighten loose neck muscles). Cosmetic surgeons will do one or both of these treatments to tighten loose neck muscles and remove extra, sagging skin, returning the neck to a smoother, firmer, and more defined look.

A neck lift is a cosmetic plastic surgery operation that removes extra skin and fat from the neck to address age-related wrinkling and creasing and to give a smoother, smaller profile.

Neck lift surgery risks include: bleeding beneath the skin (hematoma), anesthetic reaction, thick scarring, blood clots, infection, nerve damage, skin loss, and open wounds.

What Is Neck Lift?

A neck lift is a series of operations designed to improve the look of your neck. Lower rhytidectomy or submental lipectomy are the usual medical names. The precise technique or combination of procedures you use is determined by the results you seek. Neck contouring is frequently performed as part of a facelift, although it may be performed individually if you are satisfied with the appearance of your face. Neck lift techniques may include the following:

Removing excess skin (cervicoplasty).
Removing or altering neck muscles (platysmaplasty).
Liposuction to remove excess fat.
Botox injections to address problems with fullness or "bands".
Kybella injections to remove excess fat under the chin.
Other neck lifting techniques involve lasers, ultrasound, and radiofrequency devices, intense pulsed light, and fillers.

Types of Neck Lifts

1. Full Neck Lift:

A neck lift is also known as platysmaplasty or lower rhytidectomy. Because the platysma (neck muscle) is a component of the SMAS, neck raising is an inevitable component of a comprehensive facelift. It can, however, be performed as a stand-alone surgery or in conjunction with one of the less invasive facelift procedures. A neck lift sculpts your jawline, defines your neck angle, and removes extra skin, neckbands, and sagging jowls. Neck lifts are classified into two types:

Advantages:

Full rejuvenation of the neck with dramatic improvements
Automatic part of the traditional facelift

Disadvantages

Longer recovery time compared to the mini-neck lift
Longer scar compared to the mini-neck lift

2. Mini Neck Lift:

A mini neck lift (also known as submental platysmaplasty or one incision neck lift) is excellent for women and men with a single issue on their necks. Patients who have a little double chin, mild symptoms of aging on their neck, some extra fat, and minimal skin sagginess would benefit from a mini-neck lift. Those with advanced indications of aging and extra skin might benefit from a complete neck lift (or a full facelift).

When compared to a complete neck lift, a minor neck lift is less invasive. A single incision is made directly behind the prominence of your chin. Your surgeon will draw the platysma muscle and deeper layers up through this incision and secure them with stitches. During the single incision neck lift, no skin is removed, and the skin is left to redistribute itself.

Advantages:

Less recovery time.
Single small incision.
Less costly.

Disadvantages:

Less dramatic improvements.

Not suitable for those with moderate to severe signs of neck aging.
Does not address excess skin.
Regardless of the type of face or neck lift, liposuction, dermal fillers, and skin rejuvenation therapies are frequently combined with the procedure to achieve the best possible cosmetic outcomes.

What Benefits Can I Expect From Having Neck Lift Surgery?

The outcome of your neck lift treatment will be determined by the components of the surgery that you and your doctor have selected. A cervicoplasty seeks to decrease or remove extra skin behind the chin region, whereas a platysmaplasty seeks to tighten the platysma muscles to improve definition. In many circumstances, your doctor will combine both treatments into a single neck lift surgery.

If you want to eliminate the appearance of a double chin, remove fat or extra skin (sometimes known as a "turkey neck"), smooth out wrinkles, and diminish heavy creases, a neck lift surgery is likely to produce excellent results.

A neck lift procedure's advantages are often long-lasting, natural-looking, and permanent. A neck lift can be paired with a facelift to provide more extensive facial revitalization.

Who is Ideal Candidate for Direct Neck Lift Surgery?

The best candidate for a direct neck lift is someone who is disturbed by symptoms of aging in the neck area and is in good condition.

Neck lift patients should also be nonsmokers with no allergies to anesthesia, certain drugs, or other issues that might make the operation or recovery process difficult.

Ideal candidates will also have a good attitude toward surgery and realistic expectations regarding the result of their operation.

Who Should Not Have This Procedure?

A straight neck lift is not advised for those who have substantial jowl or cheek drooping and would benefit more from a facelift or other type of treatment. Furthermore, because the neck lift surgical technique needs stretching of the skin, it is not appropriate for people with very thin skin that cannot be stretched or who lack a particular degree of laxity.

Neck lift surgery, like any cosmetic operation, is not advised for applicants who have unrealistic expectations of the outcome. It is recommended that patients understand what to expect from a neck lift and what cannot be changed with surgery. To be clear, a neck lift procedure will not transform your essential appearance, nor will it fully stop the aging process. To have a better understanding of what to expect from surgery, talk to your doctor about what it means to be realistic in your circumstance.

Patients with a medical history of complications, especially heart conditions, or allergies to anesthesia may not be suitable for neck lift surgery. Additionally, those with unrealistic expectations about surgery would not be recommended for a neck lift procedure. Those that smoke will be encouraged to quit several weeks or months before the procedure to avoid complications during and after surgery.

Steps of a Neck Lift Procedure

A neck lift procedure includes the following steps:

Step 1 - Anesthesia

During the surgical process, you will be given medications to help you relax. There are two options: intravenous sedation and general anesthesia. Your doctor will advise you on the best option for you.

Step 2 - The incision

Your neck lift options include a typical neck lift incision or a minimal incision neck lift, depending on the degree of improvement you want to see.

A classic neck lift incision often begins in the hairline at the level of the sideburns, proceeds down and around the ear, and terminates in the posterior hair. Fat in the jowls and neck can be sculpted or redistributed. The tissue beneath the neck skin is realigned, and the platysma muscle is frequently strengthened. Excess skin is cut away and the skin is redraped over the raised features.

A second incision beneath the chin is frequently required for liposuction of this region as well as muscle restoration. Sutures or skin adhesives are used to seal the incisions.

A limited incision neck lift may involve incisions only around the ear. While the incisions are shorter, the results may be more limited.

Step 3 - Closing the incisions

Sutures and maybe skin glue are used to seal incision lines. Sutures may dissolve over time or must be removed after a few days. When the incision lines from a neck lift have healed, they are generally effectively camouflaged inside the hairline and the natural curves of the ear.

Step 4 - See the results

As swelling and bruising decrease, the obvious benefits of a neck lift become apparent. Your final neck lift outcome should not only give you a more young and refreshed appearance, but it should also make you feel more confident in yourself.

What Should I Expect During My Neck Lift Recovery?

A bandage might be gently put over your face and neck throughout your recovery from neck lift surgery to reduce swelling and bruising when your treatment is finished.

A tiny tube may be used to drain any extra blood or fluid that has accumulated beneath the skin.

You will be given specific instructions on how to care for the surgical site and drains, medications to apply or take orally to aid healing and reduce the risk of infection, specific concerns to look out for at the surgical site or in your general health, and when to follow up with your plastic surgeon.

To reduce swelling and keep your head upright, keep your head high over your heart (no excessive twisting or bending of the neck). DO NOT APPLY ICE to the neck as this can compromise blood flow and result in skin death.

Make sure to ask your neck lift surgeon specific questions about what to expect throughout your recovery period:

Where will I be taken after my surgery is complete?
What medication will I be given or prescribed after surgery?
Will I have dressings/bandages after surgery?
When will they be removed?
Are stitches removed? When?
When is it safe for me to drive?
When can I resume normal activity and exercise?
When do I return for follow-up care?

What Results Should I Expect After Neck Lift Surgery?

Please keep in mind that it may take many weeks to months for swelling to subside and up to six months for incision lines to develop when you begin to evaluate your neck lift outcomes.

As the swelling and bruises decrease, the obvious benefits of a neck lift become apparent. The end effect should not only give you a more young and refreshed appearance, but it should also make you feel more confident in yourself.

Although positive outcomes are anticipated from your operation, there is no assurance. In some cases, a single surgical treatment may not be enough to obtain ideal outcomes, and another procedure may be required.

How Much Does Direct Neck Lift Surgery Cost?

The cost of a direct neck lift is determined by a number of factors, including the surgeon's skill, the type of surgery done, and the geographic location. Prices typically begin at $5000 and can reach $10,000.

What is the Alternative Treatment?

Facelifts and necklifts are the most successful procedures for tightening the skin of the face and neck. They do not remove creases around your eyes, brow, or lips. Botox injections and other therapies can assist with this.

Facelifts and necklifts do not change the texture or appearance of your skin; however, treatments such as laser resurfacing (in which a laser is used to burn the surface of your skin in a controlled manner) or chemical peels (in which a chemical is applied to peel off the surface of the skin) may help.

To make your face and skin seem younger, fat grafting or lipofilling (in which fat extracted by liposuction from another region of the body, such as the hips or thighs, is injected into the face) can be performed instead of or in addition to a facelift. Sagging brows might be the source of a lot of problems. In this situation, a brow lift, whether performed alone or in conjunction with a facelift or necklift, may assist to tighten the skin on your face.

Risks & Complications of Neck lifts

Scars: The procedure will leave scars, but the majority of them will be covered in the hairline. Scars are normally red at first, then purple, and gradually fade to become lighter over a period of 12 to 18 months. Scars can sometimes get bigger, thicker, red in color, or uncomfortable, necessitating surgery to repair. If the scars extend, they might cause a bald strip of hair at the hairline, which is usually not visible.
Bleeding: Heavy bleeding is uncommon but possible, and you may require a blood transfusion or another procedure (or both) to control the bleeding. Any bleeding generally occurs quickly or shortly after surgery. Small patches of blood might create skin abnormalities, which normally resolve in the months following the procedure. Before the operation, your surgeon will go through any medications that raise your risk of bleeding, and it is critical to keep your blood pressure under control. Men are twice as likely as women to have significant bleeding.
Healing problems: The margins of the incisions might separate, especially towards the ends of the scar. Typically, treating the wounds solves the problem, but you may require additional surgery to remove the tissue that hasn't healed adequately. Smokers are far more prone to experience healing issues.
Loss of blood supply to skin: If the blood supply is cut off during surgery, some patches of skin may die (a condition known as necrosis). This might imply that you require additional procedure, which could have an impact on the final outcome. A necrosis-affected region may have lumpiness or an uneven surface. Smokers are more prone to have their skin's blood supply cut off during surgery. This danger is further increased if the procedure entails detaching a large amount of skin from the tissue beneath it.
Change of the colour of skin: Most patients may notice a change in the color of their skin where the surgery was performed. This is typically concealable with make-up.
Infection : If the wound becomes infected, you may require antibiotics or another surgical procedure. This can have an impact on the overall outcome of the procedure.
Extrusion: Deep sutures protrude through the skin at this point. These are readily removed.
Swelling, bruising and pain: Following the procedure, there will be some swelling and bruising of the face, which might take weeks to resolve. Long-term discomfort is possible, although it is unusual.
Asymmetry : This is a condition in which the sides of the face and neck are not symmetrical. Minor irregularities are common and normally disappear with time. Scars can sometimes alter the look of the earlobe or the cartilage in front of the ear (the tragus), but these issues are typically correctable with a treatment performed under local anaesthesia.
Increased or reduced sensation: Most patients may have some change in sensation in their face and neck following surgery, most often numbness near the scar. In rare circumstances, the sensory shift may be permanent.
Damage to deeper structures: Although it is uncommon, the procedure can cause injury to deeper tissues such as nerves, blood vessels, muscles, and structures in the neck. The facial nerve regulates the normal movement of your facial muscles. If a portion of the nerve is injured, the movement of the brow and lip may be hampered. This harm might be either transient or permanent.
Unsatisfactory result: Patients are sometimes dissatisfied with the outcome of a facelift or necklift. This might be due to the appearance or feel of the face or neck, or the form not matching expectations. Before having the surgery, it is critical that you discuss with your surgeon the appearance and form you desire, as well as if this can be safely done with a satisfactory conclusion. Although facelifts and necklifts are frequently effective and yield remarkable effects, a facelift will not make you look 18 again, and you should be informed of the limits before agreeing to surgery.
Change over time: The appearance of the face and neck will change as a result of ageing or other circumstances not related to your surgery, such as putting on or losing weight. You may need further surgery or other treatments to maintain the results of the facelift or necklift.
Allergic reaction: Allergy to tape, stitches, or solutions have been described seldom. If you experience an allergic response, you may require further treatment.

Conclusion

Neck lift cosmetic surgery comprises the removal of extra skin and tissues in the neck as well as the tightening of the neck muscles to create a sleeker, leaner look and smoother jawline.

To get superior aesthetic results, a neck lift is frequently coupled with additional cosmetic methods such as facelift surgery, neck liposuction, or muscle relaxant injections. It is rarely done alone.

Some of the most common concerns that are addressed with a neck lift are:

Turkey wattle neck.
Excess fat.
Too much skin.

Recovering from a neck lift takes time. Most people can return to work in 10 to 14 days.