All About Neck Lifts
As both men and women age, the skin in the neck and jaw area loses its strength and begins to sag. Often, an accumulation of fat beneath the skin or muscles in the neck occurs and dramatizes the effect. These changes cause the chin and jawline to lose its straight, youthful angle. It can even cause a person to look overweight or older than they really are. But what can you do about this issue?
A platysmaplasty, the technical term for a cosmetic neck lift, can restore the neck, chin, and jawline to a lifted and youthful appearance. A neck lift surgery will produce a proportioned chin; a sharp, flat surface that joins the neck to the chin; and a crisp jawline.
The Neck Lift Procedure
A neck lift, or Platysmaplasty, involves the removal of excess fat and skin from beneath the chin and neck. For patients with good skin elasticity—usually younger patients—the neck lift surgery can be performed through a small incision hidden beneath the chin.
However, if you’re not ready for a full-blown neck lift, there are several other options to achieve the beautiful neck and jawline you’ve always wanted:
Mini Neck Lift
The mini neck lift procedure is most appropriate for patients who have beginning signs of aging in the neck area to include loose sagging skin along the jawline, visible banding of the muscles beneath the chin (early turkey-gobbler), and beginning of jowls which decrease the definition of the lower face and the jawline around the mouth. The mini neck lift is designed for patients who still have moderate elasticity of the skin of the neck and lower facial area, have a moderately defined jawline, and generally fat beneath the chin and in the neck that can be approached with additional liposuction.
Neck Liposuction
As both men and women age alike, the natural fat in the face and neck tend to accumulate and migrate south. The skin of the jaw begins to sag into jowls while the neck seems to become fuller without sharp angles, and make a person appear older or heavier then they actually are. Neck liposuction is a minimally invasive procedure designed for patients who retain good elasticity in their skin, usually younger patients, and for whom a neck lift would be unnecessarily extensive. Neck liposuction is different than a neck lift; only extra fat is removed with liposuction, but many of the newer forms of ultrasonic liposuction can assist in significant skin tightening. No skin is removed, and as a result, there are fewer smaller scars than a neck lift.
Nefertiti Neck lift
Named for the royal Egyptian beauty, the Nefertiti Neck lift is the ultimate neck lift without surgery. This procedure uses Botox to redefine the neck and jawline by smoothing, lifting, and tightening the area. Injections are placed along the lower jawline and down the sides of the neck. The toxin causes the neck muscles, skin, and wrinkles to relax. Once the muscles are relaxed in the neck, the facial muscles will actually overcome the pull of the neck muscles, and help lift the fat and skin into place. The net effect is a shapely jawline, a youthful neck, and a smooth lower face.
Ultrasonic Liposuction
This minimally invasive option uses topical ultrasonic energy to melt fat cells beneath the skin. Rather than using a larger cannula for suction, a small needle is used to remove fat. The ultrasonic energy also activates skin retraction by heating connective, elastic tissues in the skin. The overall effect is reduced fat in the jawline, tighter skin, and a youthful neckline.
Skin Tightening
A non-surgical neck lift can also be achieved through laser skin tightening therapy. This option uses ReFirme Laser therapy to effectively tighten skin at the neck and jaw. The ReFirme laser is a combination of infrared and radio energy, specially designed to activate natural collagen production and skin retraction. The result is tightened skin with fewer wrinkles. Natural collagen and healthy growth also restore a youthful glow, all without surgical invasion or recovery time.
Fat Grafting
It is common that as people age, the skin on the face tends to migrate south, creating hanging skin and fat over the edge of the jawline (jowling). The procedure can soften beginning jowls with a simple fat grafting procedure. By adding volume at the jaw, the skin will be less deflated and tighter thus making the jawline appear crisper. Fat transfer is a very simple procedure that uses the patient’s own fat from another area of the body, most commonly the abdomen, flanks, or thighs. Improved contour in these areas is an added benefit to jawline fat grafting.
For more information about neck lifts or to find out whether this procedure is right for you, contact Shapiro Plastic Surgery.
