Neck Lift
RESTORE A SMOOTHER, MORE TONED, AND YOUTHFUL-LOOKING NECK FOR PHILADELPHIA AREA PATIENTS
The neck's appearance typically changes over time, and while some people accept the shifting tissues and sagging skin as they get older, others want to do something to restore a younger look. A neck and jawline may lose definition because of several factors, including genetics, gravity, stress, and environmental conditions—all of which can be countered with a neck lift at the Philadelphia area's Cross Medical Group.
Many plastic surgeons automatically include the facelift in necklift procedures, never realizing that correcting the neck alone is not only possible, but beneficial for some patients. Board-certified Dr. Kevin Cross regularly hears from patients—many of whom ask "How do I get rid of a saggy neck and jowls?"—who were told that correcting just the neck is not an option. To that, Dr. Cross says, "If neck laxity is what bothers a patient, they can absolutely achieve a beautiful result with a neck-only lift."
He regularly performs more than 50 neck only lifts a year for patients from all over the nation and beyond, in addition to the Philadelphia area. The surgery has become increasingly popular for younger patients and for men who wants maximum improvement and longevity in their neck with minimal scars.
WHAT IS A NECK LIFT?
A neck lift, also referred to as a lower rhytidectomy, is a type of facial surgery that addresses signs of aging that occur on the jawline and neck to improve the look of the lower face and below. Neck lift surgery can treat many common concerns that impact this area, including jowls caused by excess fat and sagging skin on the lower face, excess fatty deposits that develop below the chin, loose skin on the neck, and abnormal contours that are linked to muscle banding and gland laxity in the neck.
If you're looking for the best procedures for neck tightening, neck lift surgery remains one of the highest rated options in terms of patient satisfaction.
WHO IS AN IDEAL CANDIDATE FOR A NECK LIFT?
Wondering whether a neck lift is a good idea? For many patients, the aging process largely involves the neck, but the jowls and jawline are affected as well. For these patients, correcting the lowest part of the face along with the neck will provide the most harmonious and balanced result.
For some patients, however, signs of aging or poor aesthetics are fully isolated to the neck region. These patients may not be ready to have a complete facelift because they may feel like their upper face is still attractive and youthful. For this demographic, "Neck Only" lifting with a neck lift should be performed. A neck lift may also be a good option for patients whose neck doesn't match with the appearance of their upper face. Neck lifting comes in two forms. For patients will good skin quality, but who have sagging muscles and excess fatty deposits, a neck lift is often possible through one small incision, about the width of a thumbnail, that is hidden under the chin. {INSERT PICTURE}. For patients who have a significant amount of excess skin with or without the sagging muscles and deposits of fat, the thumbnail sized incision under the chin is combined with a an incision that is hidden within and behind the ear. This extra incision allows the excess skin to be removed, and fades to being nearly imperceptible within a few weeks {INSERT JANE MARIE PICTURE}
Most important to the results of a neck lift procedure is manipulation of a thin muscle that lies just under the skin, called the platysma muscle. During a procedure at Cross Medical Group, Dr. Cross tightens this muscle from the small incision under the chin.
Tightening this muscle from under the chin—like a corset is tightened around the waist—results in a well-defined silhouette in the region under the chin. Sculpting of fat around the platysma muscle, both above (the superficial fat) and below (the deep fat), further helps improve neck definition. Unlike liposuction, which blindly removed fat while potentially damaging vital structures like the platysma muscle, directly sculpting the muscle with scissors allows Dr. Cross to be most precise with his results.
Finally, modifying areas previously thought uncorrectable under the chin allows complete control of the neck appearance. This includes thinning bulky, redundant muscles called the digastric muscles, and reducing bulges that are created by sagging glands known as the submandibular glands.
Neck lift surgery may also be beneficial for some younger patients. These are people who have commonly suffered from poor neck definition. For these patients, hereditary differences in anatomy prevent a well-defined jaw line and neck from ever developing. These differences include a weak insertion point for the contour defining muscle of the neck called the platysma muscle, a prominence of the excessive fatty deposits that are found in the neck even though patients may not carry fat in other areas of their body, and large of descent of the glands mentioned above, called “Submandibular Gland Ptosis”. The lack of definition may also be combined with the appearance of a weak chin in some patients.. All of these can be corrected with a neck lift.
The patient below, in her 30s, demonstrates all of these elements discussed above:
*Results may vary
For patients with poor elasticity, a neck lift is still possible—as shown in this 76-year-old male patient with very poor skin quality. The best option for these patients, however, includes removal of excess skin from incisions placed behind the ear in addition to the fat, muscle, and sometimes gland work.
*Results may vary
SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION
Want to discover more about the benefits of a neck lift? Contact the Philadelphia area’s Cross Medical Group at (215) 561-9100 (Philadelphia) or (610) 688-9100 (Villanova), or send a message online if you would like to set up a consultation.
WHAT IS RECOVERY LIKE AFTER A NECK LIFT?
There is minimal bruising and swelling after neck lift surgery, and typically very little pain. A special compression garment may be used to manage swelling and bruising after the neck lift has been completed.
Neck lift patients will experience a significant amount of tightness under the chin due to their anatomy being put back where it belongs. This tightness starts to resolve over the first week and does not prevent anyone from opening their mouth, swallowing, or eating.
Patients can start showering and washing their hair and face as soon as a day and a half after the procedure. Makeup can also be applied at that time. Walking and all normal activities can start right away—or as soon as a patient feels ready.
A neck lift patient can start light exercise five days after the procedure, and full exercise by day 10. While there is a spectrum of healing times—with some neck lift patients healing very quickly, and others more slowly—the majority of patients who undergo a neck-only lift will start to feel comfortable being out and seen socially around 10 days after the procedure.
External sutures are removed one week after neck lift surgery. During this visit, advanced techniques are used to help resolve any residual bruising or swelling.
HOW LONG DO THE RESULTS FROM A NECK LIFT LAST?
There is no expiration date on a neck lift procedure. For young patients, when the technique is used to establish proper anatomy when that anatomy did not exist, the results will last decades, until the aging process starts to cause laxity in their 50s to 70s.
For patients who developed neck laxity as a result of aging, the aging process continues from the second the procedure ends. Patients now age from a new starting place. Even after 10 to 15 years, when these patients look in the mirror, they will likely start to see some of the loosening that initially brought them to the office—but their appearance will still typically look more youthful than it did prior to the initial surgery.
OTHER TREATMENTS TO RESTORE A MORE YOUTHFUL NECK
Some patients may not be ready for neck lift surgery, but still wish to make changes to that area. Although surgery provides the most dramatic results, there are non-surgical options that can enhance the appearance of the neck. Ultherapy® uses ultrasound energy to tighten and firm targeted tissues without the need for incisions. Since the effects are not as significant as they would be with a neck lift, Ultherapy® works best for patients who want to address moderate laxity.
Patients who have a double chin may opt for Kybella®, an injectable fat-reduction treatment used specifically in the submental (below-the-chin) area. This injectable treatment dissolves excess fat below the chin to sculpt the neck and jawline. For more dramatic results that can be seen more quickly, liposuction is an effective choice.
SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION
For more details about what you can expect from a neck lift in the Philadelphia area, contact Cross Medical Group by calling (215) 561-9100 or Main Line's Villanova (610) 688-9100. Send a message online to schedule a consultation, or for more information about neck lift surgery.
