Aging of the neck often causes a loss of definition between the jaw line and the neck. This is not only unsightly in the neck but contributes to heaviness in the jowls. It may also interfere with clothing.
The neck lift procedure can address problems of saggy neck skin, excess fat in the neck, bands of muscle that tent the neck skin or a combination of all the above that occur with age. Neck lift can be done in conjunction with a facelift.
As we age, fat may accumulate in pockets of the neck; the retaining muscle of the neck (platysma) also separates, forms unsightly tenting of the skin and sags; and the skin loosens. My aim in surgery of the neck is to remove excess neck fat (deep and superficial), restore the muscle of the neck to its position in youth and remove excess skin.
The procedure may be done through an incision hidden behind the chin or behind the ears depending on your individual requirements. In patients with only fullness of fat under the chin but normal skin and underlying musculature, liposuction alone may be enough, which is done through a tiny incision less than 1cm long behind the chin. For more information regarding this procedure, please refer to our neck lift post, which discusses this procedure in more detail.