Neck Lift

It is also known as platysmaplasty or cervicoplasty.

The neck is one of the first places to show our age. Double chin, sagging jowls, vertical wrinkles and horizontal lines are all factors that make us look older than we are. With a neck lift, the appearance of the neck is optimized by stretching the skin and subcutaneous muscles and improving the shape of the jawline. This procedure is often performed in combination with liposuction, facelift or cheek lift, but it is performed as a single procedure.

Am I a good candidate for a neck lift?

Here are some common reasons why you may want a neck lift:

You want to have a prominent jawline and an elegant neck that separates your neck from your face
If you have excess skin and fat on your neck
If you have lines and folds on your neck
If you are in good general health, have a positive attitude and realistic expectations, you are probably a good candidate for this procedure.

How is Neck Lift Procedure Performed?

If only very little contouring is required, this procedure can be performed alone in combination with liposuction. The full neck lift procedure is as follows:

Incisions are made under the chin and/or behind the ears, depending on the procedure chosen
The platysma muscle is compressed and sewn together like a shoelace (corset platysmaplasty).
Excess skin and fat are carefully removed.
The tissue and skin are realigned and secured with sutures.
The incisions are closed and drains are placed before the wounds are dressed.

What are my options?

As a stand-alone procedure, a neck lift can be performed in combination with liposuction if fat is to be removed and skin quality is to be improved. If there are more obvious signs of aging, such as sagging jowls, double chins, adiposity, sagging skin and prominent platysma muscle, a more extensive procedure will need to follow to correct these problem areas.

What will the scar look like after a neck lift?

There are many incision approaches depending on the extent of the surgery and the areas to be treated. If a corset platysmaplasty is planned (where the platysma muscles are tightly sutured together to create a soft neck shape), a small incision is made under the chin, along with a limited facelift-type incision along the back of each ear (submental incision). In younger patients seeking a neck lift who require less facial change, chin correction can sometimes be performed with only a submental incision or an incision behind each ear.