Necklift

Frequently, patients are dissatisfied with the redundancy of skin that occurs in the neck. These folds of skin are sometimes described as a "turkey gobblers". Others note fullness of the neck due to excess fat that obscures the appearance of the youthful jaw line. This is a common appearance that is associated with aging. Many people object to this change in appearance even more so than other commonly recognized effects of facial aging like jowls, deep folds and wrinkles. We at Associates in Plastic Surgery Inc., focus on our patients' concerns to improve the appearance and contour of the neck.

Improvement is achieved by removing the extra skin and fat while tightening underlying muscles. Draping the skin backward and removing the excess skin along incisions located around the ears can achieved this desired result. A small incision beneath the chin is often used to provide access to the middle portion of the neck. Using this approach, central fat can be more readily sculpted to provide a trimmer contour and the neck muscles can also by tightened if needed.

Males have an additional option. Direct excision of the excessive tissue in the neck can be carried out. This leaves scars in the area of the mid portion of the neck extending from the chin down to the thyroid area (Adam's apple). In bearded skin of the male these scars generally become very faint in time. This procedure is not as available to females, as the scars in this area of non-bearded skin may remain noticeable.

In addition to surgical tightening, as described above, liposuction alone is an option for rejuvenating the neck. In those patients in whom the skin is not redundant and subcutaneous fat is thick, liposuction alone can offer significant improvement. This procedure can require less anesthesia and patients have a shorter recovery period. Combined with chin procedures this approach can yield very dramatic results.