Neck Lift Changes in neck appearance are caused by (1) excess fatty deposits in the area below the chin and above the Adam’s apple, (2) loose, hanging skin, (3) separation of the platysma muscle fibers along the midline of the neck, and (4) shortening and thickening of the edges of the platysma muscle, which causes vertical bands to form in the neck. With age, the platysma loses its attachment to the neck, so the natural tendency of muscle to contract and to shorten occurs. As a result, the junction between the chin and the neck loses its angle and appears blunted. Technique With Facelift The traditional facelift will help address age-related problems in the neck, and is supplemented with the neck lift as an important part of a full facelift. The elevation and tightening of the skin and SMAS in the facelift operation will …show more content…
In fact, the removal of fat can increase the sag of the skin if there is poor skin tone. This can be reduced with skin-tightening technology using external lasers or laser or ultrasound-assisted liposuction. A slight excess of skin in the neck can be removed by excision through a horizontal incision high on the neck, just below the jawbone. The resulting scar should be fairly well hidden. This procedure may be done in conjunction with neck liposuction. If there is a lot of loose skin, it would have to be removed through both horizontal and vertical skin excisions. This will result in both a transverse scar high on the neck and a scar extending down the middle of the neck toward the Adam’s apple, which can be quite noticeable. For this reason, most surgeons will recommend removing excessive skin through a facelift incision, where the scars will be well hidden. Operations limited to the neck are typically outpatient procedures done with local anesthesia and sedation. Procedures last from 30 minutes for liposuction alone to 1-1/2 hours if skin is removed and the muscle is