Santa Clarita Valley Plastic Surgeons - Neck Liposuction

By Marc R Lussier, MD, FACS
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Aging is evolutionary. How we age varies among individuals. A customized treatment for an aging face combines traditional aesthetic techniques with newer, less invasive procedures. Neck lifting is a relatively simple procedure that uses one of four surgical approaches, individually or in combination. The surgical options for treating poorly contoured necks include Erbium laser resurfacing, liposuction, and neck muscle tightening, as well as the most advanced procedure, a formal neck lift. Each procedure has a relatively short recovery period and can dramatically improve your facial profile. Selecting the right procedure depends on your specific needs and overall aesthetic goals.

Neck Liposuction: The First Step
Patients often inquire about improving a double chin. This undesirable profile is due to fat accumulation below the chin and along the jaw line. This anatomic arrangement carries uncomfortable social connotations by creating an over-weight facial appearance. Dieting and exercise have a limited effect in this area, as this fat pocket is resistant to weight loss. To address this problem, I often use liposuction of the upper neck to remove this localized fatty tissue to create a thinner, more angular profile. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia using refined liposuction instruments. These instruments are very thin cannulas that gently and painlessly remove the excess fat. Once the fat has been removed, skin around the neck area contracts into a better position, creating a more pleasing profile. Shortly after the forty-five minute procedure, you are sent home wearing only a neck bandeau. This is a compression garment that is worn continuously for several days, and then only at night thereafter. Bruising can be minimal for minor corrections. This allows patients to return to work after several days. Due to the short procedure time and quick recovery, neck liposuction has been called the "weekend facelift." The final result using liposuction is dependent on skin elasticity and works best on younger patients in their thirties and forties.

The Next Level: Tightening neck muscles combined with liposuction
For patients with larger fat deposits and lax neck muscles, I combine liposuction with muscle tightening (a corset platysmaplasty). Lax neck muscles are visible through the skin as hanging bands called "turkey gobblers". They become more apparent as we age because the muscles separate and roll back on themselves when contracted from facial expression. The procedure takes one and a half to two hours and is done under sedation and local anesthesia. The procedure is performed through a one-inch incision hidden in a wrinkle underneath the chin. Through this small incision, both liposuction and muscle tightening are performed to create a thinner, more angular face. The results are often more dramatic than liposuction alone. The final result of this combined procedure is optimal in patients without excess skin. For patients with excess neck skin, I usually recommend a formal neck lift.

Putting It All Together: Neck lifting
The most extensive procedure I perform in this area is a traditional neck lift. This approach removes the excess fat, tightens the muscles, and removes the excess skin. The excess neck skin is "lifted" and excised with the incisions hidden behind the ears and along the neck hairline. The procedure takes about two hours and is performed with sedation and local anesthesia. As with the previous procedures, a neck bandeau is worn for several days post-op. Bruising can be more extensive with this procedure and may take one to two weeks to resolve, but the final result is impressive and dramatic.

The Ultimate: Combining Neck and Face Lifts
Neck lifts are most commonly performed with facelifts. The key determinant between needing a neck lift only versus a combined procedure is the degree of jowling. Jowls are those hanging skin folds along the jaw line that result from loosening of the underlying ligaments, which are responsible for attaching the facial musculature to the skin itself. The jowls are best treated with a facelift and are not significantly improved with a neck lift alone. When a facelift is added to a neck lift, an additional scar is placed in front of the ear where the excess jowl skin is removed. The effect is to create a more youthful, streamlined neck and jowl line. The scars heal quickly and are very faint. The combination of a neck and facelift is typically performed on patients in age from their late forties and beyond.

What is Right For You
Your first step is to look into the mirror and make an assessment of your neck. If you're dissatisfied with its shape, from either a double chin or excess hanging skin, there are solutions available to you. Please feel free to contact my knowledgeable staff to learn more about these relatively simple procedures to improve your profile. My office telephone number is (661) 260-3021.

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