With age, the face and neck are affected differently. Some people develop wrinkling and sun damage in their entire face and neck. Some people seem to lose facial fat, while others accumulate fat in the neck and maintain good skin tone. Others may develop more exaggerated signs of aging in their neck. Neck rejuvenation surgery provides dramatic results and a more pleasing profile. These results are especially dramatic when combined with our other rejuvenating procedures.
Neck Rejuvenation
Who is a candidate?
There are multiple treatment modalities that doctors can choose from today. Options include excisional surgery, punch grafting, soft tissue augmentation, laser skin resurfacing, chemical peels, microdermabrasion, and dermabrasion.
Your Neck Rejuvenation Consultation
During your first consultation, Dr. Potter will discuss your goals for the surgery and explain your probable outcome of treatment. Next is the discussion on which procedure or combination of procedures will best meet your cosmetic goals. Before and after treatment photographs of patients having similar conditions will be used to explain the treatment you can expect to receive. Before and after photographs may be taken of your neck to document the results.
The Neck Rejuvenation Procedure
Neck rejuvenation procedures are generally performed on an outpatient basis. They may be combined with other procedures in order to maximize improvement. Lasers can be used to tighten the skin that is only a little loose, while neck liposuction is accomplished through tiny incisions placed behind the ears and under the chin. With neck liposuction, little straw-like cannulas are used to suction the fat away. Endoscopic surgery through a small incision placed underneath the chin may be used to tighten the neck muscles if you do not have excessive skin. A neck lift may be the best approach if the excess skin is significant. The skin is pulled up and back and the excess skin is removed. This provides a new, more pleasing neck and jaw line. The incisions are hidden inconspicuously behind your ears. Your doctor will help you choose the procedure or combination of procedures that will best meet your goals.
What is the recovery like?
Depending on the extent of the procedure, you may have some swelling and localized bruising which can be covered with make-up. Both are generally gone within 4 – 10 days. A bandage will be placed underneath your chin and an elastic bandage is wrapped around your neck and head. The next morning you may remove the bandage. However, it is important that you continue to wear the elastic garment at night for 2 weeks. Any sutures that require removal are taken out after about a week to 10 days. Over the next several months, as the healing process occurs, the soft suppleness of the neck skin will return. After your neck rejuvenation procedure, your pulled back and tightened neck will have a youthful, more defined profile. You may resume normal activities almost immediately. Most patients are active and going out by the next day.
