Neck Lift Surgery in Birmingham, ALabama
People who have loose, sagging skin or excess fullness below their chin and in the neck often feel self-conscious about their appearance, especially when that area appears more aged than the rest of their facial features. Maybe someone snapped a picture of you from the side view at a party and you saw a profile that you didn’t like! Many different factors can contribute to these issues, including hereditary traits, the aging process, and excess weight. By undergoing neck lift surgery, your neck contour can be enhanced dramatically by removing hanging skin in the neck and along the jawline and redefining neck muscles that have weakened.
Am I a Candidate for a Neck Lift?
Patients in good health with realistic goals and no significant aging in the jowl area along the jawline are ideal candidates for neck lift surgery. If your profile does not match your desired neck and jaw contour, then this procedure may benefit you. As with most plastic surgery procedures, it is recommended that patients avoid tobacco-related products if considering this surgery.
During your consultation, Dr. Grotting will evaluate your condition to see if a neck lift is the right procedure for you.
How Is a Neck Lift Performed?
Your cosmetic goals and preferences will determine what techniques are used for your tailored neck lift procedure. Some patients only need liposuction, others desire a lift in their cheeks to provide more balance to the facial structure, and some want a neck lift by itself, so your individual desires and treatment plan will be discussed during your consultation to provide the best results for your facial appearance.
- General anesthesia or sedation is administered. For neck contouring by liposuction alone, three small incisions are made toward the front of the patient’s earlobes and in the crease under their chin. These incisions leave essentially no visible scars, and once the patient has fully recovered, the neck contour is much more youthful. We often use ultrasound-assisted liposuction to remove excess fat to achieve a smoother, tighter result.
- For the neck lift procedure, loose skin in the neck area is removed or redistributed, and muscles are tightened as needed. Incisions are made under the chin and sometimes behind the ear into the hairline. To achieve a long angular neck, it is sometimes advisable to trim deeper fat as well as the submandibular salivary glands, which often create unsightly bulges below the jaw border.
What Is the Difference Between a Neck Lift and a Facelift?
While both a neck lift and facelift surgery focus on getting rid of sagging skin and creating a smoother and more defined skin appearance, a facelift focuses on the lower two-thirds of the face, where neck lift surgery refines and rejuvenates the appearance of the neck and chin.
Most facelift patients address the neck during their facelift; however, a patient can choose to undergo a neck lift without a full facelift. Some young patients have “heavy necks” even though they are not overweight. These individuals have excess volume deeper below the platysma muscle which needs contouring; often, these patients do not need any skin removed.
How Long Does Neck Lift Surgery Take?
While the exact time varies from patient to patient, neck lift surgery generally takes between one and three hours to complete. This will often depend on whether any other surgical procedures are being performed in combination.
What Can I Expect During My Neck Lift Recovery?
Bruising and swelling in the neck region can be expected, and should subside within one week. Supportive bandages may be gently applied to support the neck and reduce swelling, and your head should remain elevated and as straight as possible without excess movement. Icing the neck area should be avoided; however, you will be provided with proper post-operative care instructions for your incisions. Surgical drainage tubes are sometimes used for removing excess fluids, which can collect under the skin. If a drain is used, it will be removed the next day. We also commonly use a special suturing technique called the hemostatic net which prevents any collections of blood and repositions the skin.
Feelings of tightness and discomfort are common and typically reduce within a few days. Most patients can return to work and regular activities after two weeks of recovery. Medication will be prescribed as needed to ensure a comfortable recovery.
Will I Feel Any Pain During My Neck Lift?
Because general anesthesia or sedation are used, you won’t feel any pain or discomfort during your procedure. However, you will likely experience some soreness and tightness in the area after your surgery.
Any pain you feel can be controlled with medication, but if pain persists, you should contact Dr. Grotting immediately.
Are There Risks Associated With Neck Lift Surgery?
Though rare, there are potential risks and complications associated with neck lift surgery, as with all plastic surgery procedures. These include:
- Bleeding
- Bruising
- Asymmetry
- Scarring
- Infection
- Nerve injury
- Blood clots
What Will My Neck Lift Results Be Like?
After neck lift surgery, skin laxity is corrected, and the collapsed soft neck muscles are reshaped to an elegant, defined contour. Patients experience an increase in self-confidence and smoother, tighter skin in the neck. Neck lift surgery provides patients with an overall more youthful appearance with a longer and slender-looking neck.
How Long Will It Take Until I See My Final Results?
It can take anywhere between three to six months for your neck lift results to become final; however, this depends on the extent of the surgery and varies with each patient. You will see an improvement from the very first days following surgery.
How Long Will My Neck Lift Results Last?
The duration of improvement varies with each patient; however, neck lift results can last up to 15 years or even longer, especially if you maintain a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet and regular exercise.
It is important to understand that neck lift surgery does not prevent the natural effects of aging.
What Are Some Frequently Asked Questions About Neck Lift Surgery?
How much is a neck lift?
The cost of your neck lift will vary depending on the extent of your surgery, techniques being performed in combination, and external fees like facility, surgeon, and anesthesia fees.
Dr. Grotting and his team will provide you with a personalized cost estimate during your consultation.
Can a neck lift be combined with other surgical procedures?
Yes! Many patients choose to combine their neck lift with other facial procedures. Not only do combination procedures give you a more complete transformation, but it can also reduce your overall cost and recovery time, since you are having and recovering from the procedures at the same time.
Common combination procedures include:
Is there a non-surgical alternative to a neck lift?
While no non-surgical treatment can match the results of a surgical procedure, non-surgical skin tightening options, like the Sofwave™ SUPERB™ skin tightening treatment, can help rejuvenate mild to moderate laxity.
Which is better: surgery or injectables?
While injectable treatments may seem like the more preferable treatment since they are non-surgical and minimally invasive, the results obtained from injectables are not as powerful or long lasting as the results achieved from a neck lift.
Something else to think about is the fact that injectables require multiple treatments, along with maintenance treatments, whereas a neck lift is only one procedure.
Lastly, injectable treatments can’t help patients who suffer from moderate to severe skin laxity/sagging.
This man is amazing. He’s a true artist and did such a fantastic job on my breast augmentation. I’m beyond appreciative of the detail he put into speaking with me, the procedure, and far after my surgery. He also doesn’t try to sell you on anything, make a consultation with him if you’re considering a procedure and trust that he will tell you the truth and not just be looking out for his pocket book.