Neck Lift

Neck has always been a challenge for plastic surgeons, since neck skin is thin and lacks support. Nowadays, we see patients seeking for interventions to the neck area at an early age, possibly due to the extended use of cell phones and tablets. Other factors that can cause visible signs of aging in the jaw and neck area include heredity, gravity, environmental conditions, weigh loss and stress. 

Today, we have a lot of non invasive options to treat the aging neck. Advanced mesotherapy protocols, Dermapen®, botox, lasers, even specialized neck creams can significantly improve neck skin quality and delay surgery. Neck lift, however, is the gold standard of neck rejuvenation! 

Neck lift and Facelift 

Although neck lift can be performed separately, in the vast majority of cases is performed in combination with Face lift or Microlift™. Jawline and neck are anatomically adjacent areas and factors such as skin sagging and lack of muscle support affect both. Furthermore, in most cases plastic surgeons use part of the facelift incision and extend it post-auricularly in order to correct the neck. 

The neck lift, as a stand alone procedure is often performed in patients with good jawline but excess wrinkling of the neck skin or in patients who had both Facelift and neck lift in the past and need a revision of the neck lift alone. 

The procedure

A neck lift can remove excess fatty deposits under the chin, tighten loose neck skin and correct neck muscle banding. Depending on the case, neck lift choices include a traditional neck lift incision or a limited incision neck lift. 

A traditional neck lift incision often begins in the hairline at the level of the sideburn, continues down and around the ear and ends in the posterior hair. Dr Pagkalos uses Vaser® liposuction to meticulously empty fat deposits, consequently, tissue underlying the neck skin is repositioned and the platysma muscle tightened. Skin is redraped over the uplifted contour and excess skin trimmed away. A separate hidden incision under the chin is often necessary to give access to suture and tighten the muscle. 

A limited incision neck lift involves incisions only around the ear. Although more appealing to patients, the procedure may have limited results. 

Incisions are closed with non absorbable sutures and are usually well concealed within the hairline and in the natural contours of the ear.