Adding Neck Lift to Facelift

Neck lift is a great choice for people who want to regain a more youthful appearance in the neck area. The procedure involves tightening the neck skin, smoothing skin folds, eliminating loose skin beneath the chin and reducing signs of muscle bands.

Many patients will pair the procedure with facelift to ensure the neck matches the newly rejuvenated facial appearance. Here, experienced Phoenix-area plastic surgeon Dr. Genaro Valladolid advises when to consider adding neck lift to complement your facelift procedure.

Surgical Technique

Skin sagging around the neck occurs frequently for people who naturally have skin with less elasticity and resilience. In particular, when patients have lost a significant amount of weight, their skin does not adequately shrink to match the new volume of their slimmer necks.

There are three main surgeries that can help to improve the way your neck looks: liposuction for fat removal, cervicoplasty for getting rid of excess skin and platysmaplasty for tightening musculature in the neck. All of these procedures can usually be performed endoscopically, limiting potential scarring, and as an outpatient procedure under local anesthesia.

With tumescent liposuction, Dr. Valladolid makes a tiny incision beneath the chin and then inserts  a narrow tube, which that disseminates fluid to loosen pockets of fat and suck out fat cells, into the treatment area.

During cervicoplasty, Dr. Valladolid makes incisions below the chin as well as behind the ears in order to lift the skin. Sutures are used to permanently hold the skin taut.

With platysmaplasty, Dr. Valladolid realigns and sometimes even takes out a section of neck muscles that have started to protrude. Sutures are used to keep the skin and muscles taut for years to come.

Recovery Timeline

While recovering from these surgeries, you should expect some swelling and bruising, which should last up to 10 days. After the surgical bandage comes off (roughly 24 hours after surgery), Dr. Valladolid will instruct you to wear a compression garment around your neck for two weeks. The results of your neck procedure will look complete somewhere between three and six months later.

In some but not most cases, patients will experience ongoing neck numbness for a couple of months after their procedures. Even more rarely, this sensation may continue indefinitely. Other associated risks include surface indentations and scar tissue.

For more information on neck lift or facelift, please call (480) 770-5015 or email Valladolid Plastic Surgery today.