Neck Lift - Ask a Surgeon

One excellent choice to consider for enhancing your jawline is Necktite liposuction combined with Morpheus 8. These procedures can greatly improve the appearance of your jawline. Moreover, considering your age, a platysmaplasty may not be necessary at this time.

Smart Lipo is also an effective way of re-sculpting the neck area and helps tighten loose skin. Smart Lipo uses laser light allowing finer re-sculpturing of the neck and jowls. SmartLipo, used in combination with other forms of liposuction, is a procedure that uses laser light to liquefy fat and tighten the surrounding skin. It’s thought to involve less downtime and side-effects than traditional liposuction and is particularly good for small areas of fat deposits.
Kybella® (deoxycholic acid) injection is an FDA-approved injectable treatment that is used in adults to improve the appearance and profile of moderate to severe fat below the chin (submental fat), also called, “double chin.” Kybella can be used off-label for the area under the arms. You may also benefit from Thermage®. Thermage is now a safe, non-invasive, radiofrequency (RF) cosmetic procedure that’s clinically proven to help smooth, tighten and contour skin for an overall younger looking appearance. This can treat sagging skin, loose jowls, lack of definition in the jaw line, sagging neck skin (“turkey neck”), wrinkles and fine lines, and lack of definition in the lips. Thermage® uses radiofrequency technology to heat the deep, collagen rich layers of your skin. The heat helps tighten existing collagen and stimulate the formation of new collagen, which reduces sagging, renews contours, and improves the smoothness and texture of the skin’s surface. Careful patient selection is important to ensure safe and effective treatment, so I suggest making an appointment with a board certified plastic surgeon for consultation to discuss your options. These procedures can be performed as an outpatient without the need for general anesthesia allowing for a quick recovery.

There are many possible causes for your perceived double chin. It is impossible to make a recommendation without seeing you in person and performing a physical exam. If superficial fat is the cause then liposuction may be the answer. If your fat under your chin is deep (under the platysma muscle) then direct excision through a small incision under the chin may be necessary. If there is mild to moderate looseness of the skin and or platysma muscle then it might be possible to treat that with subdermal radiofrequency, like Renuvion. If there is an excessive amount of loose skin (which is highly doubtful given your age) then a more formal neck lift might be the best option. It is also possible that you have a "weak" mandible (bony chin) and then a skeletal augmentation or advancement might be a part of the answer. As you can see, it starts with making the correct diagnosis before recommending a potential treatment.

When I read your question, I wondered about the state of your neck. Are you experiencing sagging in the neck or a double-chin appearance? If not, I am not sure what to think about the platysmaplasty recommendation that you have received. Your stated goals seem reasonable and a board certified plastic surgeon will be able to discuss a surgical plan with you.

The simple answer...yes. What you are describing is a cheek lift with a temporal lift. My concern is that your surgeon is recommending a neck lift , so I would really need to see and evaluate your facial features to make a good assessment and individualized plan.

The reality is previous face lift has facial tissue that usually allows for a straight forward lift. The SMAS is usually already done but may need a little tweak. See a board certified ASAPS plastic surgeon in consultation. It is possible to use special sutures to lift the jowls. It would be nice to see some photos of you or feel your actual skin to give you the best advise. Good luck...

Liposuction of the neck to remove excess fat. A small incision under the neck to remove the excess of skin is possible.

Hello. You may be surprised to learn how often I see patients with identical concerns. The first thing to know is that it is rare that the body will display symmetry between the left and right sides. The observation that your fat is more prevalent or that the skin hangs more on a particular side is actually the norm. The sagging look can be caused by a recessed chin, fat, skin or muscle. Of course, a combination of those conditions may exist, You need a thorough examination by a board certified plastic surgeon in order to know the options that can lead you to success. You have mentioned a few treatment options, but I think that you are starting backwards. Start with a diagnosis and then fit the treatment with the diagnosis. Don't concern yourself yet with how to treat the condition until your are positive about the underlying cause(s). That diagnosis will lead you to your treatment that may be an implant (for a recessed chin), surgery (for sagging muscle), surgery (for sagging skin), a tightening device (for skin), liposuction (for fat), or an injectable such as Kybella (for fat deposits). Because you are so young, your treatment options will have a strong chance of meeting your expectations. Best of luck and get started on your consultations!