What is a neck lift?

A neck lift is a procedure that addresses fullness, sagging skin, and/or muscle banding of the neck under the chin. In isolation, this is not a very common procedure but it is often combined with a facelift. There are a variety of techniques used to address the neck.

Types of neck lifts

Dr. Brace offers a variety of neck lifts depending on the factors at play. These include:

Submental liposuction
Belkyra injections
Profound treatments
Grecian Urn direct neck lifts
Platysmaplasty
Chin implant

Neck Lift Before & After

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Who is a candidate for a neck lift?

Each neck lift procedure is tailored to specific concerns. For fullness under the chin from excess fatty tissue, a micro liposuction procedure is the most effective and definitive procedure for contouring the neck and achieving great definition of the jawline. For those who wish to avoid the OR, Profound RF micro-needling can both melt fat and tighten skin. Similarly, Belkyra injections destroy fat and can create definition in this area. For those with prominent neck bands, the surgical solutions is called a platysmaplasty.

This involves removing fat between the bands surgically and sewing the muscle bands together to create a smooth neckline. If there is excess skin or a ‘turkey neck’, then this skin can be directly excised and closed with a Grecian Urn direct neck lift. In some cases, adding a chin implant to increase the projection of the chin and stretch the neck skin is all that is required. Not everyone is a good candidate for isolated neck procedures and often a facelift approach is a better option. A consultation is required to determine who is a good candidate for these procedures.

Neck lift by Dr. Brace

Dr. Brace is double board certified in head and neck surgery and facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. He is an expert in all variations of neck lift surgery and can counsel you on the appropriateness of these approaches given your specific anatomy and concern. He has intimate knowledge of the anatomy of the neck and vast surgical experience operating in this area. He performs 75-100 cosmetic and cancer related neck surgeries every year. His goal is to give you a natural and beautiful result that respects your individual facial shape and anatomy.

Neck Lift Consultation

A consultation is the first step for any surgical or non-surgical treatment to the neck. During a consultation Dr. Brace will assess your facial skeleton, your airway position and the factors negatively affecting the appearance of your neck. Photographs will be taken to discuss your concerns. Dr. Brace can then recommend an appropriate treatment to create the best neck lift result for your anatomy.

Non-Surgical Neck Lift

Treatments like Belkyra injections or Profound are done in office and require time to see the results. Belkyra injections typically require 4 treatments, 6-8 weeks apart to see an acceptable result. Profound is a single treatment but takes 6 months to be fully realized. Both treatments create significant swelling under the chin during the first 5-10 days and initially worsen the appearance of a double chin. These procedures, although non-surgical usually require planning for some social downtime in the initial days after treatment.

Surgical Neck Lift

Surgical procedures are performed in the operating room and can be done under general anesthesia or IV sedation with local anesthesia. Dr. Brace will recommend what is best for you and can discuss the treatment in detail.

Liposuction of the Neck

Liposuction is done in hospital in most cases under anesthesia and usually takes 1 hour. Tiny 3mm incisions are made, one under each ear lobe and one under the chin. A minimally traumatic microliposction cannula is used to remove fat after the area under the chin.

The incisions are closed with a single dissolvable stitch in each. A compression dressing is applied. Bruising in the neck is common and resolves during the first 2 weeks. Results are visible around 1 month and are fully seen once the swelling resolves at 3 months.

Platysmaplasty

An isolated platysmaplasty is often performed under local anesthetic with or without IV sedation. It is usually performed as part of a full facelift surgery. The submentoplasty involves a single 3-5cm incision under the chin. From here fat is removed and the muscle edges are bound together like a corset. Skin sutures are removed 1 week later and bruises in the neck resolve around the 2-week mark. A facial sling is work to minimize swelling. Results are fully seen around 3 months when swelling is resolved.

Grecian Urn Direct Neck Lift

A Grecian Urn direct neck lift is more common in men who want to remove their ‘turkey waddle’ with minimal downtime. This procedure involves excision of the skin under the chin to a level just above the Adam’s apple. It is usually done under local anesthetic and creates a vertical scar with a zig-zag appearance in its mid portion. Sutures are removed 1 week after surgery and bruising is minimal and resolved by 2 week. Whiskers can camouflage the scar as it heals. The results are immediate. Dr. Brace provides pulse dye laser treatments and injections to manage the scar as it is healing. It takes a full year for any scar to fully mature into a thin, white and pliable line.

Neck Lift