For some people, the neck begins to show age faster than the whole face, so sometimes cosmetic surgery patients only want a neck lift rather than a full facelift. Factors other than age, such as losing a considerable amount of weight or heredity, will also affect the look of your neck. While patients seeking a neck lift (platysmaplasty) are typically in the 35-75 age group, younger people have also been seeking this surgery to correct neck problems associated with factors other than age. One of the wonderful results of a neck lift is that your family and friends will probably think you lost weight or toned up, when, in reality, you had a simple surgical procedure done to correct a troublesome area of your body.

"Jowls" is the word often used to referred to the loose sagging skin near the jaw line. Jowls can form from fatty deposits at the jaw line and laxity in the muscles. Another problem people often complain of is having a "turkey waddle;" a waddle is the result of the neck muscles beginning to separate and hang, creating bands with the skin hanging.

Good candidates for a neck lift are people who do not have any active diseases or pre-existing medical conditions and who have realistic expectations for the outcome of their surgery. Discussing your desired look and your goals with your will help him/her determine what is best for you.

Neck lift surgery candidates should also be emotionally stable enough to undergo a cosmetic procedure as healing from this procedure takes a lot of patience. There is sometimes depression after surgery, and if the patient already has a pre-existing emotional problem, this low period can develop into something much more serious.

The Procedure

Once you and your surgeon decide a neck lift is appropriate for you, you will be given pre-operative instructions regarding smoking, vitamin and drug intake, diet, etc. You will be given prescriptions for antibiotics and pain relievers during your pre-operative appointment. At this appointment, you should ask any lingering questions you have regarding the surgery you will be having.

A neck lift usually takes 2-3 hours. You will be given anesthesia based on what anesthesia was decided upon at your pre-operative appointments. General anesthesia is popular with this procedure; some patients get local anesthesia with I.V. sedations. After the effects of the anesthesia kick in, your surgeon will use a magic marker to mark your neck for surgery.

The skin only lift can be done with two incisions under or behind the ear. The platysmaplasty (skin and muscle lift) can be accomplished with a small incision under the chin and behind or under the ear. With the skin only procedure, sections of skin are trimmed and lifted into place and sutured or fixed with tissue glue. With the platysmaplasty method, a section of fat muscle is removed and the ends are sutured to bring them together at the front section of the neck. The skin can be brought together under or behind the ear to further firm up the appearance of the neck.

You will have a pressure dressing placed around your head; this involves wrapping a dressing around the top of your head to underneath your chin, covering your ears.

Recovery

Your head must be elevated all times for 14 days after surgery. You must sleep on two pillows, at least, to achieve this. You will not be allowed to turn your head from side to side. The swelling will be the worst the third day after surgery. This is all part of a normal healing process. Your sutures will not be removed for 7-10 days following the procedure. You must be very careful with any type of movement for at least three weeks. It could take six to eight weeks for you to be able to fully resume all normal daily activities.

As with all surgeries, complications are a risk. There are risks involved with anesthesia and infection in all surgeries. Numbness is common in neck lift surgery, but it usually subsides within the first few weeks. Puckering of the skin may also occur. Excess scar tissue and lumps have been reported, also. Your surgeon will explain all possible risks with you prior to having neck lift surgery.