It seems that almost every day I’m presented with patients who want to enhance the appearance of their necks. Based on an article produced by Fox News, February 28, 2014, there were over 55,000 neck procedures performed in 2013. Most of my neck lift procedures are performed in conjunction with other procedures to give the most effective definition and rejuvenation to the jawline. The most common procedures associated with the neck lift would be a lower facelift and chin implant. Neck lifts alone, however, are very effective for the right people. Usually, this would be a candidate in his or her thirties or early forties. Once someone reaches their mid-forties or later, the elasticity of the skin begins to worsen. As the elasticity of the skin decreases, that excess then would need to be removed. And by definition, removing skin would be considered a facelift.
A neck lift procedure is a procedure where we tighten up the neck musculature and remove any excess fat that may be present; however, the neck lift does not remove skin. This works well with good skin elasticity, but it does not work as well without skin elasticity. One way to improve the results on someone who wants a neck lift, but has poor skin elasticity, is to also provide a chin implant when appropriate. A chin implant will allow for tightening of the surrounding neck skin as it will give it a slight lift upwards. There are many neck lift techniques, and a colleague of mine and I have gotten very nice results with a minimally invasive technique that requires only one scar under the chin that measures approximately 5mm, which is extremely small. I sometimes will perform this minimally invasive neck lift technique with a chin implant and/or with a lower or mini facelift for people with aging skin as well.
There are many different names for given procedures and with all the marketing that has been done over the past 10 or 15 years, the names can be very confusing. It is important to consult with a face expert to make sure you have a full understanding of all the potential options for tightening the neck and jawline.