Neck Lift
A neck lift is a surgical procedure that is performed to improve the appearance of the jawline and neck. A neck lift is useful to decrease the signs of aging, smooth asymmetric contours, and treat excess skin and fatty deposits under the neck and chin.
Aging, heredity, environment, and stress are all factors that can cause a loss of the contours and shapeliness of the chin, neck, and jawline. Patients that opt for a neck lift in Chicago seek to improve visible sagging and prominent jowls.
WHAT IS A NECK LIFT?
People often get a neck lift to combat the aging process by getting rid of loose neck skin, preventing jowls from forming, removing excess fatty deposits, and resolving muscle banding around the neck.
This process creates a more youthful look for the neck, reducing wrinkles, sagging, a double chin, and a turkey-wattle neck. The neck lift can often be paired with a facelift for more comprehensive rejuvenation.
AM I A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR A NECK LIFT?
You may be a good candidate for a neck lift if any of the following three common problem areas of the face are familiar to you:
- Deflation: As we age, we lose facial fat volume. This is usually most noticeable as hollowness just below the cheeks or the descent of fat in the jaw, neck, or other parts of the face.
- Radial Expansion: Facial ligaments weaken over time and the attached tissue separates, causing a loss of definition in the jaw line, prominent smile lines around the mouth, and more pronounced jowls.
- Neck Sagging: As muscles loosen, fat accumulates under the chin. At the same time, the skin loses elasticity, causing fullness around the jaw and neck.
There is no way to definitively stop the aging process; however, through facial rejuvenation, we can slow it down and restore you to a more youthful version of yourself. While it is not an anti-aging cure, a well-performed neck lift can give you a much younger-looking appearance.
People who are not in good physical health may not be ideal candidates for a neck lift. Those who are allergic to anesthesia or suffer from chronic health problems may not be suitable candidates for the procedure.
Non-smokers are the best candidates for the neck lift procedure, since smoking can have a negative impact on the health of the skin. This can lead to complications during surgery and during the healing process. If you are a smoker, you will need to quit smoking well in advance of your neck lift. Avoiding smoking during recovery is also key.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM A CONSULTATION
Always consult with your plastic surgeon before deciding to undergo a neck lift. Make sure you understand the potential risks and recovery period associated with the procedure. If looking younger is your goal, your surgeon may be able to recommend other procedures that, when coupled with a neck lift, will help restore balance and harmony to your face and body.
At the Plastic Surgery Clinic of Chicago, we thoroughly review your medical history (including past procedures, current medications, allergies, and all pre-existing conditions), speak with you about your expectations, and provide you with an extensive overview of the procedure. We will also discuss the cost of the procedure and what you should do after the surgery to hasten your recovery.
HOW IS A NECK LIFT PERFORMED?
Like most surgical procedures, a neck lift is performed by first administering a general anesthetic to ensure comfort during the operation. Then, depending on your aesthetic goals, your surgeon may perform either a traditional neck lift, or a limited incision neck lift.
During a traditional neck lift, the incision is made at the hairline near the sideburns and extends around the ear, as close to the hairline as possible to hide any visible scarring that may occur. In a limited incision neck lift, shorter incisions are made only around the ear. The type and length of the incisions depends on the extent of the procedure.
After the incisions are made, the tissue beneath the neck skin is repositioned. Muscles and soft tissue are tightened and excess fat is removed or redistributed. Skin is repositioned and tightened over the contours of the neck and chin and any loose or excess skin is removed.
Once the corrections are made, the incisions are closed using sutures and the patient is transferred to a post-anesthesia care unit
RECOVERY AFTER A NECK LIFT
A neck lift is an outpatient procedure, so patients are typically able to go home the same day. Swelling and bruising at the site of the incisions are normal. To ensure the best possible outcome, it is very important to follow all instructions given by your surgeon, including medications, wound care, and follow-up appointments.
The sutures are usually removed within a few days of the procedure. In the interim, patients should keep their head elevated slightly and avoid bending or twisting their neck excessively. Do not apply ice directly to the neck or chin because it can reduce blood flow in the affected areas.
Swelling and bruising typically go away within a few weeks. The full results of a neck lift will be visible within a month after the procedure.
COST OF A NECK LIFT
The average cost of a neck lift in the United States is approximately $4,500, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. However, this figure will vary depending on geographic location, the plastic surgeon, and your aesthetic goals.
At the Plastic Surgery Clinic of Chicago, we will provide you with a detailed price breakdown during the initial consultation. Most health insurance providers do not cover any of the costs associated with a neck lift, so if necessary, speak with your plastic surgeon about potential financing options.
SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION
If you would like to learn more about your options for a neck lift in Chicago, or if you have questions about the procedure, give us a call to schedule a consultation. We will make sure that you understand the entire procedure all the way through recovery, and we are always upfront about the associated costs and potential risks involved with plastic surgery. If you are looking for a more youthful and natural-looking appearance, contact the Plastic Surgery Clinic of Chicago today.
All surgical procedures by the Plastic Surgery Clinic of Chicago are performed at top hospitals in Chicago and CMS or AAAASF-certified surgical centers for safety.
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This is a great case to highlight the complexities associated with creating an aesthetic tip and how small changes can yield significant aesthetic improvement. In this case, the patient had a droopy tip, hanging columella, and too much nostril show. In the post-operative views you can visualize a tip that is lifted, more projected, and the presence of a more aesthetic alar-columellar relationship. Happy for this patient and her beautiful and natural result. Posted with permission.
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Proud of our research team for getting this published. In this article, we developed a unique risk assessment tool to predict major complications in facial aesthetic surgery. Thank you to the Aesthetic Surgery Journal for publishing our work.
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The hardest type of rhinoplasties for plastic surgeons to perform are cleft rhinoplasties. A major reason is that the anatomy of the nose and midface are asymmetric, therefore, you have an asymmetric nose sitting on top of an asymmetric midface. In this case, I used rib cartilage to rebuild the cartilage of the nose and fat transfer to improve asymmetries of the midface and lips. In the post-operative frontal views, you can see a straighter nose, the tip has been lifted, and the right nostril has been brought down and inwards. On profile view, you can see the dorsal hump was lowered, the tip of the nose has been lifted, rotated, and refined. The fat was placed in the cheeks and upper lip to improve the midface deficiency that is common in cleft lip patients. Posted with permission.
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Plastic surgery can be dramatic or understated. This is a before and after with subtle changes to improve the proportions and aesthetics of the nose in a natural way. This patient wanted only small changes of the dorsum and tip. In the post-operative photos, you can visualize the dorsal hump has been removed and the tip has been refined, slightly rotated and projected. Posted with permission.
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Couldn’t be happier for this beautiful patient and her natural before and after results. This patient is 3 months out from a deep plane or sub-SMAS facelift, neck lift, and facial fat transfer. Pay close attention to the neck, jawline, and midface or cheeks. In the post-operative views you can see a well-defined neck and jawline. The face appears less bottom heavy, there is restoration of the midface volume, and the overall facial configuration is more heart-shaped and youthful. Posted with permission.
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It’s been a minute but this is a great before and after of a facial feminization case and this patient is only 6 weeks out from surgery. Pay close attention to the hairline, the forehead, orbital rims, eyebrows, nose, chin and jawline. Does this patient look like they had major surgery 6 weeks ago? Posted with permission.
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Check out this interesting rhinoplasty case where I performed a combined primary rhinoplasty and sliding genioplasty. Fixing the crooked or deviated nose is very challenging for all rhinoplasty surgeons and the goal is to achieve a straighter nose because a perfectly straight nose does not exist. On the frontal view, you can see a nose that is midline and with beautiful dorsal aesthetic lines. On the profile view, you can visual a nice nasal profile with a slight break at the tip. The sliding genioplasty complements the nose and improves the overall proportions and balance of the face. A chin implant would not be able to achieve this amount of chin augmentation or chin length. Posted with permission.
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It’s never too early to starting thinking about that summer body. This patient underwent a mommy makeover or a breast reduction/lift and tummy tuck. Pay close attention to the belly button, this patient had an umbilical hernia, which made the reconstruction of her belly button even harder. Most plastic surgeons take their time trying to make the belly button look as natural as possible since the appearance of the belly button can be an obvious sign that the patient had a tummy tuck. Posted with permission.
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