Neck Lift Durham
The lower face including the area around the mouth, the lower jaw line, and the neck is an extremely important aesthetic unit. Many people feel that the look of a “double chin” can add age, detract from beauty, and even add the perception of added weight.
While many people think that the fullness that accumulates beneath the chin is fat, it is usually a combination of skin, fat and loose muscle. Nothing predisposes to premature aging of this area more than a small chin that does not provide the bone support that highlights the youthful lower face and neck region.
Major Areas to Consider When Considering a Neck Lift
Each patient at CARE Plastic Surgery is evaluated thoroughly and individually for optimal selection of rejuvenation procedures. Listed below are major areas to consider when considering work to your neck area:
- Submental Fat (Fat under the chin) -
There are some patients, mainly younger patients who have isolated pockets of fat that will respond to liposuction alone. This person should not have muscle laxity or skin laxity. Liposuction in the neck area should be conservative to avoid a hollowing or streaking look that can occur with aggressive liposuction.
- Loose Muscle of the Neck –
There are two sheets of muscle (one on each side) that support the neck called the platysma muscles. These muscle often become lax and will sag with time and age. They frequently produce unattractive bands in the center of the neck that appear to be loose skin, but movement with contraction prove they are the central edges of the loosened platysma muscle. A procedure called a platysmaplasty can be performed through a small submental incision (under the chin), and can tighten these muscles and enhance the youthful appearance of the neck. The best candidate for this procedure is a patient who has looseness of the muscles with fairly good skin elasticity. This procedure may also be combined with liposuction or direct excision of excess fatty tissue.
- Loose Skin of the Neck - Sometimes skin looseness can be improved with the above procedures, but anything more than this requires tightening with surgery. The way to tighten the neck skin with the most natural result and least visible scarring is through a lower face lift and neck lift where incisions are placed in the creases near and behind the ear. The most optimal way to get a natural and long lasting result is to tighten the muscles as the central support of the skin, therefore, platysmaplasty (or surgical tightening of the neck muscles) should often be a part of a neck lift.
While we provide our patients with an opportunity to look through before and after photos of actual neck lift and lower facelift patients during their consultation with Dr. Coan, we encourage you to call CARE at (919) 484-4884 to schedule a consultation at our office in Durham, Chapel Hill or Mebane.
