Neck Lift with or Without Surgery: Which is Best?
Are you fed up with sagging, loose skin around your neck? Then a neck lift surgery may be just what you’ve been searching for. This procedure can remove your troubling excess skin and fat from around your neck to give you a slimmer profile. It can also help remove wrinkles to make you look more youthful. And the good news? Not all neck lift options require surgery or downtime.
Keep reading to find out how you can tighten loose skin and look younger with a neck lift at Winston Salem Dermatology.
Why Would You Get a Neck Lift?
Aging skin doesn’t just show on your face, our neck is a big giveaway to our age too. While a neck lift can’t stop the aging process, it can give you long-lasting results to younger-looking skin.
Often people opt for a neck lift if they are happy with the look of their upper face, but don’t like the way the wrinkles in the neck or jawlines look.
Here are some of the problems that a neck surgery can treat:
- Excess fat and skin in the lower face that creates jowls
- Excess fat under the chin
- Loose neck skin
- Muscle banding in the neck that creates abnormal contours
- Excess wrinkles in the neck
What Are Neck Lift Options?
To get rid of loose skin under your neck or chin, it may require a surgical procedure with significant risks. But did you know that you can also improve your aging skin and have amazing neck lift before and after results without surgery?
If you’re not ready to go under the knife, there are also several non-surgical procedures that are available.
Let’s take a look at both options:
1. Surgical Neck Lift
This surgery does involve going under by using anesthesia. The entire procedure usually takes several hours to complete.
Other cosmetic procedures can be performed at the same time as neck lift like a brow lift, fat transfer to the lips or cheeks, or eyelid surgery.
If you’re just getting a basic neck lift done, here’s how the surgery will look:
- Incisions will be made under the chin and/or behind the ears depending on what type of procedure you’re having done.
- Next, the muscles will be tightened and sewn together.
- If there’s any excess skin and fat, it will be trimmed away.
- Incisions are closed and bandaged. In some cases, drains may be installed before you are bandaged up.
After your surgery, your neck may seem a little tight and numb. Sometimes this feeling can last for several months.
You’ll have some bruising, but that should go away in a couple of weeks. You’ll also have stitches that will have to come out in five to 10 days.
It will take several weeks to fully recover from the surgery, and while you’re healing, there may be some pain and swelling.
2. Non-Surgical Neck Lift
Non-surgical neck lifts can improve your skin tone and texture and reduce wrinkles without the need for surgery. Not to mention, the recovery time is quicker, the procedure is shorter, the neck lift cost is cheaper than surgery, and there are fewer risks that are involved.
Here are some ways you can minimize aging on the neck without having surgery:
• Botox
You’ve probably heard of Botox injections being used in the face to reduce wrinkles, but it can also be used in your neck to slim it down by tightening sagging skin.
Botox works by relaxing the downward pulling of your neck muscles and reducing the appearance of wrinkles. And the good news? It’s nearly painless and requires little to no downtime.
The injections are temporary, so you’ll have to get them done every four months or so to make sure your wrinkles stay away, and your skin stays tight.
• Fractionated Ablative Laser Treatment
This procedure is a little more invasive. During the procedure, erbium or carbon dioxide lasers are used to damage the first two layers of the skin so that it can grow back smooth and tighter. This works best on patients with signs of moderate aging.
The procedure is done with topical, regional, or systemic anesthesia.
There is some downtime involved with this procedure for up to about 10 days. You’ll also have to care for the treated areas like you would care for a moderate wound.
• Dermal Fillers
Bellafill, Juvederm, Restylane, Radiesse, and Sculptra are injectable dermal fillers that can be used in the neck to help restore lost volume and reduce deep lines and fine wrinkles. These fillers can also be used to rebuild jawline definition.
With a dermal filler, you’ll see instant results. However, these fillers are temporary, so you’ll have to have them done every six to 12 months to maintain results.
• Kybella
This dermatology service is most often used for people that have excess fat under their chin and upper neck. Kybella, which is made up of deoxycholic acid, breaks down and metabolizes fat cells after it is injected into the neck.
Most people see results in about four to six weeks. While these results are permanent, you may have to have these injections done multiple times to get the results you’re looking for.
• Radiofrequency Microneedling
This is a noninvasive procedure that naturally regenerates collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid to treat wrinkles and loose skin.
During the procedure, a doctor will place short, very fine needles into your skin. This will help to bring collagen to the superficial layer of the skin. The radiofrequency energy will help to further the production of collagen and elastin.
You may see results right away, but it could take months before you see the full benefits from the procedure.
• Ultrasound
Ultrasound can help lift the skin on the neck and chin. It can also be used to wrinkle treatment in the chest area.
This procedure works by bypassing the surface of your skin with ultrasound energy to stimulate collagen in the deeper levels of the skin.
It takes about two to three months to see the full results from the new collagen that has been made. You’ll have to have this process done yearly in order to keep up the results.
Restore Your Youthful Appearance with a Neck Lift
The time to take charge of your aging skin is now! We are the Triad’s preferred dermatology and cosmetic enhancement team; you can trust us to give you the healthy skin you’ve been longing for. Whether you’re interested in neck lift surgery or something that isn’t as invasive, we can help find the perfect solution for you. What are you waiting for? Give us a call today at (336) 774-8636.