Do you feel like you’re in the prime of your life, but certain aspects of your body, don’t show it? If you feel as if you’re suffering from the early signs of aging, especially in the neck area, then fret not, because there’s a great solution for you.  

The neck lift is a surgical procedure designed to remove sagging skin and wrinkles while smoothing out skin folds. This excellent procedure has been proven highly effective in eliminating the early signs of aging from the neck area.

Just What is a Neck Lift?

A neck lift is a plastic surgery procedure that can help enhance your neck’s appearance. The procedure includes removing neck muscles, getting rid of excess skin, and liposuction to get rid of excess fat.

Other techniques such as Botox injections can be used to deal with fullness or bands, Kybella injections to deal with the excess fat that causes the double chin to appear, and intense pulsed lights and lasers.

Good Candidates for the Neck Lift Surgery

You need to be in good physical health to have a neck lift. Prior to the operation, you will meet with your physician during a consultation. You can talk about what to expect after the procedure and receive guidance on how to properly prepare for the surgery. You can also discuss your goals with your doctor, but you should be aware that no two surgeries are the same, and the results you see on one person won’t be what you experience.

During your consultation, remember to go through the goals you listed and learn more about your available options:

Turkey Wattle

While the surgeon recommends a surgery where incisions are made under your chin or behind your ears to access your neck muscle (platysma), it can also involve removing muscles. New techniques allow your surgeon to make smaller incisions to make space for an endoscope, a small camera, to complete the surgery.

Liposuction

If liposuction is being used, your surgeon will make incisions below your chin to remove the excess fat. If you are going through other procedures as well, it is quite common for cosmetic surgeons to start off with liposuction.

Too much skin on the neck

the surgeon trims parts of the skin and lifts the remainder of it into place. The remaining skin is secured and bandaged to heal properly. This takes around two to four hours, depending on your procedure’s complexity.

Make sure you know about all of your options during the consultation. Your surgeon will discuss the kind of anesthesia that will be used as well.

How To Prepare for a Neck Lift

Your surgeon will let you know which medications to avoid prior to your surgery to avoid excessive bleeding. Make sure that your doctor is aware of all drug allergies. While rare, you may be allergic to anesthesia, so it is best that you provide your doctor with your full medical history to avoid any potential complications.

If you are a smoker, you must quit at least four weeks prior to the surgery as well as four weeks after. Not smoking is instrumental to proper healing and a good end result. Keep a healthy diet to aid your body in the recovery process. It’s important that you take some time off work to rest and relax after the surgery to ensure proper healing.

Create a recovery space at home filled with:

  1. A thermometer
  2. Ice packs
  3. Petroleum jelly
  4. Antibacterial ointment
  5. Comfortable, loose clothing
  6. Pillows and a phone
  7. Someone to stay with you for the first 24 hours post surgery

Don’t forget to wear comfortable clothing on the day of the surgery.

Contact Our Office

If you’re interested in learning more about the neck lift surgery, contact our Virginia Beach office to schedule a consultation with Dr. JoAnne Lopes. She’ll help guide you through the entire process from beginning to end.