At Keller Plastic Surgery in Beverly Hills, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles, CA, we have helped numerous patients look and feel better by achieving their cosmetic goals through procedures like the neck lift. We understand your desire for a more youthful appearance, and a lift can be one way of getting the results you’re looking for!
What Is a Neck Lift?
Genes, lifestyle, and significant weight loss can all contribute to an aging, wrinkled neck. A neck lift, or platysmaplasty, is an elective surgical procedure where excess skin is removed from around your neck while the remaining skin is repositioned and tightened.
The procedure was designed to address wrinkles and sagging skin, and to give the neck a tighter, more youthful appearance. Patients can choose to undergo platysmaplasty by itself without undergoing any additional procedures, though it’s frequently paired with a facelift or liposuction.
Are You a Candidate for Surgery?
The procedure is intended to provide you with a neck that meets (or exceeds) your expectations as they relate to your cosmetic goals. However, not everyone who wants it makes an ideal candidate for surgery. If you’re curious about whether or not you qualify as a candidate, read on and see what it takes.
You’re Not Happy With Your Neck
The neck is an oft-overlooked part of the body when it comes to anti-aging treatments and skincare routines. The result is that the effects of aging on the neck tend to sneak upon us. One day looking in the mirror, you may realize your neck has aged significantly. If you think this is you, you’ve just met the first criterion for a platysmaplasty.
You’re Old Enough
Most patients are older individuals looking to correct the signs of aging and achieve a younger, tighter, rejuvenated look. Younger people who have significant fatty deposits in the area, or have gone through drastic weight loss and now have a lot of loose skin can be candidates as well.
There’s no real age limit to when you can undergo a neck lift Santa barbara. However, most young people won’t need one. Even some middle-aged people who are dissatisfied with their appearance may not necessarily need to undergo surgery. You’ll discuss with your surgeon which treatments or procedures will best meet your cosmetic goals.
You’re Healthy
It’s important to be in good general health when undergoing elective cosmetic procedures. You’ll discuss your current state of health with your surgeon, and you’ll be asked to disclose any and all important medical information. It’s critical that you be honest at your consultation and disclose any medical conditions that may influence the results of your procedure.
While ideal candidates do not suffer any pre-existing ailments before surgery, having one (or more) doesn’t always disqualify you from surgery. If the medical issue is something that can be treated, it will be done before your procedure. If the issue doesn’t make your surgery more complicated, you’ll probably still be cleared as a candidate.
You’re a Non-Smoker
Smoking (or using other tobacco products) is not only detrimental to your overall health, but it can also complicate surgical procedures. If you smoke or use tobacco products, you will be asked to stop for at least six weeks prior to your surgery and for a significant amount of time afterward.
Smoking can interfere with your body’s healing process and increase your recovery period. Additionally, smoking tends to increase bleeding, which is something you’ll want to avoid.
Your Expectations Are Realistic
Undergoing surgery can go a long way towards meeting your aesthetic goals and providing you with a rejuvenated, younger-looking neck. It cannot, however, address every issue you may have. Platysmaplasty focuses on restoring the neck. If meeting your cosmetic goals includes other areas of your face, head, or body, then your procedure will only go so far.
6 Things to Know About Getting a Neck Lift
1. What the Procedure Involves
Patients choose to undergo platysmaplasty in an effort to tighten their neck muscles and smooth out their skin. The procedure involves two separate parts. The first is to remove excess skin, while the second is to address your neck muscles. Sometimes liposuction can be necessary to remove excess fat.
Most procedures are performed on an outpatient basis, and they generally take anywhere from two to three hours to complete. They are often performed under general or local anesthesia with sedation.
2. It Can Be Combined With Other Procedures
One of the best things about cosmetic surgery is that multiple procedures can be performed at the same time if they all involve the same part of the body. Below is a list of procedures you can include with your platysmaplasty:
Facelift
A facelift (rhytidectomy) is a procedure in which your facial skin is lifted, and, along with the underlying muscle, tightened to produce smoother, more youthful-looking skin. During a facelift, your surgeon can also remove excess fat to correct jowling and to smooth the deeper creases around your nose and mouth.
Pairing both surgeries can be ideal, as each area addressed compliments the other. Your neck lift will address the skin from your chin to the base of the neck, while your facelift will address the same issues from your neck up to your lower eyelids.
Mini-Facelift
This procedure targets the signs of aging in your lower face. It’s effective at addressing minimal skin sagging, slight jowling, and some excess skin. It is not intended for a mini-facelift to address heavy jowls and/or severe signs of facial aging. Patients looking for more comprehensive rejuvenation may do better with a full facelift.
The best candidates for a mini facelift are younger patients (think mid to late 30s or early 40s) who are just beginning to notice the signs of aging but won’t benefit from less invasive treatments.
Mid-Facelift
The mid-facelift is especially effective at targeting sagging cheeks and address other signs of aging in the mid-face region. This procedure is best for patients with no jowling or excess skin sagging on the neck. By pulling back the skin, the procedure can effectively enhance your facial definition, reshape your cheeks to eliminate sagging skin, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around your nose and mouth, and can even improve your lower eyelids.
Neck Liposuction
Patients with excess fat in their chin or jowls can benefit from adding neck liposuction to their platysmaplasty procedure. Liposuction is frequently combined with facial or neck surgery specifically to eliminate surplus submental fat (double chin). Neck liposuction could be appropriate for any patient who wants to eliminate their double chin and flatten significant jowling. To be an ideal candidate, it’s best to have minimal skin laxity.
3. The Procedure Isn’t Complicated
One of the biggest fears patients have is that the surgery is complicated and, therefore, worrisome. While some surgeries may be complicated, this one isn’t. There are some cosmetic procedures that can be pretty complicated, but neck lifts are a simple way to address the aging on your neck and beneath your chin.
It requires little more than a few small incisions, through which your neck muscles will be tightened and fatty tissue removed. The result is a tight, smooth, youthful-looking throat contour.
4. It Creates Long-Lasting Results
Platysmaplasty surgery is considered to be semi-permanent. After undergoing the procedure, you will look years younger and probably feel a lot more confident. You won’t have to worry about the results of your surgery disappearing after a year or two.
Cosmetic surgery is highly-effective at turning back the clock – but it can’t stop the clock completely. You’ll look younger after surgery, but your skin will continue to age. The difference is that it will age from a point that was ten or fifteen years younger, meaning it will take about that long to reach the point you were at before you had surgery.
5. Expect to Report Your Full Medical History
During your consultation, you and your provider will discuss your cosmetic goals, why you want to undergo surgery, and whether or not a neck lift is right for you. Be sure to have your full medical history available for your doctor to evaluate, and make sure to mention any and all medical conditions you may have and any maladies you may be experiencing at the moment.
It is imperative that you be honest and thorough when detailing your medical history. The vast majority of patients with pre-existing conditions end up being suitable candidates for surgery. In some instances, you may need to wait until your pre-existing condition is addressed before you can undergo the procedure. Your provider will help you along if you need it.
6. You May Not Need a Neck Lift
During a consultation, it can sometimes be determined that a patient’s cosmetic goals don’t require surgery in order to be met. Sometimes one of our less invasive treatments can help you reach your goals better than surgery can. These can include treatments such as FaceTite, Ellevate, TruSculpt, Ultherapy, and more!
When Are the Results Visible?
PLatysmaplasty is performed on an outpatient basis, and you’ll probably be cleared to leave once the anesthesia wears off. That being said, be sure to have someone available to drive you home afterward. As you evaluate your results, know that it can take several weeks to a few months for your results to start showing.
You Can Extend Your Results
As mentioned, the procedure will drastically improve your appearance, but it doesn’t last forever. However, there are a few things you can do to help prolong the results of your surgery. Make sure to always wear sunscreen when you go outside, as the sun is the primary reason our skin ages as fast as it does.
Additionally, following a healthy lifestyle and avoiding weight gain will help extend the lift of your procedure significantly.
Dr. Keller
Our plastic surgeon, Dr. Keller, has been in the business for over 25 years and operates out of his state-of-the-art facility as the premier surgeon in Santa Barbara and Beverly Hills. He specializes in restoring a youthful, rejuvenated, radiant appearance to his clients.
Dr. Keller has trained over 25 other physicians in Deep Plane Facelifts, Rhinoplasty (nose jobs), and blepharoplasty (brow lift). He has published extensively on Vertical Deep Plane Facelifts and mid-facelifts.
Accomplishments
Dr. Keller is a Clinical Professor at UCLA and is proud to serve as the co-director of the UCLA/AAFPRS facial plastic surgery fellowship. During Dr. Keller’s 38 years of experience, he achieved Double Boarded and Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon and has helped thousands of patients achieve their cosmetic goals.
Are You Ready for a New Look?
If you’re tired of feeling dissatisfied with how your neck is aging and you want to do something about it, call Dr. Gregory Keller at Keller Plastic Surgery, serving Beverly Hills, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles, CA. Your consultation is only a phone call away.
