NECKLIFT

What is a necklift?

The neck brings about the earliest signs of aging of the face. Excess skin, excess fat and muscle weakness are some of the changes that are seen. One, two or all of these findings can occur. We need to keep all of these components in mind (skin, fat and muscle) to achieve the best result in neck rejuvenation.

Am I a candidate for this procedure?

If you feel your neck has excess skin, excess fat and/or muscle weakness (has lost its 90 degree neck-face angle), this could be the procedure for you.

What do I need to know about this procedure?

As mentioned earlier, the procedure depends on what the patient needs (skin, fat or muscle). If the patient has excess skin, a necklift with skin removal needs to be performed. This is usually done together with a facelift because in these cases there is also facial skin excess and laxity.  The incision would be behind the ear where we would pull and remove skin. In patients whose main problem is excess fat, a liposuction is the solution.  This can be done through conventional liposuction or ultrasound liposuction (my preference), which also helps tighten the skin.  If the problem is platysma (muscle) weakness, a small 3 cm incision needs to be made under the chin to be able to suture the muscles together and achieve muscle tightening.  For Neck rejuvenation, one, two or all of these procedures may be needed. Therefore, the complexity of the procedure depends on whether the patient only needs liposuction (one hour with local anesthesia) or whether he needs everything done (five hours with general anesthesia).

Are there risks involved?

Every patient that goes into an operating room for surgery needs to be aware that risks do exist.  However, complications in this specific procedure are extremely rare.  Dr. Mejia will go over all the possible risks of this procedure with you during the initial consultation.  It is very important that you are honest with Dr. Mejia about your medical history and habits for things to go as smooth as possible.

What is the aftercare li?

The downtime depends on how complex is the necklift. But for most cases a neck garment needs to be worn 24/7 the first week, and then only at nights for the rest of the month.  Drains might be needed if the necklift is done together with a facelift.  In theses cases, the patient usually stays in the hospital overnight. If no facelift is needed, patients usually go home after surgery.

How much downtime is there?

Patients can usually go back to their normal activities 7 days after surgery.  Final results are seen 3-6 months after surgery when all the swelling disappears.