The poor, neglected neck — it’s often one of the first areas to show signs of aging. But few people do anything to protect their neck or treat those signs of aging. If you’ve been looking in the mirror and are unsure what it is that’s making you look older, it could be your neck and a neck lift could be just what you need.
If you’re hesitant to have surgery or concerned about the time and cost involved, there are a few reasons why a neck lift is well worth the investment.
You Delay the Aging Process
While procedures such as a facelift are often performed on older patients, a neck lift tends to be performed on younger people. In some cases, patients seeking neck surgery, whether it’s liposuction or a neck lift on its own, are in their early 30’s.
Having surgery on your neck earlier rather than waiting until you have sufficient signs of aging to need a neck and facelift together helps pull back the hands of time. You’ll look years younger after the surgery, and will continue to look years younger even as you get older. Results from a neck lift are permanent, but you will continue to age. Nevertheless, you’ll continue to look more youthful than you would have had you not had surgery.
Results Can Be Dramatic
Neck surgery is often marketed as being quick and as providing natural-looking results. While few people will be able to tell that you’ve had surgery, unless you tell them, that’s not to say that your results won’t be dramatic.
If you currently have a double chin, a turkey neck or bands up and down or across your neck, surgery can correct or remove them. For example, a neck lift is often paired with neck liposuction, which removes extra, unwanted fat from the neck and chin area. You’ll look slimmer and younger as a result.
The neck lift procedure also involves tightening the skin and, in some cases, the muscle of the neck, which tones the area and eliminates the pocket of skin responsible for the “turkey’s wattle” look. In all, it’s possible for a neck lift to take anywhere from five to 10 years off of your appearance.
You’ll Need Less Surgery Later On
When you have neck surgery as a younger person, you’re saving yourself the cost and time required by more invasive procedures later on in life. For example, if you have surgery to tighten up the neck skin and get rid of excess fat in your 30’s, you might be much less likely to need a full facelift in your 50’s. If you do want to reduce any additional signs of aging, a mini facelift or mid facelift might be sufficient. You might even be able to get away with non-surgical options, such as injectable fillers, decades after you’ve had a neck lift.
Scars Aren’t Noticeable
The location and appearance of scars is a common concern among patients considering plastic surgery. The good news is that you don’t usually have to worry about having visible scars after a neck lift. Usually, the incisions made during the surgery are positioned in the hairline or just behind the ears. If you’re having neck liposuction or a submentoplasty, a procedure that tightens the skin on your neck, the incisions are made on the underside of the chin. Any incisions made are also very small, so that they heal easily and with minimal scarring.
Recovery Time Is Short
Neck surgery is an invasive procedure and does require some downtime for recovery, but the good news for active, busy people is that the recovery is usually pretty short. You’ll most likely be able to go back to work after five to seven days, for example. Many people resume their exercise and other physical activities within three weeks of having surgery.
You Can Combine a Neck Lift With Other Surgeries
It’s also possible to combine a neck lift with other facial rejuvenation procedures. Doing so can help you achieve your goals or create a more balanced, youthful look. For example, if you have a fair amount of sagging skin in the lower part of your face and in the neck area, it can make sense to have a neck and facelift performed together. If you’ve begun to notice droopy eyelids or other signs of aging in the eye area, as well as double chin or droopy neck, combining blepharoplasty with a neck lift can make the most sense.
Dr. Jessica Kulak is an aging face specialist practicing at the Naderi Center in Virginia and Maryland. If you’re wondering about the benefits and lasting advantages of the neck lift or want to learn more about your facial rejuvenation options, she’s happy to discuss the procedures with you. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Kulak at the Virginia practice, call 703-481-0002. For a consultation at the practice in Maryland, call 301-222-2020 today.
