Cosmetic Neck Lift Surgery: Platysmaplasty

Our neck lift surgeries are used to target several key visible signs of aging in the neck area, such as:

1. Neck fat that has fallen or is saggy,
2. Loss of muscle tone in the lower face that may create jowls,
3. Loose skin and excess fatty deposits under the chin and jaw, and
4. Loose skin along the entire neck which blunts the neck angle and causes a “turkey gobbler” appearance.
5. All of these visible signs of aging can be amplified by genetics, environmental conditions, diet, stress, and of course, gravity. A neck lift is designed to correct all of these aging features, restoring a more youthful appearance with uplifted contours and improved tone in neck skin and underlying muscle. The result is an undeniably younger look that gives our patients a great dose of confidence and renewed self-assurance in social settings.

For our neck lift procedures, typical incisions begin beneath the ear lobe and continue behind the ear. This allows access to tighten underlying tissue, remove excess fat, and reduce sagging skin. A second incision under the chin is usually necessary. This allows access to the midline neck and the platysma muscles below. These muscles are usually weak and require tightening to achieve the desired appearance. In some cases, we may recommend additional liposuction procedures to assist with the removal of fat deposits in the neck area, if needed.

Neck lift procedures generally take between 2 and 3 hours, in most cases. We’ll usually use local anesthesia combined with a sedative, or we’ll use general anesthesia if you’d prefer to be unconscious during your surgery.

After your neck lift surgery is completed, your localized swelling and bruising should subside within 2 to 4 weeks. We generally recommend you plan to take the first week or two off of work to rest and recover. Depending on the scope of your neck lift and if we perform any additional procedures in conjunction with your neck lift, we’ll usually recommend you refrain from strenuous activity for a month or 6 weeks as well. Final results may be apparent in as little as 1 to 2 months. Incision line scars will continue to refine and fade in appearance for 1 year.

If you’d like more information about neck lift procedures at the Zannis Center for Plastic Surgery in New Bern, NC, we encourage you to take your first step today. All you have to do is contact us through our website, and we’ll follow up to schedule your in-person consultation as soon as possible. Our friendly experts will be happy to sit down with you, talk about your goals, answer your questions, and help you make an informed decision about your neck lift procedure with us.