When many people think of facial rejuvenation, they tend to focus on frequently talked about procedures such as facelift, or eyelid lift. While those treatments can dramatically enhance a person’s appearance, they don’t treat the area below the chin, which often exhibits signs of aging that are just as visible. Neck lift surgery targets loose, wrinkled, and sagging skin on the neck to accomplish a complete rejuvenation.
Facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Joseph Berardi, is pleased to offer this treatment to plastic surgery patients, helping them look their best and keep their true age a secret. Read below to learn more about what neck lift surgery in Scottsdale can do for you.
About the Neck Lift Procedure
Dr. Berardi utilizes two methods for his neck lift procedures, depending on the degree of change you want to see in your neck and jaw area. You’ll discuss what method would fit your situation during your consultation.
- Traditional neck lift — A traditional neck lift incision originates in the sideburn area and continues down below the ear, terminating in the hair at the back of the scalp. The skin is pulled away and the fat is usually re-sculpted or redistributed, particularly from the jowls. Usually, the platysma muscle (which runs from the upper parts of the pectoral and deltoid muscles all the way up onto the jaw) is tightened. The skin is then pulled up and re-draped, and the excess skin is trimmed away. If there is a good deal of fat under the chin, Dr. Berardi will likely opt for a second incision there. He can tighten the muscles and use liposuction to remove fat pockets.
- Limited incision neck lift — Here small incisions are made only around the ears. As you would expect, more extensive tightening and skin removal cannot be accomplished with the limited neck lift.
How long does a neck lift take?
These surgeries with Dr. Berardi take from one to three hours.
Recovering from Neck Lift Surgery
You should expect to experience bruising, swelling and minor discomfort in the days after your neck lift surgery. Dr. Berardi will provide you with pain medications to ensure a safe and comfortable healing process. You may be placed in a surgical garment to maintain your neck contour while healing. You should keep your head and neck in a neutral position and elevated as much as possible. You will need rest during the days following surgery.
Most neck lift patients are able to return to work within 10 days, though more strenuous activities and exercises should be avoided for at least three weeks after surgery. Dr. Berardi will closely monitor your recovery and will provide complete post-operative instructions. While some results from surgery are immediately evident, you can expect the final results to take form in a few months.
Neck Lift Candidates
Neck lift surgery is a procedure that targets skin and tissues of the neck that are exhibiting signs of aging. If weight fluctuations, aging, or sun damage have caused wrinkles or sagging, excess skin on your neck, this procedure may be appropriate for you. A neck lift is typically performed on patients 40 years old or older, although it can be performed on any patient over the age of 18.
During a pre-surgery consultation, Dr. Berardi will evaluate your skin and your overall health and cosmetic goals to determine if you may be a good candidate for a neck lift in Scottsdale. He may also make recommendations for treatments to be performed simultaneously, such as a mid-facelift, dermal fillers, or brow lift. It is important that you have realistic expectations regarding the outcome of surgery — understanding that although the procedure can reverse the signs of aging, it cannot stop the aging process altogether.
What is the typical age to have a neck lift?
There isn’t a set age for neck lifts with Dr. Berardi. Although they are often overlooked when considering the signs of aging, our necks are one of the first areas to show aging. Due to the function of the throat, the skin can’t be overly taut and constricting. It is much easier to pinch the skin on your neck than everywhere else on your body. Gravity loves this inherent looseness. That’s why sometimes a person’s face doesn’t show much aging, but his or her neck does.
We find that our neck lift patients are usually between the ages of 40 and 60. This is a wide range; that’s because the aging of the neck area can vary dramatically between different people.
What results can I expect from neck lift surgery? How long will they last?
The changes made by Dr. Berardi are permanent. He’ll tighten the skin, remove unwanted fatty deposits, and remove the neck banding involved with the platysma muscle. These are long-lasting results; your neck skin will never sag and become loose to the same degree again. Of course, nothing can stop the aging process, but future loosening will start from a much younger position. Generally, our patients can expect great results from our neck lifts for 10-15 years and longer.
What will my scarring be like from a neck lift?
In these surgeries, Dr. Berardi typically makes three incisions: a small incision under the chin, combined with incisions that wrap around each earlobe and terminate in the hairline. Dr. Berardi’s works very hard to make these incisions short and as discreet as possible. These areas heal very well, and the incisions become virtually invisible in a few months to a year.
Can a neck lift be combined with other procedures?
Some degree of a neck lift is usually a part of every facelift, as the lower incisions enable tightening of the area just below the chin. These are not full neck lifts, as these extensions of a facelift typically don’t tighten the platysma muscle.
So, combining a traditional neck lift with a facelift is an obvious way to extend your rejuvenation up through the lower and mid-face areas.
Any facial procedure could really be combined. For instance, blepharoplasty could be combined with a neck lift, particularly if the patient already had a facelift performed in earlier years.
If you’re interested in combining procedures into a single surgical session, this is something to discuss with Dr. Berardi during your consultation.
What are the risks involved with a neck lift?
Neck lifts are major surgery, so they involve all of the risks inherent with any surgery: reaction to anesthesia, excessive bleeding, poor wound healing, infection, and the like. Thanks to Dr. Berardi’s extensive experience these are all exceedingly rare.
For neck lifts, there can be nerve injury, although this is typically temporary. As long as you follow our recovery instructions, these are low-risk procedures.
Schedule Your Consultation Today
Neck lift surgery can help you eliminate signs of aging and sagging skin on the neck, revealing a more youthful lower facial appearance. Over the years, Dr. Berardi has helped many neck lift patients accomplish their cosmetic goals by using advanced surgical techniques and technologies.
To learn more about the treatment he offers, contact Berardi Aesthetics and Plastic Surgery online with our easy form or give us a call at 480-397-0711 to schedule a consultation today. Dr. Berardi can go over all of the procedures he performs, including facial plastic surgery, body contouring, abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), and breast implant surgery in Scottsdale.
