Many people don’t consider the appearance of their neck when considering how aged they appear, but it can really add to our years with “crepey” skin that leads to “turkey/chicken neck,” and muscle banding. At Longwood Plastic Surgery, we can address your neck’s appearance with a specialized procedure designed to tighten up your neck and keep you looking youthful and fresh.
About Neck Lift Recovery
You’ll awaken from your neck lift with a bandage carefully secured around your treatment area to help minimize swelling, bruising, and preserve your surgeon’s careful sculpting. You may require drains to help excess fluid flush away, which also helps reduce the risk of infection. The first 2-3 days will be the most uncomfortable, but your pain can be managed with medication and follow all aftercare instructions.
You should rest and sleep with your head and shoulders elevated to aid in proper circulation and minimize swelling. Do not apply ice to your neck. This can compromise blood flow and damage your skin’s integrity. While it’s important to walk around some to prevent blood clots, listen to your body and don’t overdo it. Your healing process requires energy to fuel it, and if you expend too much, it can slow your recovery.
Most patients recover smoothly, without complications, in 2-3 weeks, with some returning to more sedentary jobs after 7 days. More strenuous jobs may require 2-3 weeks off work. Light exercise can be resumed after just one to two weeks, though heavier activity, such as jogging, weight lifting, or vigorous cardio should wait until 6 weeks post-op.
Longwood Plastic Surgery patients have achieved great results with a lower rhytidectomy despite the recovery period. Our philosophy is to be with you step-by-step through the entire process, so your rejuvenation journey is never taken alone. By keeping your neck’s appearance in line with the same aging prevention measures you take with your face, you can look years younger with results that last a lifetime.
How Does a Neck Lift Work?
The neck is one area that many people don’t think about as showing signs of aging, but it can be one of the worst culprits. That’s why a neck lift is often considered a lower rhytidectomy, or a lower facelift. The platysma muscles are the superficial muscles that run from the top of the pectorals, over the collarbone, and up the sides of the neck. It’s when these weaken and become lax that we experience muscle banding, which can make us look older. During a lower rhytidectomy, these muscles can be tightened, and excess skin covering them removed, for a slimmer, more sculpted neck and jawline as part of a lower facelift. In some cases, fat repositioning or removal can also help to sculpt the jawline and keep you looking years younger than your true age.
Am I a Good Candidate?
Ideal candidates for a neck lift are more often patients in their 50s or 60s who have concerns about how their neck skin and muscles appear to age them. If you’re generally healthy, a non-smoker, and have realistic expectations of the procedure’s outcome, you may benefit significantly from a lower rhytidectomy.
What’s the Procedure Like?
All procedures at LPS are performed in the comfort of our accredited surgical suite under the careful observation of a complete surgical team. The techniques of your neck lift (and any other procedures that can be combined with it) will be thoroughly discussed beforehand, and performed outpatient, so a loved one should be able to drive you home the same day.
Take the Next Step
Interested in learning about neck lift? Schedule your consultation with Longwood Plastic Surgery today by calling our Brookline office at (617) 383-6250. We serve the Brookline and Greater Boston area with distinction.