It’s not unusual to see women who have significant changes in their neck area as a result of facial aging. In many cases, this may be the primary manifestation of aging, with the face itself being relatively unaffected. These changes may include loss of definition of the jaw line, loss of the sharp angle between the neck and jaw, laxity of the underlying neck muscles with the formation of bands called turkey gobblers, fat accumulation, and of course excess skin. To obtain an excellent result, all of these issues need to be addressed. With this in mind it’s important to remember that all patients have unique facial anatomy and specific aesthetic goals. Therefore, treatment plans may vary from patient to patient depending upon their underlying anatomic deformity.The procedure that is most likely to accomplish these goals is a facelift. This procedure corrects the abnormalities of the underlying muscles which ultimately defines the jaw line, removes the neck bands, and improves the angle between the jaw and neck. It also addresses fat accumulation and excess skin to further accentuate these improvements.
It’s a common misconception that a facelift only impacts the face and that a necklift is some how different than a facelift. In patients who have severe neck aging, excess skin is usually a major component of the problem. Correction can’t be performed without removal of this excess skin. This is accomplished by excising redundant skin in front of the ear and behind the ear. This requires a facelift.
It’s fair to say that there are a number of other procedures that are available to address cosmetic problems within the neck area. Unfortunately, none of these procedure address neck problems in a comprehensive manner. This usually requires a facelift.
Consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon who can perform a physical examination would be an appropriate next step. The surgeon should be able to direct you to the surgical option that is best for you.
