You’re in a video meeting or scrolling through family photos and notice that your neck doesn’t look the way it did when you were younger. The skin wrinkles and sags where it never used to, and you suddenly feel “old.”
Aging is a natural process, but that doesn’t mean you have to accept all of the consequences. If you’re bothered by the look of your neck as time ticks by, you may want to consider a neck lift.
Board-certified cosmetic surgeon Robert M. Schwarcz, MD, performs neck lift procedures at his offices in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York. In this blog post, we explore the basics of a neck lift procedure and how it can help restore some of your youthful vibrancy.
Aging can affect the neck in a variety of ways. For a fair number of people, increasing years leads to sagging of the skin or increased fat accumulation in the neck region. These changes can stem from reduced elasticity and collagen production, shifts in your body weight or activity level, and reduced muscle tone associated with aging.
You might also notice deep wrinkles from accumulated movement of your neck over time. For these reasons, some people develop what’s often called a “turkey neck.” A neck lift can improve all of these factors.
During a neck lift, Dr. Schwarcz removes unwanted excess skin through incisions under your chin or behind your ears and contours muscles in the area to create a more taut neckline and reveal a younger-looking you.
Performed on an outpatient basis, you’re under heavy sedation during the procedure, which takes about 1-3 hours. Afterward, you’ll need someone to drive you home to rest and recover.
If you have excess fat in your neck and good skin elasticity, Dr. Schwarcz can “lift” your neck using liposuction alone. If the skin surrounding your neck is loose, however, he creates incisions to do the work to tighten it. If you do have incisions, he places them strategically to minimize visible scarring.
If Dr. Schwarcz uses stitches, he removes them 7-10 days after your surgery. For two weeks, you wear an elastic face wrap while you sleep for enhanced healing. While each experience is unique, most people can return to work and their usual daily activities within those two weeks.
With a neck lift, you can say goodbye to jowls, creases, sagging skin, and fleshiness and enjoy a tighter neckline that takes years off of your appearance.
If you’re interested in a neck lift and would like to learn more or get started with the process, call our office to book an appointment with Dr. Schwarcz. You can also request a consultation using our online scheduling tool.
