Neck Lift
Why Neck Lift Surgery?
Are you sometimes surprised by what you see in the mirror? Do you look sad, grumpy, and weary even when you’re not? If sagging jowls and neck are starting to creep up on your appearance, making you look older and more tired than you really are, a neck lift may be able to help.
At Reflections Cosmetic Surgery in Cartersville, GA, our lifts give patients natural results that are both youthful and beautiful.
Read on to find out if this cosmetic surgery procedure is a good fit for you.
What Is a Neck Lift?
The neck lift is an outpatient treatment that can remove the excess skin of the neck and create a stronger more youthful jawline.
Patients who have undergone this treatment are more confident in their side profile. There are multiple types of neck lifts: mini neck lift, minimally invasive neck lift, platsymoplasty and traditional neck lift to name a few.
We will touch on each of these options, focusing more on the neck lift as well as minimally invasive neck lift with liposuction and Renuvion.
What Happens During a Neck Lift?
A neck lift takes about two hours to complete and involves the use of general anesthesia. Tumescent fluid consisting of lidocaine, saline, and epinephrine is infiltrated under the skin of the neck and injected behind the ear.
The incision runs in front and underneath the earlobe and on the back of the ear and into the hairline on the side of the head, directly behind the ear. The skin is elevated in these regions. A small incision is placed under the chin were the platysma muscle can be evaluated. If the muscles is pulled apart, then a platysmoplasty, consisting of suturing the muscle back together, will be performed. The excess skin of the neck us pulled up and back and the excess skin is located now behind the ear.
This excess skin is then cut off and removed. The incisions in the hairline on the side of the head behind the ear are stapled together and suture is used to approximate the rest of the skin. The aim is to tighten the neck a way that minimizes sagging skin and creates a more defined jawline.
What Does Recovery All Entail?
Most patients complain more of the bulky head dressing the first 24 hours than the actual surgical pain. Patients usually only require about two days of narcotic pain medications like percocet.
Following this period, most patients do fine with tylenol. Plan to spend about a week recovering at home after this treatment. During this time, you’ll be advised to keep your head elevated and refrain from strenuous exercise.
When you leave after your treatment, you’ll have specific instructions on how to care for your facelift over the next few days.
Is This Treatment Permanent?
A neck lift can resolve your concerns about your neck and jawline semi-permanently. No surgical procedure is truly permanent. As we age and our skin loses collagen and will start to become looser again.
However, your skin will still be more taught than if you never had the neck lift performed. Most patients enjoy the neck lift their entire life and rarely go back 15-20 years later for another lift.
Your face and neck will continue to age and evolve, but the lifting and tightening associated with this treatment offer long-lasting results.
What Other Minimally Invasive Options Do I Have For Neck Rejuvenation?
If you aren’t at the point of a true surgical neck lift but also aren’t happy with what you see in the mirror, then maybe a more minimally invasive approach is appropriate. The mild jowling and mild excess fat and skin of the neck aren’t enough to justify the larger incision. If this is the case, liposuction to the neck as well as Renuvion skin tightening may be the answer.
This procedure does not require general anesthesia. It is usually done awake. Tumescent fluid consisting of saline, lidocaine, and epinephrine are infiltrated under the skin. This is what will make your skin and tissues numb so that the procedure is a breeze. Small incisions are made under the ear lobes and under the chin. Liposuction is performed in the neck and jowl region.
Following this, the Renuvion device is passed through these small incisions and the connective tissue under the skin is treated. A neck wrap is needed for one week all the time and then one week during the night only. Most patients only require tylenol and/or NSAIDS for pain. It is very easy to get back to normal living such as activities of daily living and back to work by day 2.
What Is Renuvion And How Does It Work?
Renuvion is plasma technology. You may have heard it in the past called J-Plasma. Essentially the hand piece uses radiofrequency and helium. When these two mix it creates a plasma. This has an affinity to the connective tissue of the undersurface of the skin, known as the fibroseptal network.
This connective tissue holds the skin to the underlying tissues and muscle. The Renuvion instantaneously heats this fibroseptal network to 85 degrees celsius, causing the connective tissue to denature and collapse somewhat. Imagine shrink wrapping your skin to your body. Then with this thermal injury, your body produces more collagen in these tissues and the skin contracts even more.
This is a slower process and one can expect full results at 6 months time.
What does Neck Lift Surgery cost in Cartersville, GA?
The cost for any cosmetic procedure is extremely variable. It depends on patient’s goals, their body habitus, and their physiology. It also depends on the surgeon’s experience and expertise.
Price shopping for a cosmetic surgery is something that isn’t recommended and must be done with caution. National averages can be seen on the American Society of Plastic Surgeons website found at plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures.
Choose the surgeon and practice that makes you the most comfortable and is the correct fit for you.
Dr. Gusching will discuss the cost of your individual procedure with you at your consultation. We are proud to offer CareCredit® and ALPHAEON financing to our clients whom wish to use convenient monthly plans. For more information, visit our financing page.
Why Choose Us?
We Offer A Complete Range Of Plastic Surgery Services
Meet Your Surgeon...
“It takes heart, commitment, and unending dedication to become an exceptional surgeon. Dr. Justin Gusching has worked hard at developing each of these special qualities.”
Dr. Gusching completed his cosmetic surgery fellowship through the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS) at Southern Surgical Arts.
He has since been refining his artistic eye and his excellence in cosmetic surgery.
Read more about Dr. Justin Gusching