You may notice that certain people appear to have youthful, lifted faces, but their necks look damaged and crepey. Dr. Kaplan often encourages patients considering facelifts to get a neck lift along with it, as a rejuvenated face isn’t complete unless the neck matches.

If you have reached the point where Botox, fillers, and the strictest skincare routines are no longer strong enough to maintain a tight, lifted face and neck, it may be time for you to get a facelift, neck lift, or both.

A surgical neck lift involves small incisions behind each ear and beneath the chin, as Dr. Kaplan removes excess fat around the neck to tighten the skin beneath its layers and better contour the lower half of your face. However, surgery is not for everyone, and many seek non-surgical neck lift alternatives.

Why is my neck aging so fast?

The skin on your neck is some of the thinnest and weakest on your body, similar to around your eyes. This can cause it to age faster than other areas, which is normal. It’s typical to reach a point where your neck, and the area under your chin and jawline, are jowling with excess skin.

As such, the neck requires high maintenance. Moisturizing and adept sun protection is key.

To address an aged appearance, the neck lift is a highly effective procedure for treating loose skin, and the results are longer lasting than non-invasive procedures. However, you can get similar results, depending on the complexity of your condition, with multiple sessions of a non-surgical tightening treatment.

Are there non-surgical alternatives to the neck lift?

Surgery isn’t for everyone. It can be a scary thought for some people, and it may simply be unnecessary for others (for example, if the patient’s conditions are not quite advanced enough to necessitate a surgical procedure).

So although neck lifts are the most effective method for rejuvenating the neck, there are non-surgical alternatives.

Dr. Kaplan can use botox and other dermal fillers to contour and smooth out the skin around your lower face, but once you have reached a certain level of jowling and neck banding, these no longer become helpful. The best non-surgical alternatives to the neck lift are laser skin tightening, RF microneedling, and PDO threads.

Laser Skin Tightening

One of the most popular forms of the non-surgical neck lift is the laser neck lift. Lasers can help dissolve fat in the neck and firm up the skin in your neck by delivering rapid, gentle pulses to the treatment area. Dr. Kaplan uses the SkinTyte laser by Sciton to tighten the skin in your neck in a minimally invasive manner. SkinTyte uses light energy to correct skin laxity, increase jawline definition, and stimulate collagen. Typically, the best candidate for a neck lift using lasers is someone interested in improving the appearance of their jowls and who has minor to moderate sagging in the neck area and beneath the chin.

Recovery from laser treatment

The treatment area will look and feel similar to a minor sunburn. It is normal to experience minimal redness, swelling, itching, or stinging directly after your SkinTyte laser treatment.

However, your skin should quickly return to normal within the day of your procedure. As the SkinTyte treatment is non-invasive, you can return to your usual activities and apply makeup shortly after your session.

Dr. Kaplan recommends patients do multiple sessions of laser skin tightening to maximize results. During your laser recovery, you will want to clean the area a few times a day and regularly apply the protective skin care products Dr. Kaplan recommends. Be sure to wear plenty of sunscreen on your neck after recovery to maintain results and protect your new skin.

What do results look like after a neck lift with lasers?

After your laser neck lift, you’ll quickly notice a tightening of the loose skin in your neck. Lasers also smooth out those fine lines and creases in your neck that may be aging your appearance. Results from a laser neck lift continue to improve over time.

Radiofrequency (RF) microneedling

In radiofrequency (RF) microneedling, a specialized device uses super fine needles to create micro-injuries. These micro-injuries then signal the body into a healing response, causing the skin to repair and rejuvenate by stimulating collagen and elastin production.

A study in the National Library of Medicine found that RF microneedling is a safe and effective procedure for “rejuvenation of the lower face, jawline, and neck region.”

Good candidates for RF microneedling have minor signs of aging, such as pigmentation issues or shallow wrinkles. However, patients with certain skin conditions, such as eczema, should avoid this procedure as it can irritate their condition.

Recovery from RF microneedling

RF microneedling typically leaves patients minimal downtime as it does not involve any major incisions.

Microneedling patients can expect dryness and some redness that resembles a sunburn for a couple of days following their first session, but this will phase out on its own. In the first few days following your RF microneedling treatment, you should avoid strenuous activities, sun exposure, and strong skincare regimes to give the treated area time to heal.

What do results look like after microneedling?

As your skin heals from the treatment, your fresher, smoother, tighter, and brighter skin will debut. Dr. Kaplan may recommend multiple treatment sessions to achieve your goals, and you will need to return for more sessions in the future if you want to maintain your glowing, tight, dreamy skin.

PDO threads

Dr. Kaplan offers PDO thread lifts for the face and neck at The Kaplan Center. PDO threads are thin, hair-like threads that Dr. Kaplan carefully places under the skin and into the dermis to stimulate collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid production.

Stimulating these natural substances is necessary for rejuvenating your neck to a more youthful appearance as they work together to help the skin remain tight, lifted, and smooth. With collagen stimulation, the skin tightens and promotes a more youthful appearance.

If you are at least 30 years of age and have mild to moderate neck banding and excess skin, you may be an excellent candidate for a PDO thread neck lift.

Recovery from PDO thread lift

It’s normal to have some swelling, bruising, bleeding, and tenderness for the first week after your placement procedure, but it will minimize on its own over time. Typically, the downtime after PDO threads is short and not too painful. You can expect to be able to jump right into your daily routine as soon as the day after your procedure.

What do results look like after a PDO thread lift?

A PDO thread lift is a natural way of revitalizing your skin, so results may take time to shine through. About 3-4 weeks after Dr. Kaplan places the threads, collagen will begin to form and prompt the skin on your neck to start healing and repair.

Which non-surgical neck lifting option is right for me?

You are not short of non-surgical options for tightening the neck with fillers, lasers, microneedling, and threads as possible solutions.

However, still unsure which treatment would best target your specific condition and help you achieve your desired look? Please contact The Kaplan Center today to book a consultation, during which Dr. Kaplan can analyze the area around your neck and recommend the treatment that best suits your goals.