Guide:

• What Is The Goal Of A Neck Lift?
• Am I A Good Candidate for A Neck Lift?
• What Is The Best Age To Get A Neck Lift?
• How Long Will My Neck Lift Results Last?
• How Can I Maintain My Neck Lift Results?
• What Can I Combine With A Neck Lift For Better Results?
• Neck Lift Recovery: Best Practices for Healing

Having a slim, contoured neck is highly valued in modern beauty standards. Excess skin hanging from your chin, jawline, and neck can negatively impact the appearance of your profile, your self-esteem, and possibly even your comfort. This neck contouring procedure addresses sagging skin in the neck and smooths and tightens the skin under the chin.

You may benefit immensely from a surgical neck lift (platysmaplasty) if you’re noticing aging changes in your neck like vertical muscle bands, excess skin, and fat, a “turkey waddle,” a “double chin,” jowling, or deep lines.

What Is The Goal Of A Neck Lift?

A neck lift focuses on loose skin, muscle banding, and excess fat in the neck area. Dr. Gordon Kaplan in New Jersey and New York typically pairs the quick, less complex procedure with a facelift, as this procedure alone does not restore youthfulness to any areas other than the neck. While it can help contour the neck and define the chin and jawline, it may not provide complete results for someone with more severe jowling or droopiness in their cheeks.

Am I A Good Candidate for A Neck Lift?

Here at The Kaplan Center, we typically recommend neck lifts to:

• Younger patients with only minor looseness in the neck
• More mature patients who naturally developed more aging changes in the neck than the face and only have concerns over the appearance of their neck
• Patients who have already undergone a complex face and neck lift and simply need to touch up their previous results

Some signs that it may be time to consider a surgical neck lift include:

• Muscle banding in your neck
• Excess fat in your submental area (“double chin”) and around your neck
• Excess, drooping skin on your neck
• Excess wrinkling in your neck skin
• Jowl lines

You may be an excellent candidate for a neck lift if you are in good health and have no underlying medical conditions that may impair your safety during your neck lift surgery or throughout your recovery. If you want to tighten your neck area, have realistic expectations of your results, and are willing to follow recovery instructions, we highly recommend visiting a board-certified plastic surgeon to discuss your interest in a neck lift.

What Is The Best Age To Get A Neck Lift?

A neck lift can be helpful for a wide variety of patients at different ages and stages of life. 

Most of our neck lift patients at the Kaplan Center are between 35 and 65 years old. Some patients in their 30s notice aging changes in their necks long before their faces, as neck skin is very thin and fragile and is susceptible to damage by environmental factors and lifestyle choices.

Others in their 40s or 50s pair their neck lifts with a facelift for complete rejuvenation above the collarbone.

Patients in their late 50s or early 60s often seek a neck lift to refresh their facelift results as neck muscle bands and excess skin and fat start to show again.

How Long Will My Neck Lift Results Last?

You can expect to enjoy your neck lift results for about ten years before the return of aging signs. Everyone ages differently, and this is the average longevity of results. The extent of your changes and the speed at which they reappear varies depending on several factors, including:

• Genetics that affect skin elasticity and muscle tone, according to Cleveland Clinic
• Lifestyle choices such as smoking
• Sun exposure
• Whether you had any complications during your neck lift recovery

How Can I Maintain My Neck Lift Results?

If you want to be proactive in maintaining your neck lift results last as long as possible and get the most out of your investment, here are a few actions we recommend:

• Using medical-grade skin care products and maintaining a daily skin care regimen
• Visiting an aesthetic professional for regular minimally invasive rejuvenation treatments such as lasers and other energy-based treatments
• Sticking to a healthy, balanced diet
• Following a regular exercise routine that works for you
• Avoiding overexposure to the sun, as sun damage is one of the number one causes of aging in the thin skin on the neck
• Avoiding smoking
• Avoiding heavy drinking
• Following your doctor’s aftercare instructions properly

What Can I Combine With A Neck Lift For Better Results?

The neck lift is a highly customizable surgery that can be paired safely with other cosmetic procedures for well-rounded results. 

Facelift – We consider a neck lift combined with a facelift to be the holy grail of rejuvenation procedures, as it addresses aging changes in the midface, lower face, jowls, chin, and neck all in one surgery, and the results are highly durable.

Neck liposuction – As a neck lift focuses mainly on the skin and neck muscles, it can be very beneficial to combine it with neck liposuction, as together, the two neck contouring procedures address the neck muscle, skin, and fat that causes the bulkier and more mature appearance.

Blepharoplasty – As the neck and eyes have the thinnest, weakest skin on the body, it’s no surprise that they are the first areas to show changes with age. We often recommend combining a neck lift with eyelid surgery to patients with concerns over droopy, puffy eyelids, and sagging skin in the neck. Some people may benefit from a brow lift and eyelid surgery in combination with their neck lift for a more substantial restoration.

Neck Lift Recovery: Best Practices for Healing

One of the most important factors to consider when seeking neck lift results that look great and last long is following the aftercare instructions given to you by your plastic surgeon. Here are the main recommendations we typically provide for our neck lift patients during their recovery:

• Wear your chin strap for the appropriate period that your doctor has suggested.
• Keep your head elevated. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons recommends keeping your head elevated above your heart and avoiding excessive twisting or bending of the neck to avoid swelling or more severe complications.
• Avoid strenuous activities such as running or weight lifting.
• Avoid hot showers, saunas, or jacuzzis.
• Avoid sun exposure.
• Take enough time to rest and be patient with your body as it heals.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Take pain medications as recommended by your doctor.
• Eat plenty of protein-rich foods to promote healing.

If you are considering a surgical neck lift to tighten loose skin around your neck, chin, and jawline and reveal a sculpted neck contour, contact The Kaplan Center to schedule your consultation with Dr. Gordon Kaplan, renowned in NY and NJ for delivering dramatic, long-lasting neck lift results. His primary goal is to restore your neck contour to how it appeared ten years earlier and enhance your natural beauty.