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Feeling Bad About Your Neck?
We Can
Help |
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Author Nora Ephron named her book about aging I Feel
Bad About My Neck for a good reason. She knew the title
would hit a nerve.
The neck is often the first area of
the body to bring on feelings of hopelessness about getting
old.
Wrinkles can be attacked with better skin care. Flaring
hips can be tamed with a wardrobe overhaul.
But when your neck goes, it’s the
point of no return.
Jowls and Wattles
There’s simply no such thing as a pretty face with heavy
jowls, perched over a  neck full of creases and loose, hanging muscle.
The term “facelift” should really be re-named “necklift,”
because the procedure actually lifts only the lower two-thirds
of your face. (The upper third requires its own separate set
of procedures such as a browlift, eyelid surgery, etc.)
So if you come in to talk about your
neck issues and we tell you the best solution is a facelift,
please don’t be shocked or insulted. It’s just a matter of
terminology.
What a Facelift (or “Necklift”)
Does
- Lifts and tightens sagging skin in the lower face.
- Lifts and tightens the underlying tissue supporting the
lower face.
- Removes jowls.
- Refines the jaw line.
- Tightens the platysmal bands (the neck muscles that have
started to protrude whenever you chew).
- Tightens and smoothes the neck skin.
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All faces are different, and everyone ages differently. To avoid
unnecessary trauma among those with more localized problems, we’ve
developed some lower-impact approaches:  1.
Turkey Wattle
Some women
develop extensive skin hanging, or a “turkey wattle,” before their
faces develop jowls and muscle laxity. If you are one of these
women, we can perform an abbreviated procedure that just tightens
sagging skin and protruding neck muscles.
2. Liposuction
If your issue is fat
deposits under the chin, liposuction can remove these with just a
small incision below the chin or near the ear. A small tube is
inserted and the fat cells are vacuumed out.
Liposuction is
often combined with other procedures. It can refine the jaw line and
improve your profile.
| How
the Full Necklift Is Done |
For those with the full complement of lower-face and neck issues,
we use general anesthesia or sedation. Incisions are made behind
your hairline, around the ear, and possibly in the crease beneath
your chin. The skin of the neck and of the cheek is lifted, the
underlying connective tissue is repositioned, and excess skin is
removed. There may also be fat removal in the neck (liposuction) if
it’s called for.
After the Procedure
After the incisions are closed, a light dressing is applied. You
will need someone to drive you home.
Once You’re Home
Cold compresses should be applied during the first 48 hours to
minimize swelling. We’ll give you full post-op instructions, which
will include keeping your head elevated and sleeping in a
semi-reclining position for a few days.
You'll be back to normal -- and able to
work-- usually
within a week to 10 days.
| Which Procedure Applies To
You? |
Since most people don’t see
themselves accurately, you can only find out which procedure(s) you
need by coming in for a consultation. So if your neck is
starting to affect your happiness about your looks, let me examine
the situation and tell you what can be done.
| This
is a Classic Problem |
Don’t give up on being beautiful because of this localized
problem. For generations, women (and men) have sought help from
their plastic surgeons when their necks became intractable.
That’s how the neck lift came to be called a
“facelift.”
By the way, feel free to forward
this article to your family and
friends.
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