Your face might have a youthful appearance. However, skin wrinkles and laxity on your jawline and neck can make you look surprisingly old. Do you consider your neck when you think about the effects of aging? As you age, gravity tends to shift tissues and skin downward, making your neck look more weathered than your face.

You may even develop horizontal folds of your neck skin or a turkey wattle. Fortunately, a neck lift procedure can help you reverse these signs of aging.

What Is a Neck Lift?

A neck lift involves the removal of excess skin from your neck to address issues with a sagging or loose neckline. Its purpose is to give patients a more youthful-looking and attractive neckline. It can make a huge difference in filling your anti-aging needs.

Age and Your Neck

Your face can lie about your age. Your neck, however, will tell the truth. Think about it this way. To tell how old a tree is, you will need to cut it open. But if it has a neck, you would not have to. If you notice the slacked skin, bands, wrinkles, or creases under your skin becoming more perceptible, you may be a good candidate for a neck lift.

The Procedure

During the procedure, your cosmetic surgeon will make small incisions behind the lower portion of your ears and under your chin. Through these incisions, he/she will remove excess tissue and adjust the underlying structures. Your surgeon will then tighten the remaining neckline skin. You may require some minor liposuction to improve the overall contour of your neck area.

Are You a Good Candidate for the Procedure?

Unlike the skin on your face, you cannot camouflage sagging skin on your neck with skin-firming creams or fillers. The most effective way to improve the appearance of your neck skin is through a neck lift.

But before you undergo any type of cosmetic procedure, you need to determine whether you are a good candidate. If you are considering getting a neck lift, ask your cosmetic surgeon about the different options available for smoothing out your neck skin.

Based on your medical history and other factors, your surgeon will be able to determine whether this type of surgery is safe for you. It is important to understand that results tend to vary from one patient to another. Thus, you need to have realistic expectations before you undergo the procedure.

Good Candidates for a Neck Lift

Generally, to be a good candidate for a neck lift, you need to be:

• A healthy person without any medical conditions that might impair healing.
• Someone with a healthy and realistic outlook and expectations.
• One who is not a heavy smoker or alcohol drinker.

You may also be a good candidate for a neck lift if you have an unattractive fullness underneath your chin or a double chin. This procedure is also ideal for fixing a poorly defined jawline, turkey neck, or creases and wrinkles on your neck.

Bad Candidates for a Neck Lift

A good cosmetic surgeon should not recommend this procedure unless you are a good candidate. Some of the factors that may make this procedure inappropriate for you include:

• You are unable to take the necessary time off your busy schedule to recover.
• Your neck lacks the appropriate skin laxity.
• You lack realistic expectations.

To determine whether you are a good candidate for a neck lift, visit Alan Matarasso, MD, FACS, PC, at our office in New York, New York. You can call 212-249-7500 today to schedule an appointment.