Platysma Plasty

For those looking to bury their overweight past or to have a younger looking face through a face lift, the neck can be a dead give away. Inelastic skin gathers and sags around the neck long after the burden of excess weight has been removed, whether cosmetically or through a diet and physical exertion. A neck lift is a surgical solution to this baggage.

Neck Lift Candidates

Unlike other cosmetic surgeries, there is no perfect age for a neck lift. Only a conversation with a certified cosmetic surgeon, who will review your medical history, can determine if a neck lift is right for you.

What is a Neck Lift?

A necklift is a series of surgeries used in combination to remove unwanted weight, tighten neck muscles, and eliminate undesired band lines in the neck region. What surgeries are involved in your neck lift depend upon your goals and expectations, which will be discussed in a preliminary meeting with Dr. Daria Hamrah.

The three surgeries typically used in neck lifts are:

• Liposuction
• Cervicoplasty
• Platysmaplasty

Liposuction

Liposuction of the neck is performed when a patient wants excess fat removed from their neck. If done in conjunction with either a cervicoplasty or platysmaplasty, liposuction tends to be the first procedure.
Dr. Hamrah makes small (less than 1/2 inch), discreet incisions in the neck.  A cannula is inserted in a small incision and attached to a suction machine. The procedure may take an hour or more. The results of liposuction are permanent. If you were to gain a large amount of weight you might note rippling in the treated areas, depending on your skin elasticity.
Following liposuction, the scar will go through a maturation process—during the first 8-12 weeks it may appear red and raised. The scars will mature in time and become pale, flat and soft. You may experience numbness, burning, tingling around the incision site, but these symptoms are almost always temporary. If you are prone to keloid scars, please tell Dr. Hamrah prior to any treatment.

Cervicoplasty

The goal behind cervicoplasty is to remove excess skin in the neck region. First, an incision is made beneath the chin. Next, the skin is cut back, lifted, and secured with fixed sutures.

Like liposuction, you will experience swelling and bruising around your neck, jaw and ears for approximately ten days.

Platysmaplasty

Platysmaplasty will tighten the middle area of the neck by realigning the muscles or removing a portion of them. Once the muscles have been optimally aligned, they will be permanently sutured in place.

Again, swelling and bruising in the neck, jaw, and ear regions will be experienced for approximately ten days.

Risks of a Neck Lift

Much like any cosmetic surgery, there is always the risk of complications arising regarding an adverse reaction to anesthesia or infection. This is why it is essential to choose the right surgeon.

For more information, see Neck Lift Questions.

If you live in the Washington, D.C. or Northern Virginia areas and are considering a neck lift, please contact Dr. Hamrah today to schedule your personal consultation.