The neck is often one of the most overlooked spots for plastic surgery among men and women, but it can have an enormous impact on your appearance. Necks have the power to make you look older, heavier, and even tired. The “double chin” can make you look like all these things; however, it can be helped with neck lift surgery.
What Causes a “Double Chin”?
Double chins may be caused by a few different factors, including genetics, weight gain, and aging. Your genetic code acts as programming for your body and may dictate how it stores excess fat cells or retains water. Weight gain causes extra fatty deposits to hang out under your chin, where gravity does the rest of the work. Aging also makes your neck vulnerable to the double chin because your skin starts to lose elasticity and begins to sag under gravity.
How Does a Neck Lift Help?
A neck lift can help eliminate your double chin by removing those excess fatty deposits and then lifting the skin so that your chin and jaw regain their definition. The procedure is done on an outpatient basis under general anesthesia and begins with the incisions. The surgeon makes these incisions along your hairline behind your ear towards the back of your neck. Sometimes only a couple small incisions are needed on each side; other times one long incision is required. It depends on how much work your neck actually needs.
Once the incisions are made, the surgeon can gain access to the area under your skin. Fatty deposits can be removed with liposuction or simply repositioned. If your neck muscles are weak and need a little repair, this can be accomplished at this stage, too. Any skin that has stretched too far can be trimmed away. After all the necessary work is complete, the remaining skin tissue is lifted and sutured back into place along the incisions.
Initial recovery from a neck lift takes about two weeks, though this can vary depending on the amount of work you have done. Only light physical activity is permitted for four to six weeks, but you’ll be able to resume normal activities once the initial recovery is complete. Your neck will be bruised and swollen for a few days, but that can be managed with pain medications and cold compresses. Your plastic surgeon will create a post-surgery plan complete with instructions on what you should do during your recovery period.
Choosing a Surgeon
It’s important to find a plastic surgeon that is skilled in neck lift surgery as well as other lift procedures. If too much skin is removed or the remaining skin tissue is pulled too tightly at the end of the procedure, the patient will be very uncomfortable and the results won’t look natural.
Dr. Andres Bustillo has years of experience performing hundreds of neck lifts on patients all over the country. He is also very well-known among fellow plastic surgeons and patients for his skill and artistry in his procedures. If you have a double chin and would like to discuss your options for making your neck look amazing, call 305-663-3380 to set up an initial patient consultation with Dr. Bustillo. During your consultation, he’ll learn more about your medical history, what exactly you’re hoping to get out of your surgery, and discuss your options with you for achieving those goals.
