You can slather on creams, you can soak your skin in serums, you can even do hours of exercises — but when it’s all said and done, your neck is still going to be telling your age loud and clear to anyone who looks your way. Yes, you could dedicate yourself to a life of turtlenecks and scarves. But wouldn’t it be better to get rid of wrinkles and sagging instead?
At Sanctuary Cosmetic Center in McLean and Dulles, Virginia, our doctors use advanced neck lift techniques to reduce sagging skin and restore sleeker, more youthful contours to the neck. The practice offers both surgical and noninvasive neck lift treatments customized to each patient’s unique needs and treatment goals, for great results and high levels of satisfaction. If you’re tired of your sagging neck skin, here’s how a neck lift can help.
Like its name implies, a neck lift is designed to focus on the neck area, lifting sagging skin and gently tightening tissues for more youthful contours. Neck lifts are popular for women and men — in fact, more than 50,000 neck lift surgeries are performed each year in the United States, according to data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and many more patients have noninvasive treatments for their sagging neck skin.
The doctors at Sanctuary Cosmetic Center use two techniques for neck lift surgery, depending on the patient’s needs and goals.
The first technique, platysmaplasty, focuses on tightening the large platysma muscle located under the shin. This muscle weakens as we get older, thanks to the effects of gravity, weight fluctuations, hormonal changes, genetics, and other factors.
Cervicoplasty is the second surgical technique used in a neck lift. This technique “lifts” sagging skin along the jaw and neckline. In a cervicoplasty, the surgeon uses sutures placed under the chin and along the neck to improve jawline definition.
Neck lift surgery can be a good choice for older patients whose skin is not as elastic as it once was. It’s also an excellent option for eliminating excess fat under the chin and for tightening up sagging bands of skin in the neck area. The results of neck lift surgery can last for up to 10 years.
Noninvasive neck lifts don’t use incisions to firm neck skin. Instead, they use radiofrequency (RF) energy to target deeper layers of skin, gently heating the tissues to promote the development of collagen. Collagen is one of the components of skin that gives it “bounce” and firmness. As we age, we produce a lot less collagen, making it easier for sagging to occur.
In a noninvasive neck lift, a special handpiece is passed over the treatment area while RF energy is directed through the skin to those deeper layers. Noninvasive neck lift treatments aren’t painful, but you may feel some deep warmth as the energy penetrates the skin. There’s also no downtime associated with noninvasive neck lifts.
Noninvasive neck lifts can produce good results, but because they don’t reposition the tissues or eliminate excess skin, they’re a better option for people with minor sagging and younger people with a fair amount of natural elasticity in their skin.
A neck lift can produce dramatic results, helping you look and feel younger and more confident. Let our doctors help you select the best approach so you can achieve the results you’re looking for. To schedule your personal consultation and evaluation, call the office or use our online form to book an appointment today.
