Feeling Bad About Your Neck? We Can Help

When screenwriter/director Nora Ephron entitled her bestselling book I Feel Bad About My Neck, she did it for a reason. She knew the title would hit a nerve. The neck is often the first area of the body to stimulate feelings of hopelessness about the aging process.

Wrinkles can be held at bay with great skin care. (Or celebrated for the character they reflect.) Early weight gain can be handled 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 "neck lift," 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 Does
The "facelift" lifts and tightens sagging skin and underlying tissue throughout the lower face and neck, reducing jowls, and refining the jaw line.

The platysmal bands (those muscles that have started to protrude in your throat area) are tightened, firming the neck and giving it a smooth appearance.

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.

Excess Skin Removal
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 focuses on the neck exclusively.

An incision is made, the skin is pulled smooth, and the excess is trimmed. The incision is closed in a zigzag pattern, also known as Z-plasty, to disguise the scar. While the technique is very effective in removing unwanted skin, some scarring will be apparent. For some patients-- especially those who like wearing open necklines -- this may be unacceptable, in which case a facelift or tightening procedure may be a better approach.

Tightening Procedure
Younger patients may get away with an even lighter procedure that just tightens sagging skin and protruding neck muscles.

A small incision is hidden in the crease beneath the chin or by the ears. The platysmal bands, or supportive muscles, are tightened and sutured in place. Excess fat may be suctioned out through the same incision; a small amount of the skin also may be removed.

Liposuction
The goal of liposuction is to remove the fatty deposits in the neck area. A small incision is placed in a natural crease 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.

Local Anesthesia
Most of the surgeries mentioned above are performed under local anesthesia and sedation. The time in surgery depends on how many procedures are performed and how extensive they are.

After the incisions are closed, a light dressing is applied. These surgeries are done as outpatient procedures, so you get to go home on the same day as the surgery. Depending on the extent of the surgery 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 visited their plastic surgeons when they realized there was no other way to resolve their neck issues. That's how the neck lift came to be called a "facelift."

www.lawlercentre.com