Neck Lift Surgery Before and After Photos

Curious to see results of neck lift surgery?  View our neck lift surgery before and after photos below.

Neck Lift Surgery

From an artist’s view, our neck doesn’t just support our head but is a beautiful part of our body unto itself. The neck is ideally narrow and gives an impression of lightness with strength and thus confers an image of poise,  vitality, lending a regal quality.  The neck also relates to the head and the chest to create harmony and flow and so creates beauty throughout the upper body. And so it is no wonder that sculptors,  in fashioning an image of a person, captures that image into a bust which combines these three parts that work so well together.

As happens with the aging process we all face, many different changes occur within the neck that give tip-offs  to the fact that we are getting older. Surface changes such as looseness and wrinkling of skin not only make us look older but have aesthetic effects that can detract from the beauty of the neck too, such as making the neck appear shorter and robbing us of a chin that has good projection (sticks out).

Angles and Straight Lines

Part of the beauty conferred to our neck stems from the straight lines and angles created by the neck itself and how it relates to the jaw line and the chest. A straight and smooth neck seems to not only sharpen the angle created by the neck as it joins the jaw but also gives the jaw and chin a certain strength. And when the neck is not smooth, the face seems to extend right into the neck with no partition or separation. Neck lifts work to create straight lines and enhance angles to restore beauty and youth to the neck. A necklift  not only addresses surface issues such as skin looseness and wrinkling but also affects deeper tissues, including fat deposits and underlying muscle.

Platysmaplasty

Platysmaplasty (pla-tis-ma-plast-ee) is a key part of the neck lift surgery where the muscle that is under the skin of the neck is modified to improve the appearance of the neck and very importantly, to prevent further injury to the overlying skin. As the platysma flexes with eating and in facial gesturing, it causes loosening of the overlying skin of the neck. And the platysma also shortens with time and seems to pop out from the neck. One can see this just by looking at the side views of the before and after neck lift photos. In the before view, the angle between the neck and the jaw line seems poorly defined. But when looking at the postoperative photo, the neck makes a 90 degree or right angle with the jaw line. Platysmaplasty is very long lasting and helps to preserve the great improvements made by the necklift. This neck muscle procedure is also part of the modern day face lift.

Together and Alone

Neck lift surgery is quite versatile as it can be performed by itself if patients only have neck laxity but could also be part of a face lift. When the neck is loose and there is no jowling, a necklift can tighten the skin and the platysma muscle can also be repaired. When patients are concerned about their jowls and their neck, a lower face lift is probably the best option. A thorough evaluation and discussion with a Plastic Surgeon can help you rediscover your youthful and beautiful look.

Dr. David Newman is a board certified plastic surgeon in Temecula.