Neck Liposuction or a Neck Lift: Which is Better?
The neck is the support of the face. As such, it is an area of importance when considering appearance. We commonly see people who express dissatisfaction with the way their neck looks. Alongside that dissatisfaction is often confusion. Do they need a neck lift or neck liposuction to address their concerns? Both are performed to improve the definition of the jawline and neck, so choosing can feel like an enormous challenge. Fortunately they do not have to. All they have to do is make an appointment to discuss their desires and Dr. Buchanan can decide. Here we discuss the two so, if you are considering treatment for an unflattering neck, you have a general idea which may be right for you and what is involved.
Neck Liposuction Sculpts by Removing Excess Fat
The primary purpose of all liposuction procedures is to remove excess fat that has accumulated in the subcutaneous tissue area between the skin and muscle. It isn’t that you have more fat cells in a particular area but that these fat cells have expanded. Neck liposuction may be a good procedure for adults who have adequate muscle and skin tone but whose jawline contours are obscured by excess fat. It is one of the most common liposuction procedures performed today. Although there is an injectable that melts fat, we believe that liposuction is more precise, with faster recovery and produces better results. Non surgical methods of reducing fat can not even come close to the superb results of liposuction.
Neck liposuction is usually performed in the office using local anesthesia and, if desired, a mild sedative. Patients can go home shortly after their procedure, which usually takes a little over an hour. To do neck liposuction, Dr. Buchanan makes a tiny incisions that can be closed with a tape strip. There is usually minimal postoperative discomfort. However, patients should expect some swelling and bruising for 7 to 10 days.
A Neck Lift Sculpts by Removing Excess Skin and/or Tightening the Muscle
Neck lift surgery is performed when a person’s skin and muscle tone have become lax. It may also include removal of excess fat. The loss of tissue firmness often leads to sagging that is referred to as “turkey neck” or “wattle.” This procedure may involve several different techniques. We may contour fatty tissue, lift and tighten and occasionally divide part of the platysma muscle, redrape the skin, and remove the excess. We usually do this through incisions under the chin or down the center of the neck. Anything more we believe requires a facelift, which always includes correction of the neck.
A neck lift is also done in the office under local anesthesia and takes about 1 to 2 hours. Patients return home the day of their procedure. The stitches placed to close the incision are generally below the skin in women and, in men, because of the beard, those that must be in the skin are removed 4-7 days after surgery. Swelling and bruising usually subside in 10 to 14 days.
Would you like a better frame for your face? Contact our Highlands, NC office at (828) 526-3783 to learn more about neck liposuction and neck lift surgery.