Neck Lift

A neck lift is a surgical procedure to rejuvenate the appearance of the neck and jawline, closely related to the facelift (rhytidectomy) and using the same family of techniques. Ageing of the lower face and neck is driven largely by changes in the deeper structures, notably drooping (ptosis) of the platysma muscle of the neck, which produces the appearance of jowls and a broken jaw line, together with descent of cheek fat and laxity of the overlying skin. Surgery generally involves removing excess skin, with or without tightening of the underlying tissues, and re-draping the skin of the face and neck for a smoother, more youthful contour. In a traditional approach, an incision is made in front of the ear and curved around and behind it, usually ending near the hairline at the back of the neck; the skin is then separated (undermined) over the cheeks and neck so that the deeper fibromuscular layer, the superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS), which is continuous with the platysma in the neck, can be tightened with sutures, with or without removing some excess deeper tissue. The excess skin is then trimmed and the incisions closed with sutures and staples. The procedure is typically performed under general anaesthesia or deep 'twilight' sedation, and can be effectively combined with eyelid surgery and other facial procedures. Because it addresses skin and deeper tissue rather than volume alone, a neck lift targets sagging and laxity of the neck and jawline rather than lost fullness.