Aesthetic defects in the neck area can be summarized as excessively greasy and sagging jowl area and wrinkled and saggy neck skin. Neck stretching and liposuction are frequently used in the aesthetic treatment of this area. Neck lift can be done alone or it is often combined with face lift surgery.
While the jowl area can become lubricated due to weight gain, some patients may have a greasy jowl appearance due to their genetic characteristics, even if they are not overweight.
Saggy and wrinkled neck skin is almost always associated with aging. Sagging of the jowl and neck area is one of the aesthetic defects that make the face look older.
The most effective method for sagging areas under the chin is neck lift surgery. Neck lift can often be done together with face lift surgery and chin liposuction, or it can be done alone. The aim of the surgery is to remove the excess skin in the neck area due to reasons such as aging or excessive weight loss by stretching it towards the scalp area behind the ear. As a result of the operation, a younger and more vigorous neck appearance is obtained.
The patient should stop taking aspirin and similar blood thinners 10 days before the operation, birth control methods containing hormones, vitamins and supplements 3 weeks before the operation. Smokers are definitely not good candidates for facelifts. We strongly recommend that patients stop smoking from 3 weeks before neck lift surgery until 3 weeks after surgery.
If chin liposuction is to be performed together with neck lift, chin liposuction is performed first. A device called laser lipolysis can be used while performing jowl liposuction. (Please ask your surgeon if laser lipolysis can be used for you).
An incision is made from the front of the earlobe to the back of the ear and down the scalp line from there, and through this incision, the neck skin is lifted to the front and the middle and the operation is continued. The neck muscles are stretched from the midline to the back of the ear and sutured. The skin tissue is stretched towards the back of the ear and the excess skin tissue is removed and stitches are removed after the stretching process. All sutures are placed in accordance with confidential and aesthetic principles. Stitches do not need to be removed.
If there is excess skin under the chin, an incision of 4-5 cm is made under the chin tip, the excess skin is removed and the muscles in the jowl area are tightened. This procedure is not always necessary. It is done when needed.
The entire operation is performed under general anaesthesia.
The average operation time is 1.5 – 2 hours.
Patients are asked to stay in the hospital for 1 night after the operation. A special dressing is applied under the chin. If needed, patients can wear a special corset in this area 2 -3 days after surgery. Patients can return to normal life within 2-3 days after surgery. If bruising has occurred, bruises usually disappear in 7-10 days. Most of the swelling will disappear within the first 3 weeks. It takes 6 months after the surgery to see the full result of the surgery.
