People of all ages often see the first signs of aging in the neck and jowls – whether it be loose skin (nicknamed the “turkey gobbler neck”), muscular bands, excess fat, or a lack of definition in the jawline and neck angle, All of these conditions can be treated with a neck lift. Neck lift is the treatment that is preferred over a full facelift when the rest of the face has not shown signs of drooping. It is a much easier to recover from this procedure, and the cost is significantly lower as well.
The areas addressed with the necklift are the neck and jowls. The marionette lines running from the corner of the mouth to the chin are also significantly improved by this procedure. To put it simply, this technique is the neck portion of the face, cheek, and neck lift. It was developed by Dr. Graivier in 1994 and has shown long-lasting and excellent results.
Dr. Graivier believes that to have a long-lasting and natural result, the deeper support structures of the face and neck need to be re-supported. In the necklift, an incision is made under the chin and just in front of the earlobe. The incision extends behind the ear into the scalp. (For men, the incision is under the hairline so as not to change the hairline.) Liposuction is performed, and then the skin is elevated gently off the neck muscles. The muscular bands are removed, and the muscle is re-contoured to give an improved angle to the neck. Long-lasting sutures are then placed against the bone behind the ear and woven into the muscle from one side to the other. Several rows of sutures are placed, forming a new support structure for the neck. Essentially a sling has been made, and this gives good long-term support and contour to the neck. The skin is then re-draped, and any excess skin is removed. Closure is without tension, resulting in a very fine scar.
Recovery from this outpatient procedure is approximately five to seven days, at which point makeup can be applied. Some swelling will be present, but this will resolve completely after three months. You should be very presentable for social settings after 10 days.
Dr. Graivier has followed up on his early neck lift patients and found that the results of this procedure that he developed in 1994 have stood the test of time. The results are natural, do not look over-pulled, and they appear to last. He has taught this procedure to numerous plastic surgeons worldwide.
