See how combined facelift and necklift surgery can be used to sharpen and refine a turkey gobbler neck
In my last blog post I discussed how we can use liposuction to treat excess neck fullness. Today we'll discuss how to address neck fullness in a patient with decreased skin elasticity.
What does necklift surgery involve?
As I discussed in my last post, in patients with adequate skin elasticity neck liposuction alone can be used to remove excess neck fullness. The skin is then able to contract and tighten after surgery during the healing process. Let's see what happens if the skin doesn't have enough elasticity.
This patient came to me looking to improve the fullness and jowling of her neck. Due to her skin quality and loose neck musculature, liposuction alone would result in even more loose neck skin. To address this problem a neck lift was perform using a small access incision under the chin. This involves sewing the neck muscles (platysma muscle) under the skin to themselves in the midline in what is called a corset platysma-plasty. This results in a much sharper neck line in patients with loose supporting neck tissue. In patients like this who have inadequate skin elasticity, though, a necklift alone won't really tighten the excess skin. So what can we do to deal with this?
Why combine facelift surgery with a necklift?
To address the problem of excess neck and lower face skin a facelift was also done. This allows us to further tighten the platysma muscle while also removing the excess skin. 
In the photos above showing the patient before and two months after combined facelift and necklift surgery notice how the patient's neck and jawline is much more refined. The lower neck is much more youthful and her jawline is sharper with improved jowls. At the same time she doesn't appear over-pulled or windswept.
As you can see, a lot goes into planning the appropriate facial rejuvenation treatment. Skin and soft tissue quality, age, and bone structure must all be taken in account. Interested in seeing more? Check out more before and after facelift photos here.
