What I Look for During a Necklift Consultation

Many of my patients comment that the one feature they struggle with, even in middle age, is their neck. While men can grow a bit of facial hair to cover early sagging, ladies cannot—and even turtleneck blouses cannot hide crepey sagging skin. The neck generally gets less care than people’s faces over time, and it’s hard to see your neck in a makeup mirror. Sometimes, the first time you notice it is when you see a photo of yourself, especially a profile picture. Of course, creams and spa treatments don’t really fix the issue. 


Step 1. What Is the Specific Feature That You Want To Fix? 

Is it the character of your skin—crepey, blotchy, sun damage, wrinkles? Are you looking at a lack of jawline definition, jowls, or “divots”?
Perhaps it’s skin laxity that intensifies when you look down. Some people have a double chin that may be partly due to extra fat. Others may have a “turkey gobbler”—extra skin with ropy strands of muscle that jump out when you smile or grimace. Each of these may require a different solution, so it’s important to understand what your top priority is. 


Step 2. How Much Improvement Are You Expecting? 

Some procedures offer improvement, but maybe not the level of correction that you are hoping for. Here is where setting realistic expectations is super important. If you want as perfect an outcome as possible, sometimes a sequence of treatments is recommended. If you prefer to start small, just to take the edge off of your aging appearance, a lesser treatment can be done for a lower cost or with less downtime. 


Step 3. What Limitations Do You Have? 

For example, available recovery time, inability to take time off work/activities, planned travel, or limitations due to expected temporary deformity might need to be considered. Cost of the treatment, the need for anesthesia, and the potential need for a caregiver afterward all help determine which treatment plan is chosen. 


Step 4. Will the Treatment You Have Chosen Actually Fix Your Aging Neck?

Generally, addressing the platysmal bands surgically, including skin removal, is the only way to correct a very lax neck. 
If the problem is mostly due to a fat collection under the chin and mandibular bone, a radiofrequency-assisted necklift can work well. Traditional surgery won’t improve skin quality. 
Your surgeon should go through all options, but will also tell you of the limitations of each procedure option. 


Step 5. I Like to Review Before and After Photos of My Patients Who Have Given Me Permission to Share. 

Generally, these are examples of people who have a trouble spot or type of concern that is similar to yours. It’s not unusual for patients to expect major correction with a minor procedure approach. The purpose of this step is to help decide whether the level of improvement from each suggested procedure type will satisfy each patient. 


Step 6. Booking a Procedure. 

We like to be sure that the perioperative care is as good as the treatment itself. By reviewing this in detail, we can work together to achieve the best outcome.