The face is one common areas for which women and men undergo plastic surgery in order to decrease the wrinkles and tighten up the skin. As skin, muscle and connective tissue of the neck changes with ageing, it tends to wrinkle and sag with the effect of gravity. Also the muscle under the neck skin called platysma is reduced in its tone and tends to sag with one or two bands at the front of the neck under the chin.
Although the face is one of commonest areas associated with cosmetic surgery, for a good number of individuals it is the neck, which bothers them the most. Loose skin often appears in the neck and the area below the chin and this can be improved by using a technique called Neck lift or Platysmoplasty or Liposuction of the Neck.
Many people choose to get a neck lift in addition to a face lift if they are having sagging skin in that area. The overall look of a face lift without the lift on the neck can be non-uniform if the neck is sagging and the face is pulled back. In order to make it look more harmonius, many people choose to get the skin on the neck pulled back as well in addition to a face lift so that the entire face and neck look youthful.
The actual neck lift surgery usually lasts only two to four hours. The recovery period at the hospital will be one day and the recovery period at home will be about 2-3 weeks. Patients may be advised to wear a neck pressure garment to support in the early days. It is advised not to take on any strenuous activities during the healing process so the area can completely heal in a timely and smooth fashion.
