Neck lift surgery is known for smoothing sagging skin, eradicating creases and wrinkles, and firming the vertical bands that distract from a youthful and inviting countenance. However, not all neck lifts are created equal. By choosing a more advanced, complex approach to neck surgery, your plastic surgeon can create a far more natural-looking outcome that will stand the test of time, allowing you to age more gracefully.
Many patients struggle with prominent submandibular glands, pronounced anterior digastric muscles, protruding mylohyoid muscles, and significant subplatysmal fat. By removing portions of these structures during the procedure, your surgeon can achieve significantly more refined neck contours than can be accomplished with a traditional neck lift.
Neck Lift Surgery – The Perfect Complement to a Facelift
Many patients focus primarily on the face when seeking out anti-aging procedures. However, the neck is an especially delicate area known for telegraphing the effects of collagen and elastin loss. Any rejuvenation protocol that neglects the neck will likely result in less than satisfactory outcomes. A neck lift is performed to smooth crepe-like skin, eradicate unsightly muscle banding, and provide patients with a more refined profile and silhouette.
Who Qualifies for a Neck Lift?
In order to successfully undergo a neck lift, patients must be non-smokers in good physical and mental health, free from any uncontrolled medical concerns that could compromise their health or safety. Realistic expectations are also essential with a neck lift, as the surgery can take years off of your appearance, but it will never make you look like you are in your 20s again.
Choosing an Innovative Alternative to Traditional Neck Lift Techniques
Neck lift surgery has evolved tremendously over the years. Despite this, today’s conventional neck lift techniques are still in need of additional updates. Dr. Mark G. Albert, M.D., F.A.C.S., a board-certified plastic surgeon in NYC, has developed a precision-oriented approach for addressing all the critical structures in the neck, including the following:
- Submandibular glands: Positioned under the jaw, these glands produce saliva that seeps into the mouth from under the tongue. As we age, these structures may become more prominent, compromising the appearance of the upper neck. By carefully reducing the submandibular glands, your plastic surgeon can enhance your results tremendously, providing you with a more streamlined and sculpted profile.
- Prominent anterior digastric muscle: Digastric muscles aid in chewing, swallowing, and speaking. When they are enlarged, they can make the neck appear too full and bulky, an aesthetic most patients find distressing. Reducing the size of the digastric muscles can help optimize the results of a neck lift and provide patients with a more youthful-looking final result.
- Prominent mylohyoid muscle: The mylohyoid muscle secures the tongue’s connection to the floor of the mouth. While this structure is critical for proper functioning during daily life, if it is too pronounced, it can result in an unfavorable neck appearance. Your plastic surgeon can reduce the size of the mylohyoid muscle to exponentially improve your neck lift outcome.
- Subplatysmal fat: Subplatysmal fat occurs at a deeper plane than subcutaneous fat and is more likely to increase with the aging process. Because of its more entrenched location, this type of fat can be especially difficult to address with conventional techniques. Dr. Albert and other highly skilled perfectionists like him understand that targeting subplatysmal fat is the key to producing the taut, elegant neck contours patients most desire.
- Hyoid bone: The hyoid bone in the front of the neck plays a key role in swallowing and speaking functions. Cosmetically, it is responsible for defining the neck angle. Since the bone is floating, it is possible to subtly reposition it in such a way as to create a more contoured and slender neck profile.
What Is the Takeaway?
While neck lifts have been performed successfully for decades, there is always room for improvement. With the introduction of cutting-edge neck lift techniques that address not only the skin but also the submandibular glands, digastric muscles, mylohyoid muscles, hyoid bone, and subplatysmal fat, neck lifts today can profoundly improve patient outcomes, providing them with a level of age-defying rejuvenation that was previously unimaginable.
If you would like to learn more about Dr. Albert’s highly precise and artistic approach to neck lift surgery, contact him at his Upper East Side location in NYC today!
