Neck Lift in New Haven, CT

Everyone thinks of the face when it comes to aging, but what about the neck? The skin around the neck eventually becomes loose due to aging. Plus, excess fat that has accumulated around the area, paired with weakened muscles, can create unpleasant creases around the neck. A neck lift will address this condition and give you a younger-looking, more attractive neckline. Dr. Derek Steinbacher offers a Neck Lift procedure and has the experience and knowledge to give you the results you deserve. Give our office a call at (203) 453-6635 or click the button below to go to our contact page and fill out an appointment request form!

What is a neck lift?

A neck lift is a plastic surgical procedure for people whose skin has lost its natural elasticity, causing the neck area to sag. Excess fat may also contribute to a heavy, saggy neck. To address these conditions, our New Haven plastic surgery practice offers neck lift surgery to remove unwanted skin and fatty deposits from the neck area. This surgery can also restructure the neck’s underlying muscles.

What can a neck lift treat?

During your initial consultation with your surgeon, you will discuss your specific goals and expectations for the procedure. This will also be the time to be sure you’re a good candidate for a neck lift. Commonly, patients want the neck lift to address their turkey wattle neck and remove excess skin and fat from this area. Patients who seek to define the contours of their neck can also benefit from the procedure.

What Age is a Good Age to Get a Neck Lift?

It’s funny that the neck is so often overlooked when considering signs of aging, despite the fact that the neck is truly one of the first areas of the facial area to show aging. Due to the function of the throat, the skin can’t be overly taut and constricting. It is much easier to pinch the skin on your neck than everywhere else on your body. Gravity loves this inherent looseness. That’s why sometimes a person’s face doesn’t show much aging, but his or her neck does.

We find that our neck lift patients are usually between the ages of 40 and 60. This is a wide range; that’s because the aging of the neck area can vary dramatically between different people.

Preparing For A Neck Lift

In preparation for your surgery, medications such as aspirin and ibuprofen must be stopped to minimize bruising and swelling. More importantly, neck lift patients must quit smoking at least two weeks before and after the surgery because smoking tends to interfere with healing.

How long does a neck lift take?

These surgeries with Dr. Steinbacher take from one to three hours.

What happens during a neck lift?

A traditional neck lift involves the creation of an incision that starts at the level of the sideburn at the hairline. The cut continues along the area around the ear, ending at the back of the hair. The neck skin is then lifted. Excess fat in the area may be repositioned or sculpted to achieve the desired effect. The neck muscle, also known as the platysma, is tightened while the underlying neck tissues are repositioned. Once the appropriate tissues and muscles have been repositioned, the skin is draped over the new neck contour and the incisions are closed with sutures.

What are the risks involved with a neck lift?

Neck lifts are major surgery, so they involve all of the risks inherent with any surgery: reaction to anesthesia, excessive bleeding, poor wound healing, infection, and the like. Thanks to Dr. Steinbacher’s extensive experience and training as a board-certified plastic surgeon these are all exceedingly rare. For neck lifts, there can be nerve injury, although this is typically temporary. As long as you follow our recovery instructions, these are low-risk procedures.

During recovery are there any food restrictions with a neck lift?

No. You simply have to be mindful of not twisting and bending your neck. You can eat whatever you feel like, although you’ll probably feel like softer foods for the first couple of days after your surgery.

Is neck lift recovery painful?

Pain after a neck lift is minimal. We prescribe pain medication, but you probably won’t feel you need it after more than a day or two. The tissues of the neck aren’t nearly as sensitive as areas such as the facial skin. These are not overly painful recoveries. As mentioned above, there is some degree of awkwardness due to the fact that you can’t turn or bend your neck, but pain typically isn’t an issue for our patients.

What will my scarring be like from a neck lift?

In these surgeries, Dr. Steinbacher typically makes three incisions: a small incision under the chin, combined with incisions that wrap around each earlobe and terminate in the hairline. He works very hard to make these incisions short and as discreet as possible. These areas heal very well, and the incisions become virtually invisible in a few months to a year.

How long before I will be able to fully see the results of my neck lift?

The neck area doesn’t get the same respect as other areas of the body in the aesthetic universe. But it needs respect when it comes to recovery after this procedure. Neck lifts involve a lengthy recovery. This is because we do so much twisting and bending forward with our neck. Obviously, you need to limit any kinds of movements that stress the incisions and tissue repositioning done by Dr. Steinbacher. You’ll be able to see your results as soon as your elastic bandages are removed, but you will have residual swelling across the area. This can last on and off for up to six months before it fully resolves. As your swelling resolves, your results will become more and more evident, and they will be very satisfying.

What results can I expect from neck lift surgery?

The changes made by Dr. Steinbacher are permanent. He’ll tighten the skin, remove unwanted fatty deposits, and remove the neck banding involved with the platysma muscle. These are long-lasting results; your neck skin will never sag and become loose to the same degree again. Of course, nothing can stop the aging process, but future loosening will start from a much younger position.

How long will my Neck Lift results last?

Generally, our patients from all over Connecticut can expect great results from our neck lifts for 10-15 years and longer.

Schedule a Consultation at Our Office in Connecticut

Dr. Steinbacher’s goal is to restore a more youthful, but natural look to your neck. Contact us for a consultation with Dr. Derek Steinbacher in Guilford, CT at (203) 453-6635. Our top plastic surgeon and his talented team look forward to serving you!

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