What is a neck lift (platysmaplasty)?
Neck lift surgery or platysmaplasty aims to improve the appearance of your jaw and neck area by reshaping the skin and underlying tissues. Sometimes vertical bands and excess tissue can form on the neck as a result of aging or weight loss or gain. The combination of procedures used should leave your neck and jaw looking smoother, leaner and better defined.
What does a neck lift involve?
A neck lift or platysmaplasty is usually done under general anaesthetic and takes around two to four hours depending on the desired result and the techniques used. Often people opt to have other surgical procedures such as facelifts done at the same time.
If you have weakened muscles in the neck, this can give the effect of a ‘turkey wattle’ or vertical bands stretching from under the chin and down the neck. To tackle this, surgeons make incisions around the ears and under the chin, which enables them to access and manipulate your neck muscle. They may tighten it, using stitches to hold it in a new, firmer position, or remove a portion. Liposuction may sometimes be used to remove excess fat via the incisions. Finally the skin is tightened and any excess trimmed before it is fixed in place with surgical glue or stitches.
How long will it take me to recover following neck lift surgery?
You can expect some bruising and swelling, but this should subside within a fortnight of your surgery. Your neck may feel tight too, or you may experience numbness, but this isn’t uncommon and is nothing to be concerned about unless it persists beyond a few weeks.
You should only need one to two weeks of work, but you may need longer if your job involves physical exertion as you should avoid strenuous activity for around three weeks.
What are the risks of neck lift surgery?
Besides the risks of general anaesthetic, neck lift surgery also carries a risk of bleeding, infection and numbness. Numbness of tingling is not uncommon and is not a cause for concern unless it persists beyond 3 months after the operation.
How much will neck lift surgery cost?
The price of a neck lift varies between £3000 and £6000.
