This well-proven and revolutionary surgical procedure helps define your chin and neck contour better than anything else. Other types of neck lifts involve addressing the skin, superficial fat, and platysma muscle. Those types of techniques are great for helping with neck laxity, platysmal banding, and jowls. However, only the deep neck lift technique addresses the underlying deep fat and deeper muscle layers that live underneath the platysma muscle. The deep neck lift technique allows Dr. Bovenzi to contour your cervicomental angle. This change can make the difference between someone that looks like they have a weak chin and “no neck” to someone with a strong neckline, jawline, and stronger chin.
The deep necklift technique is an advanced technique that has grown in popularity over the past few years as people worldwide are noticing the benefits of this surgery. Previously, patients with excess fat under their chin would be treated with liposuction alone, but many of these patients actually have stubborn fat that is in the deep plane underneath the muscle that cannot be treated with liposuction alone. The deep necklift technique has allowed these patients to achieve a neck contour they always dreamed of! Most commonly, patients that have anatomy amenable to a deep neck lift procedure have had a weak neckline for their whole lives- the deep neck fat has a large genetic component as opposed to the superficial fat treated with liposuction that has more capacity to change with weight gain or loss.
Additionally, deep necklift candidates can be of almost any adult age- while traditional necklift techniques are focused on the aging process, deep necklift surgery has the potential to help both younger and older patients that suffer from a weak neckline (aka an oblique cervicomental angle).
The recovery from a deep necklift takes approximately 2 weeks for bruising to fade and for the lion’s share of the swelling to resolve. The surgery itself is done under twilight anesthesia and takes about 2 hours. You are able to go home the same day. In the vast majority of cases, you do not need any drains, and just need to wear an ace wrap to help with some pressure under your chin for the first week after surgery. A large padded dressing of gauze is placed the day of surgery and is removed on your first postoperative visit the following morning, replaced by a small ACE wrap. There is a small incision under your chin that is well-hidden. The sutures at the incision are removed 1 week after surgery. To take care of the incision, we recommend using cotton swabs dipped in half-strength hydrogen peroxide to clean the suture site and afterwards apply ointment to keep the incision moist as this helps the incision heal to become as invisible as possible. The main restriction after a deep necklift surgery is to avoid strenuous exercise for about 3-4 weeks to allow your neck muscle and skin to heal properly. Most patients return to in-person work in 1 to 2 weeks after surgery, but it is possible that you could work from home or do computer-based work after just a few days.
If you think you may be a candidate for a deep necklift or have more questions about the procedure, please reach out and set up a complimentary consultation with Dr. Bovenzi.
