Say Goodbye to Your Turkey Wattle

Do you wear scarves or clothing to cover your neck? Neck bands and sagging tissue or skin can create the “turkey wattle” that can belie your age. While many cosmetic surgeries and treatments for aging focus on the face, the neck can be a quick giveaway on your true age. Say goodbye to your turkey wattle with a neck lift to create a more youthful appearance below your chin.

What is a Neck Lift?

The infamous turkey wattle is formed by changes in skin, tissue and muscles in the neck area. The platysma muscle that runs from the collar bone up to the jaw can become flaccid or pronounced. Fat can accumulate under the chin and the skin can become thin, saggy and “crepey.” All these changes together create a wrinkled, sagging neck that resembles a turkey’s wattle.

With a neck lift, all these changes to the neck are addressed. The platysma muscle can be tightened, excess fat liposuctioned away and excess skin removed. Small incisions can be made in discrete areas to perform these procedures, ending with a tightening and elevating of the skin and tissues. A neck lift can create an amazing transformation. The result can be a smoother, svelte neck that looks decades younger.

A neck lift is often performed with a facelift for a complete rejuvenation of the neck, chin, jowls and lower face. Both men and women can enjoy a much more youthful appearance with one or both of these procedures.

If you are embarrassed due to a turkey wattle forming on your neck, consult an experienced facial plastic surgeon. A neck lift may be the right procedure to erase many years from your appearance and improve your neck, chin and jawline.

Posted on behalf of:
Maurice M. Khosh, MD, FACS
580 Park Avenue, Suite 1BE
New York, NY 10065
212-339-9988

Benefits of a Weekend Neck Lift

What if you could change the appearance of your neck, chin and jawline with a quick procedure that you can recover from over a weekend? That is the goal of a “weekend” neck lift. This is a minimally invasive cosmetic surgery to help improve the appearance of a turkey neck, double-chin or sagging neck skin without the need for a complete neck lift.

Who Can Benefit from a Weekend Neck Lift?

The weekend neck lift is designed to help those who have excess skin or fat under the chin and in the neck area. By removing fat deposit and tightening the skin, the chin and jaw are more defined. Plus, the sagging skin on the neck that is equated with a turnkey gobble can be tightened. While it is not as extensive as a complete neck lift, it can drastically improve the appearance in this area. Some of the people who can benefit from a weekend neck lift include:

  • Those wanting to remove a double chin
  • Men wanting a more defined jaw line (this can be combined with a chin augmentation)
  • Those with sagging or wrinkled neck skin
  • Those with a lack of definition around their chin

The difference between a weekend neck lift and a complete neck lift is the type of incisions and anesthesia used. The weekend neck lift is performed under local anesthesia and only takes about an hour to complete. The incision is small, creating less swelling and healing time compared to more extensive surgically techniques used in a complete neck lift. The procedure can be different for each patient, depending on the issues being addressed, but it usually involves some form of liposuction.

If you want a younger or more svelte chin and neck, consider a weekend neck lift. Find a local plastic surgeon that offers this less invasive procedure for limited downtime and recovery.

Posted on behalf of:
Beverly Hills Center for Plastic & Laser Surgery
120 South Spalding Drive #236
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
(310) 288-0641

Options to Makeover Your Neck

So much attention is put on the face, that sometimes the neck can be forgotten. However, the neck and area below your chin can have a big impact on your appearance. For some, the neck can be a telltale sign of age, even when the face looks youthful. For others, the neck and chin can accumulate fat deposits that change their profile and facial definition.

Neck makeovers come in a variety of forms and can make a significant difference in your appearance. From combatting the signs of age like the “turkey gobbler” neck to getting rid of a double chin, plastic surgery or other cosmetic procedures can give your neck a svelte, youthful appearance. Some options include:

  • Neck lift. A neck lift is like a face lift, just for the area below the chin. This is often recommended with a face lift to ensure that the neck matched the face in youthfulness. This can reduce the appearance of the “turkey gobbler” and smooth wrinkles, pronounced neck cords and sagging in the neck area.
  • Liposuction. Liposuction under the chin can remove fat deposits for good. The double chin that plagues many men and women can be removed in just one surgical procedure.
  • Kybella. Kybella injections are another option to reduce a double-chin without the need for surgery. These small injections breakdown fat cells under the chin to remove fat pockets permanently, but results will take longer than liposuction.

If you have issues with your neck that are detracting from your beautiful face, consider seeking the help of a plastic surgeon. They can discuss the options available to give you the youthful, slim neck and chin you desire.

Posted on behalf of:
Atlanta Plastic Surgery Specialists, P.C.
2001 Peacthree Road #630
Atlanta, GA 30309
(404)355-3566

Is Your Neck Making You Look Older?

You see it all the time, even on models and actresses. Even though they are fifty or older, their face still looks amazing, not a day over 39. Then you see their neck and it is apparent that 39 came and went many years before. As women get older, it is not just their face that begins to show the signs of time. Neck skin sags, wrinkles and begins to form that ‘turkey waddle’ that is associated with an older woman. But you don’t have to look older due to an aging neck – consider a neck lift.

Like a face lift, a neck lift removes excess fat and skin that makes the neck sag. The lift can smooth those wrinkles, remove the appearance of a double chin and create a tighter, more youthful jaw line. The neck area is often ignored even when a person has undergone cosmetic procedures for their face. This can give away a person’s age immediately. But a neck lift can takes years off your neck and make sure it matches your youthful face. Some of the procedures that can be incorporated into a neck lift include:

  • Platsymaplasty. This is the surgical tightening of the platysma muscle in the neck that can loosen with age, causing bands or cords to show.
  • Liposuction. Removal of excess fat under the chin can dramatically change the youthfulness of your neck.
  • Skin tightening. Once fat is removed, the skin can be tightened for a firmer, more youthful neck.

Often a neck lift is done at the same time as a face lift, but can be performed on its own. Don’t let your neck give away your age – consult an experienced facial plastic surgeon on your neck lift options.

Posted on behalf of
Kalos Facial Plastic Surgery LLC
5670 Peachtree Dunwoody Road Northeast #910
Atlanta, GA 30342
(404) 936-6665

Considering A Neck Lift?

As some of us age, we begin to see the downward effects of gravity’s pull on our necks. and most of us, even if just for one fleeting moment, dream about having our sagging necks surgically corrected. Today’s advanced techniques have greatly eased the process, making it no longer something just for the rich and famous. There are now a variety of procedures to greatly improve the appearance of the neck. These procedures range from quick and easy cosmetic treatments to longer procedures requiring precautions for pain and limited activity for a period of time. 

What we see as sagging necks are the vertical bands that attach from the bottom of the neck to under the chin. A neck muscle separates creating these cords with a bulging pad of fat between the muscles and excess skin. This creates that turkey gobbler deformity that we are all horrified to first notice in our mirror. Botox can be used as a treatment to eliminate or lessen the visual presence of the bands, but, by itself, does not create much of a change. 

Therefore, in order to remove the appearance of bands or cords in the neck, along with any excess fat and extra skin, a neck lift is performed. The procedure usually lasts only one to two hours. Often, because of the incisions necessary to remove the extra neck skin, a neck lift is performed in conjunction with some type of a facelift. Since the skin of the neck affects the chin, and the skin of the chin affects the face (you get the picture), it is simpler and more beneficial to combine these procedures. During consultation, your plastic surgeon will help you determine your concerns and plan the procedure to meet your specific goals.

Are You a Good Candidate For a Neck Lift?

Loose or sagging skin around the neck can be a result of aging or weight loss.  The neck is often affected before the face and a neck lift can do wonders to make the patient look younger, healthier, and fitter.  There are a variety of procedures that your plastic surgeon can use to enhance the appearance of the neck.  These procedures range from simple procedure performed in the doctor’s office with a local anesthetic or surgical procedures under general anesthesia.

Almost any patient with loose or sagging skin of the neck is a candidate for a neck lift.  A good candidate should be in good physical condition and emotionally healthy.  The candidate should also have realistic expectations about the surgical outcome.  Non-smokers are usually better candidates than smokers.

The procedure is usually done on an outpatient basis.  Depending on the procedure used, it can take anywhere from one to three hours.  Neck lifts are often done in conjunction with a face lift since the procedures are complimentary and the results are often enhanced. If the procedure is combined with a facelift it will take more time to complete both procedures.

A compression bandage is usually placed around the neck following the procedure to reduce swelling.  The pressure dressing will need to be worn continuously for three to five days.  Most swelling and bruising will subside in one to two weeks at which point the patient can return to work.

Only after a full consultation with your plastic surgeon should you decide whether a neck lift is right for you.