Neck Lift

Over 45 years of age, signs of aging appear on the face and neck. Deep wrinkles in the eye and forehead, hollowing of the lower eyelid, prominence of the laughing lines, downward displacement of the mouth corners, jowls and the squaring of the face due to jowls, and excessive loosening or contraction of the neck muscles of the neck slackening of the skin are some of these symptoms. When these symptoms make you unhappy, we recommend the operation of face and neck lift or lower face and neck lift according to need.

When planning the neck lift, surgical techniques should be chosen according to the needs of the person. Planning of the surgical plan according to the patient is the most important factor determining the success of the surgery. In this context, many different applications are combined according to the properties of the patients. The neck lift is performed with an incision extending from the front of the ear to the earlobe, from there proceeding behind the ear and extending down along the edge of the hair. The skin of the face and neck is released. The soft tissue containing the mimic muscles of the neck (platisma) is released and uplifted with the stitching upwards and backwards. The excess skin is removed and sutured to the incision at the front and back of the ear.

In patients with excess weight or in patients with marked fat in the neck region, liposuction is used.

If there are vertical bands in the neck region of the patient, these bands are released by entering a 3-4 cm cut under the chin and sewn together and an inner corset is made on the neck.

Loosening and tangling problems in the neck skin become noticeable at an early age in people with small chin. If small chin is present, chin prosthesis must be used or substantial fat grafting of the chin must be performed. With chin prosthesis, chin becomes more pronounced and increases the effect of neck lift and a beautiful neck is obtained. Surgery is performed under general anesthesia. The neck lift operation lasts for an average of 3-4 hours.

Aspirin-like medications that may increase bleeding should be discontinued before neck lift. You should not be using aspirin for at least 10 days.

Other blood thinners except aspirin should be discontinued in consultation with your doctor before neck lift. Smoking should be discontinued 3 weeks before surgery. Smoking should not be allowed for 15 days after surgery. Hair dye is not performed 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after surgery.

If drains are used for neck lift, they are removed within 2-3 days after surgery. The post-operative ice application accelerates the healing process and allows the swelling to pass more quickly. One day is enough to stay in hospital. It would be good to use hats and sunglasses when discharged. Sutures on the incisions are taken out after 6 days. It is considered normal to have a numbness that improves within 2-3 months. When applying makeup, you should be polite when combing your hair. For at least two weeks, avoid heavy exercises such as sex and heavy household work and activities such as steam baths and saunas should be avoided for several months. Sunscreen creams should be used regularly for 6 months. Swelling and bruises disappear in 3 weeks. Usually the return to work is 10 days.

Hemorrhage: After the neck lift, bleeding can rarely occurs. The use of aspirin and similar drugs should be discontinued ten days before the operation because they increase the risk of bleeding. Hypertension that is not under medical control may also cause bleeding during or after the operation. Bleeding under the skin may  cause delayed healing.

Infection: The infection is usually not expected after this surgery. Rarely, if infection develops, it is controlled by antibiotic therapy.

Bad scaring: A good wound healing takes place near all patients after surgical intervention. However, some can cause bad scaring. Additional treatments and interventions may be required for these scaring.

Nerve damage: During the face lift operation, the motor and sensory nerves may be damaged.  This risk is very low (less than %1) face and neck lift operations. There may be weakness or loss of facial movements after face lift operation. Nerve damage may cause temporary or permanent weakness in the movements and sensation in the face. This type of damage can improve over time. Damage to the sensory nerves of the face, neck, and ear can cause temporary or permanent numbness. Painful nerve damage is very rare.

Hair loss: Hair loss may occur in areas where the skin is pulled up during surgery. This complication is extremely rare in well-planned neck stretching.

Longevity of Neck Lift Surgery: Neck lift surgery and facelift surgery are the most effective and permanent methods against facial aging. However, neck lift and face lift operations do not stop time. These surgeries take time back and the aging process continues in the normal course, but people who had surgery will be younger than their age. This effect continues in many people for many years, and in some people for almost a lifetime.