By Plastic Surgeon Dr Dirk Kremer.

At Harley St Aesthetics, we often receive many different questions about one of our popular cosmetic surgery procedures; the necklift. For this reason, I wanted to take some time to put together this blog post so that I could provide some information about what you can expect from necklift surgery, and also address some of the advantages and disadvantages of undergoing the procedure.

What is a necklift?

A necklift combats physical ageing by tightening skin around the neck and chin, including the droopy skin that forms “jowls”, or what you may know as the not-so-affectionately named “turkey neck”. The necklift procedure, especially when combined with other procedures like a facelift, can effectively restore a youthful appearance to the face. Despite the fantastic results that can achieved, it is still a surgical procedure, and as with any plastic surgery procedure, there are careful considerations and decisions that need to be made regarding the benefits and potential drawbacks with choosing a necklift.

What are the advantages of a necklift?

The main advantage of a necklift is the physical transformation it can achieve as it takes years off your facial appearance. Many patients seek a necklift not only to restore a youthful appearance, but also to shed excess skin from their neck and jaw area. Following significant weight loss, many patients find this excess skin can negatively impact confidence levels. Fortunately, a necklift can remove this excess skin and gently tighten the remaining skin to form a more desirable facial shape.

Results of a necklift are certainly noticeable, but they are also natural and subtle, unlike the “tightness” commonly associated with a facelift procedure. This makes a necklift procedure a good choice for those looking to simply enhance the shape of their face and jaw, as opposed to a full face makeover.

For those who are interested in a full makeover, a necklift can complement other surgical lifts beautifully, such as face and eyelifts, as together, they can achieve the perfect contours for each unique face.

Necklift scars are generally very small and hidden away behind the ears and underneath the chin, so they are very easily concealed during recovery and almost unnoticeable once fully healed.

What are the disadvantages of a necklift?

As with any surgical procedure, there are always potential risks, and the same applies to a necklift. Firstly, if you have a known allergy to anaesthetics, be sure to make your surgeon aware of this prior to your procedure. Following surgery, bruising and swelling are to be expected during the healing process. Infection is a small risk at the incision site, so it’s important to monitor your temperature and keep a look out for any signs of fever developing.

As a necklift is considered a cosmetic procedure, it is generally not covered by medical insurance. The cost among facilities can vary, but can be prohibitive to those who may have been relying on insurance, so it’s important to investigate this.

Recovery times aren’t excessive, but you will need to ensure you have about 10 days off work, and it’s best that you avoid all forms of exercise and strenuous activities for three weeks following surgery. This can be a hindrance for those with a busy lifestyle and hectic routine, so a little planning is required before you undergo necklift surgery.

If you’re interested in discussing the necklift procedure with me, and learning more about the options available to you and the fantastic results that we can achieve, then don’t hesitate to get in touch today to book your initial consultation. I am a board certified and highly experienced cosmetic surgeon, so you can be sure that health, safety and results are of the best quality.