A neck lift is usually part of a facelift but may be performed alone. The repair of the playsma muscles helps redefine the neck. Neck-lift procedures reposition and tighten skin that, through aging, has begun to sag.
The surgery of the neck is reached through incisions around the ears and through tiny incisions under the chin. When there is a good deal of extra skin, it needs to be removed as part of the lift. This placement of the incisions permits hiding the scars behind the ears. To hold the skin in its new position, strips of skin are cut away and the resultant opening is closed by drawing the edges together. The strips are removed in locations that will not be apparent after healing. Both sides of the face are treated to keep a symmetrical appearance.
Neck-lift procedures cannot eliminate all signs of aging. Although this procedures provides a more youthful appearance, the results usually decrease with time. Both genetic and environmental influences cause the face to show further signs of aging.