As a triple board-certified plastic surgeon with more than 35 years of experience in both surgery and clinical research, I’m familiar with virtually all of the nonsurgical, minimally invasive treatments for improving the contours of the face and neck as either a consultant or innovator.
These procedures include BOTOX® Cosmetic, fillers, KYBELLA®, liposuction, CoolSculpting®, threading, laser treatments, radiofrequency microneedling, Ultherapy®, and others. And while each of these treatments can be effective, they cannot match the long-lasting, cost-effective, and natural-looking results produced by a customized surgical neck lift at my Los Angeles-area practice.
In an established aesthetic practice such as ours, nonsurgical procedures play an important primary or complementary role in satisfying the goals of patients. It’s my job to recommend the best treatment option for a particular patient—whether nonsurgical or surgical—based on the patient’s concerns and a physical examination. And in some cases, combining different treatments may be the best path.
But even though physical findings may indicate that surgery is the preferred option, some patients may not be ready to accept a neck lift or face/neck lift that involves lifting and tightening the sagging platysma neck muscle in the face and neck, contouring unflattering fatty deposits, and adjusting loose skin. The reasons for this discomfort with surgery could be the cost, the downtime needed, or merely a lack of interest in cosmetic surgery.
Nonsurgical options may still provide improvement. Here’s a brief look at each of the nonsurgical options and what they can accomplish:
The best candidates for these nonsurgical treatments are younger patients with minimal degrees of skin laxity, fatty deposits, and muscle deformations. The results are less pronounced and are less durable than surgical options. The cost of serial procedures to keep up with the aging process must be considered until such time that surgical intervention becomes the only realistic option.
Nonsurgical options aren’t usually suitable for women and men with very lax skin or jowls. When performed by a skilled, board-certified plastic surgeon, neck lift surgery is much more effective at tightening loose neck skin. To address sagging in the cheeks and midface, I often combine a neck lift with facelift surgery at my Los Angeles-area practice. Most patients address both the face and neck because of advanced changes. In some cases, I also combine a neck lift with liposuction to reduce neck fat or laser skin resurfacing to minimize sun damage or other signs of aging.
The best way to learn what treatment approach is best for you is to contact our office and request a consultation using the online form or call us at (626) 268-4524. Take a look at our before-and-after photos to see the results of neck lift surgery.
