The Aging Neck

Treating the Aging Neck near Boston, Massachusetts in Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Many people are very self-conscious about the appearance of their neck. Some feel their neck looks too fleshly, or that it lacks definition. This problem is often referred to as “turkey neck or wattle” and can result from a variety of conditions — being overweight, a genetic predisposition to having a significant amount of fat in the jaw, or advanced age. The appearance of the neck can be improved by creating more definition of the angle of the jaw. Having this done can provide a boost to one’s self-confidence and self-esteem.

Dr. Gray’s Approach

Dr. Gray virtually never performs an isolated neck lift because the results of a neck lift performed by any surgeon are inevitably disappointing to patients. If a patient has significant looseness in the neck they always have facial laxity and jowls. If the face is not corrected along with the neck, it looks unnatural.

A surprising fact is that Dr. Gray’s fees for full correction of the face and neck are the same or less than what other surgeons charge for a neck lift alone.

Click here to view the before and after photos of the face and neck that Dr. Gray has performed.

Dr. Gray accomplishes an improved neck for the patient in various ways. First, Dr. Gray consults extensively with the patient. He makes recommendations to the patient, after which he and the patient decide together on the procedures needed to achieve the patient’s goal.

Liposuction will remove excess or hanging fat from under the chin or around the neckline and neck. During liposuction, Dr. Gray will make a small incision below the chin and remove the excess fat. This procedure will take about one half an hour. Often, removing fat alone can improve problems in the neck. This choice is best used for patients who have little excess skin in the neck region. If they do not have excess, droopy skin, liposuction of the neck will provide a very good result.

	Before	After

A Facelift is beneficial to those wanting to improve signs of aging on their face as well as the neck. A facelift removes excess fat and skin from the facial area, including the neck. A facelift can tighten a jaw line that has grown slack and jowly or a jaw line that has folds and fat deposits around the neck. A facelift also helps those who have no excess fat in this region, but possess a significant amount of excess skin.

Nonsurgical options:

Botox Cosmetic or Dysport injections can often give an improvement that pleases a patient for a period of time — perhaps a year or two before further action is wanted. Botox Cosmetic or Dysport injections are used to relax parts of the neck muscles which give "band" appearance. This can be done on an outpatient basis and completed within 15 minutes.

The Fraxel laser treatment is an option for tightening loose skin on the neck that perhaps does not yet warrant surgical intervention. A Fraxel treatment helps you remove years from your appearance and regain a more youthful look. Fraxel treats sun damage, wrinkles, fine lines around the eyes age spots, sun spots, melasma and skin re-surfacing. and delivers remarkable results with fast recovery. Patients are able to return to work or other activities with renewed skin-and renewed confidence.
The range of Fraxel treatments vary in aggressiveness, downtime, number of procedures needed and results. The most aggressive treatment, Fraxel re:pair, can produce dramatic improvement for severely damaged skin. This single treatment procedure will require more downtime and after treatment wound care. Less aggressive treatments, like Fraxel restore or Fraxel refine, can produce significant results for mild to moderately damaged skin over the course of 3 to 6 treatments. Normally, there is no after treatment wound care with these less aggressive treatments and downtime is minimal.

A Prescription level skin care program is something that all patients should be doing on a regular basis on their face and beyond. We advise patients to treat their neck as well as their face by extending the prescription products down their neck and to their décolletage area everyday. The Obagi®Nu-Derm System makes your skin look and act younger and healthier. Young, healthy skin renews itself every 5 to 6 weeks through cellular turnover. During cellular turnover, the top layer of dead skin cells is constantly sloughing off and being replaced by new healthy cells.

Sun exposure, aging, stress, trauma, pollution and hormonal changes damage skin cells. Common signs of damaged skin cells are wrinkles, brown spots, freckles, age spots, and uneven, rough texture. Your skin and the skin on your neck will go through an amazing transformation on the outside which is the direct result of a deep cellular transformation on the inside.

Combining Procedures for a Better Result

The correction of loose, sagging skin of the neck is best achieved by combining procedures such as facelift, mini-facelift, or lower facelift. Most commonly, a neck improvement is part of a short scar or Macs facelift because it results in a better correction of the neck and is more harmonious with the face. These procedures can provide a complete facial makeover. Eyelids and eyebrows are separate procedures often combined with a facelift.

With any of these techniques, the patient is usually presentable in one week. The procedures can be performed with sedation or general. Surgery takes between 30 minutes and an hour and a half.

Questions many patients ask:

What can be improved by having a Facelift?
A Facelift will remove some facial wrinkles – not all. There will be some tightening of loose skin of the neck and lower face region.

What will not be helped by having a Facelift?
A Facelift cannot create younger skin. You will still have some nasal labial folds present after surgery. There may be no change in the nasal labial folds. A Facelift will not improve wrinkles around the mouth. A Facelift will not improve facial asymmetry. A Facelift will not prevent the aging process from continuing after surgery. A Facelift will not change any personal or emotional problems you may have.

What is Dr. Gray’s goal for performing a Facelift on a patient?
The goal is to make you look as good as he can for your age by repositioning the skin to the way it looked a few years ago.

Where is the surgery performed?
The surgery is performed in our state-of-the-art, certified ambulatory surgery center; this center is unparalleled in providing our patients with total privacy and excellence in care.

What kind of anesthesia will be used during the procedure?
General anesthesia or Intravenous sedation is used. The anesthesiologist and Dr. Gray and you will decide together which type of medication is right for you.

How does Dr. Gray perform a Facelift?
Results are achieved by surgical excision of the loose skin of the lower face and neck area. There is some tightening of the facial muscles.

How long do the results of a Facelift last?
The results of this surgery usually lasts up to ten years (sometimes less; sometimes more).