What Can Patients Expect with a Neck Lift?
During a Neck Lift
A neck lift is an outpatient procedure. Patients can go home the same day.
Our surgeons provide anesthesia options when performing procedures, including:
- General anesthesia
- Sedation
A neck lift begins with the surgeon making small incisions within the hairline on the back of the neck and behind the ears. Depending on the patient’s goals, one or more procedures are performed, such as:
- Redistributing or removing fat from the jowls and neck
- Tightening neck muscles
- Repositioning the neck skin and underlying tissue
- Removing excess neck skin
Sometimes, a small incision is made under the chin to tighten the central muscles in the neck and use liposuction to remove unwanted fat.
In the final step of this procedure, the surgeon closes the incisions using sutures or skin adhesives. A drain tube is often placed for most patients.
After a Neck Lift
During a neck lift recovery, patients can expect to:
- Receive medication to relieve pain or reduce the risk of infection for a few days after the procedure
- Have some swelling and mild bruising for the first few days; most swelling goes away in about two weeks, but some minor swelling can last several weeks
- Return to work and most activities within a week
- Resume more strenuous activities after a few weeks