canbloom SAID:

53 y.o had chin lipo 4 yrs ago, plastic surgeon removed too much fat and now I have a “chicken neck” look that really bothers me. A year ago I had Ulthera w/ botox hoping to improve the appearance of my neck. It worked slightly. Since then my neck seems to be aging rapidly (recently met w/ a PS who said Ulthera can give the neck skeletal look ) Is there a non surgical option that could help my neck other than a neck lift? I am pleased with my appearance otherwise.

Topic:
On: November 23, 2013
To doctors from: CA

0 Answers

  1. Dr. M. Bailey wrote on :

    The shape of your neck depends not only on the skin and fat, but also on the muscles underneath. Botox will make the muscle edge less visible, but only in some younger patients with good skin tone (those edges typically form two parallel folds on either side of the midline of the neck).

    If you have excess fat under the chin, liposuction can improve the neck, but only if the skin shrinks down to fit the new contour and the muscle position is good. Non-invasive procedures, such as Ulthera and Thermage have modest results at best.

    It is very easy to spend more, with a longer total of the recovery times, on less invasive procedures, while getting only a fraction of the correction that a well done neck lift offers. The neck lift will treat skin, fat and muscle problems. If you are not comfortable with the advice you received, I would suggest a second consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon.

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  2. Dr. James Wethe wrote on :

    One of the long term problems with liposuction of the neck area is that the removal of fat by the liposuction does not do much to change the elasticity of the skin. As we all age the skin under the chin has a tendency to sag/become lax and you get the “chicken neck” you are referring to. Ulthera is one method of trying to get the skin to tighten up a bit but clearly has its limitations. Other similar types of procedures to non-surgically tighten the skin (such as Titan, Thermage and newer lipo/skin tightening lasers) may help a little but in the end it may be best to have the formal neck lift for a long lasting improvement. The best option is to interview several plastic surgeons in your area and see if your specific situation can be improved without surgery with a reasonable expectation of improvement to your satisfaction. I realize no one really wants to do multiple consultations but to have the information needed to make a good decision and a range of options you may well need multiple opinions.
    J. Wethe, M.D.

    Reply
  3. Dr. Dino Elyassnia wrote on :

    The short answer is no. Other than botox (which has limited use) I dont believe there is any noninvasive treatment that can help improve the contours of the neck. Let me refer you to a blog article i recently wrote on this exact topic. Please go to this link: http://www.dinomd.com/neck-lift-without-surgery/ I think it provides a good overview of the concepts.
    Dino Elyassnia MD

    Reply
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