The neck is a common area of concern for many people. Some people find themselves with excess deposits of fat tissue – a “double chin.” Others have sagging tissues in this area, such as a “turkey wattle.” These issues can have a significant impact on your appearance, making you look heavier and/or older.
If you’re self-conscious about the appearance of your neck, then plastic surgery may be an option to address your concerns. Two procedures that can often be beneficial for common neck concerns are neck liposuction and a neck lift. What’s the difference between these two procedures? How can you know which one to choose?
Neck liposuction removes deposits of excess fat tissue
For people who have deposits of fat tissue under the chin (a double chin), neck liposuction might be helpful. In this procedure, tiny incisions are made in the skin, and a cannula (a narrow tube connected to suction) is inserted and gently moved through the area. Fat tissue is removed through the cannula.
One advantage of neck liposuction is that, like with other types of liposuction, it results in the permanent removal of fat cells from the area. In adults, new fat cells generally don’t grow, so fat cells that are taken out through liposuction will not return.
However, each fat cell can change size. This is what usually happens when we lose or gain weight. If you gain a lot of weight after neck liposuction, then some of that weight will appear under your chin. However, because there will be fewer fat cells in that area, less weight should end up there than it would have before liposuction. As long as your weight remains relatively stable, then your results from neck liposuction will be permanent.
It’s important to understand what neck liposuction can and can’t accomplish. This procedure is intended only for the removal of excess fat tissue in the area under the chin. It can’t address excess skin or sagging tissues in this area. In fact, if you have this problem, neck liposuction may actually make it worse. If you remove fat tissue from under sagging skin, the skin will appear even saggier than it did before. Neck liposuction alone is usually best suited for younger people, whose skin still has a lot of elasticity.
Neck lift can address sagging skin
If you’re experiencing sagging or drooping skin in the neck area, such as a “turkey wattle,” then a neck lift might be a good fit for you. This procedure removes excess tissue, leaving behind tighter and smoother skin. The procedure can also help to tighten the platysma muscle. This is a muscle on the outside of the neck, and it tends to separate from other tissues and begin sagging as people get older. A neck lift can help to address this problem.
There are some people who have excess deposits of fat tissue and sagging tissues in the neck. This is actually very common as people age. If this is your situation, then you can have both neck liposuction and a neck lift during the same procedure. The liposuction will be performed first, and then the skin and other tissues will be tightened to match the new contour of the area. The result of the combined procedure is a slimmer and sleeker contour of the neck.
Neck liposuction Scottsdale
If you’re concerned about the appearance of your neck or the area under your chin, then plastic surgery may be helpful for you. The specific procedure that’s best for you depends on whether your main concerns are excess fat tissue, sagging and drooping, or both.
Please schedule a consultation with Dr. Caniglia to get his professional opinion about what results you could likely expect from each procedure, and which one would be most likely to get the results that you’re hoping for. Simply contact our front desk to book your appointment.
