Necklift

Neck Lift in San Antonio with Dr. Jose Barrera, at the Texas Center for Facial Plastic and Laser Surgery

Why should your face get all your attention? Failure to rejuvenate this key area can leave you looking older, even if you stay on top of facial rejuvenation treatments like chemical peels, laser resurfacing, and facelift surgery.

Give your neck some much needed TLC with a neck lift at Texas Center for Facial Plastic and Laser Surgery. Dr. Jose Barrera is a world-renowned facial rejuvenation expert with more than 70 published academic papers in prestigious medical journals and plastic surgery publications. When you call our office at 210-468-5426, we can answer any questions you have about your neck lift and how or if you should combine it with other procedures. A consultation at the Texas Center for Facial Plastic and Laser Surgery gives Dr. Barrera a chance to evaluate your appearance and make the most customized recommendations.

Neck Lift Facts

Get to know neck lift surgery. Keep reading to discover a few of our favorite facts about this transformative procedure.

  • A neck lift can be performed alone or paired with facelift surgery. If your face looks younger than your neck, opt for a neck lift alone. If your neck and face both show signs of aging, a facelift and neck lift combination surgery is likely your best fit.
  • In 2018, more than 50,000 neck lift surgeries were performed in the U.S.
  • Neck skin is different than the skin found on the rest of the body. It tends to be thinner and more prone to early signs of aging. A surgical neck lift can restore a more youthful neck appearance.
  • Neck lift surgery is popular with both male and female patients.
  • Results from this procedure are long lasting for many patients. The aging process will continue, but the neck and lower jawline will continue aging more youthful and sculpted than they would have without surgery.
  • A neck lift is also called a lower neck rhytidectomy. It rejuvenates the lower portions of the chin, jawline, and neck.

Want to learn more about neck lift surgery in San Antonio, TX? Schedule your neck lift consultation to take a deep dive into neck lift surgery with our highly experienced, board-certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Barrera.  He’ll provide you with personalized treatment recommendations and expert advice about the most effective ways to turn back the clock on your face.

What Happens During a Neck Lift in San Antonio, TX?

Cosmetic neck surgery is performed at our on-site AAAASF certified surgical facility or at a local area hospital, CHRISTUS Santa Rosa in Alamo Heights. On the day of your procedure, you’ll arrive at the chosen location at a designated time to begin preparing for your neck lift. Throughout your time with us, you’ll receive private nursing care, personalized service, along with impeccable attention to detail and top-quality care, ensuring your every need is met.

Dr. Barrera is one of the most qualified and experienced plastic surgeons nationwide, offering neck lift surgery. You can feel confident that you’re in experienced and skilled hands throughout your procedure.

Before surgery, you’ll meet privately with your board-certified anesthesiologist. The neck lift procedure is typically performed using either a local anesthetic with IV sedation or general anesthesia. Dr. Barrera will discuss your options prior to surgery day. Patients also meet with Dr. Barrera for a short meeting prior to entering the operating room so he can make surgical markings and answer any final questions.

In the operating room, anesthesia and any needed medications are administered. You’ll be comfortable throughout surgery, and largely unaware of what’s happening due to the anesthetic you’ll be receiving. While you rest, we’ll carefully monitor you as the surgery progresses.

Neck lift incisions are chosen for each patient individually, depending on their rejuvenation goals. A traditional neck lift incision begins with an incision under the chin. A mini – facelift can be combined with a neck which includes an incision in the hairline, usually near the sideburn. It extends around and behind the ear and ends in the hair at the back of the head. Shorter incisions may be possible for some patients, but the results are usually not as dramatic using a limited incision neck lift technique. The necklift incision, located under the chin, is often required for fat removal and muscle tightening.

After the incisions are made, Dr. Barrera will tighten the skin, tissues, and platysma muscle. Neck banding is corrected, and excess fat is removed, if needed. Excess skin is removed before the incisions are sutured closed. Dr. Barrera specializes in a minimally invasive deep plane elevation (MIDE) facelift. The MIDE facelift is a mini-facelift and neck lift procedure which offers minimal invasiveness, minimal incisions and scar, and quick recovery with minimal bruising.

In addition, banding of the platysma neck muscles may be necessary. Dr. Barrera will remove excess fat and perform a corset platysmaplasty for a tighter neck angle. There are limitations to this procedure which include thickness of the skin, a low hyoid bone, enlarged submandibular glands, and thick enlarged muscle bands. In general, we can achieve 80% improvement in the neck angle and jowls.

Adjunctive procedures such as a chin implant may be necessary to improve bone loss and excessive marionette lines and jowling in patients with a weak and recessed chin. A genioplasty chin advancement procedure may be performed at the same time in select patients.

Dr. Barrera also performs the only incisionless neck lift operation for select patients which require improvement in the chin and have excessive muscle bands. The Genioplasty Neck Lift Operation (GNL) utilizes an intraoral incision through which chin advancement can be performed while simultaneously removing chin fat and tightening neck bands. The chin is secured with a low-profile plate and screws in a genioplasty neck lift procedure.

Lastly, the crepiness of neck skin can be tightened using a fractional CO2 laser for resurfacing of neck skin. Since neck skin is very thin, early aging signs due to excessive elasticity and sun damage can be improved using CO2 laser neck resurfacing. Dr. Barrera utilizes the Syneron Candela CO2RE laser to perform laser skin resurfacing in patients undergoing facelift, neck lift, and as a standalone neck resurfacing procedure.

The buccal fat is often an area of concern for patients presenting for a necklift due to facial aging. The buccal fat pad may be removed through an intra-oral incision or at the same time as a neck lift and MIDE mini-facelift procedure. Buccal fat pad removal allows for slimming of the face above the jaw line and adds definition to the face for patients undergoing a neck lift procedure.

Liposuction is often performed to remove superficial fat of the neck. Liposuction of the neck is usually performed in younger patients who don’t have significant sagging of neck skin or playtsyma bands. Liposuction can be performed with a MIDE or mini-facelift for patients with excessive jowling.

Consider who you are trusting your face for facial aging and rejuvenation procedures. We recommend you trust your face to a board-certified facial plastic surgeon.

After your surgery, you’ll awake from anesthesia and move into recovery. Someone will remain with you or close by for monitoring and post-surgical care. Once you are awake and vitals are stable, you will be discharged from the hospital or Texas Center for Facial Plastic and Laser Surgery.

Recovery After Neck Lift Surgery

You’ll rest in the comfort of your own home for much of the neck lift recovery process. We’ll assist you as you heal by checking in and assessing healing regularly. We’re available to answer questions or concerns. We have a dedicated physician assistant and associate surgeon available throughout recovery to ensure your questions are promptly answered and that medical assistance is available and accessible. We use a team approach to surgery and treatment to provide our patients with superior medical care.

Dr. Barrera will review recovery instructions with you prior to surgery. We know the importance of recovery and want our patients to have the information they need for a successful experience. Important issues to consider include:

Nicotine constricts blood vessels and can impede the flow of blood into healing skin. We ask our patients to avoid smoking, tobacco, and nicotine use for at least a month prior to surgery and throughout the recovery process. If needed, our team of providers can prescribe you Chantix or nicotine alternative to help wean you off of nicotine prior to plastic surgery.

Icing is recommended after many facial plastic surgery procedures, including rhinoplasty, but this common post-surgical practice is not recommended after neck lift surgery. It can compromise blood flow and cause surgical complications.

Take Medications as Directed- Only use the medications that we provide to you. Take them as directed. In addition, we recommend skincare products that help accelerate the healing process at our surgical medspa, RejuveMD Med Spa.

As one of the busiest plastic surgery practices in the area, we know how hard it can be hard to take time off and relax, but after surgery, rest is your #1 job. Enjoy the downtime and rest as much as you can so your body can expend all its energy healing.

It is important to know to wear the jaw bra for support but not so tight that it restricts blood flow to the neck skin. A Jobst dressing after facelift and neck lift surgery is commonly worn for two weeks.

Expect tightness and tenderness in the neck area, especially for the first week or two. Most patients return to work within two weeks of surgery and are back to most daily tasks well before that. Patients must avoid exercise, heavy lifting, and strenuous activities for approximately six to eight weeks.

Your Neck Lift in San Antonio, Texas with Dr. Barrera

Few plastic surgeons share Dr. Barrera’s qualifications as a plastic surgery and neck lift expert. After a 25-year career culminating as one of the Department of Defense top military surgeons, Dr. Barrera became the Chief of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Chairman of Otolaryngology at the San Antonio Medical Center. Now he runs a bustling plastic surgery practice and shares his expertise as a Clinical Professor, keeping him on the forefront of new developments and techniques in aesthetic medicine. Our fellowship program is highly sought after and endorsed by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

If you’re thinking about a neck lift, come visit our practice and partake in Dr. Barrera’s rich knowledge of aesthetic medicine. Those outside of San Antonio enjoy the Texas hospitality and world-class service that the Texas Center for Facial Plastic and Laser Surgery is known for. We help patients traveling from other states by arranging recovery center details and even finding appropriate personal nursing staff if needed.

Interested in learning more about what sets Dr. Jose Barrera, MD apart from other plastic surgeons in the field of aesthetic medicine? Read our articles on facelift surgery in the Journal of Cosmetic Surgery and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal. Dr. Barrera was also chosen as one of the top 100 influencers in aesthetic medicine by Realself.com. He is a verified facial plastic surgeon on Realself.com

Call us at 210-468-5426 to schedule your neck lift consultation today.

Neck Lift FAQs

The benefits of getting a neck lift include improved contouring and tightening of the neck and jawline, reduced appearance of sagging skin, diminished wrinkles, and a more youthful and rejuvenated appearance.

Potential risks and complications of a neck lift include infection, bleeding, anesthesia complications, scarring, nerve damage, and dissatisfaction with the results, which may require revision surgery.

A neck lift procedure is performed by making incisions around the ears and sometimes under the chin, removing excess skin and fat, tightening the underlying muscles, and re-draping the skin for a smoother and more defined appearance.

The recovery process after a neck lift typically involves some swelling, bruising, and discomfort, which can be managed with pain medication. Patients usually need 1-2 weeks to recover before resuming normal activities, with most swelling and bruising resolving within 4-6 weeks.

Patients can expect to see the final results of a neck lift within 3-6 months after the procedure, once the swelling has completely subsided and the tissues have settled into their new position.

The results of a neck lift typically last for several years, with the aging process and lifestyle factors affecting the longevity of the outcome.

The cost of a neck lift varies depending on factors like the surgeon’s fees, facility costs, and geographical location, but it typically ranges from $5,000 to $12,000.

Alternative treatments to a neck lift for improving the appearance of the neck include non-surgical options like Botox, dermal fillers, laser treatments, and IPL skin tightening procedures, but these typically offer less dramatic and shorter-lasting results compared to a surgical neck lift.