What Can Be Done For My Sagging Chin And Neck?

What Can Be Done For My Sagging Chin And Neck?

By Dr. Marc Taylor

Like any “problem,” the answer to the question ‘What can be done for my sagging chin and neck?’ depends on the cause of the sagging. Many factors play a role in the development of a sagging chin and neck, including genetics, diet, exercise, drugs, the skin, and of course, the natural aging process. Sometimes it is just the “family trait” that gives a relatively young person that extra fat, or hanging neck. If this is the case and there is not a large amount of fat, a small incision hidden in the crease under the chin can be used to laser and then liposuction the melted fat away. In someone with a fairly large amount of fat, it might be necessary to use a slightly larger incision hidden in the crease under the chin to make sure all the fat is removed and to tighten the neck muscles.

If your sagging neck and chin areas have a lot of excess skin, loose muscles, or skin with poor elasticity, you need a proper medical assessment to determine what approach would be best for you. For example, some people have developed wrinkles and poor skin tone from sun damage, and a laser treatment can be beneficial, while there are others who have developed wrinkles and sagging skin and weak neck muscles from aging, significant weight loss, or a combination of different factors that can be significantly improved only with surgery.

Think of your sagging chin and neck as a pair of pants that are too long. Nonsurgical options such as laser treatment of the neck can help to shrink and smooth your skin, but nonsurgical treatments are the equivalent of washing your pants in hot water and ironing them out, which does not necessarily solve the problem. However, surgery is like hemming your pants—nothing you do is going to make your pants three inches shorter unless you hem them.

In many people, the best option for a sagging chin and neck is to have a “lift” procedure performed. An example of this is the Timeless Lift, where an incision is made in the crease under the chin to deal with the sagging chin and neck, and it is combined with another incision in the natural creases of the face along the hairline, the front of the ear, and around the earlobes. In this way, the excess neck skin and fat are removed more completely, and the underlying neck muscles are tightened across the entire neck, not just the front.

This technique is better for most people in helping to define the jaw line, tighten the neck, and tighten the jowl regions.

The Timeless Lift can help the sagging chin and neck, whether you are 40 or 70 years old. The Timeless Lift does not just pull up the skin or tighten a few areas for a short amount of time like the “quick” or “mini-lift,” or “Thread Lift” procedures. It is designed so that each patient receives a treatment that is as “minimally invasive” as possible in order to avoid the significant scarring and long-term recovery that occurs with the older, more aggressive facelift techniques. The Timeless Lift surgically removes excess fat and excess skin, tightens the neck muscles, and repositions and suspends upwards the underlying facial soft tissues in order to provide a natural long-lasting result.

Nonsurgical procedures, such as laser treatment of the face and neck, fat and stem cell injections, and platelet rich plasma injections (PRP), can complement and enhance surgery, delaying the need for surgery, or in some cases accomplishing what surgery cannot do, however they cannot replace surgery.

Like everything in life, when it comes to facial rejuvenation options, “not everyone is the same.” When you visit our Timeless center, we will discuss your goals and then evaluate your facial structures and skin characteristics to determine your specific facial rejuvenation needs.

Give us a call at 210-305-5797 or visit www.marctaylormd.com to learn more or to make an appointment to see Dr. Taylor. At your appointment, Dr. Taylor will examine you and discuss what he thinks are your best facial rejuvenation options.