As people age, the skin often often loosens around their neck and jaw line. Treatment of these folds and fatty deposits does not always require a full facelift. Patients who choose neck lift surgery are often happy with the appearance of their features, but feel a tighter neck and jaw will rejuvenate their appearance. Here’s what you need to know if you’re considering a neck lift.
What Does Neck Lift Surgery Treat?
Fatty deposits and sagging skin on the lower face that creates jowls
Fat deposits under the chin
Loose or sagging skin around the neck and jaw line
Muscle banding in the neck
Loose skin, fatty deposits, and muscle banding in the neck caused by aging, heredity, stress, or environmental conditions
Who Is a Candidate for a Neck Lift?
Good neck lift candidates are men or women who are unhappy with the appearance of their neck or jowls. They may have a double chin, jowl lines, a “turkey wattle,” or a jaw line that doesn’t match the smoothness of their face. Candidates for a neck lift also:
Have reasonable expectations for the procedure
Have not been pressured into surgery by a friend or loved one
Are non-smokers or willing to quit smoking as recommended by their doctor
Are generally healthy, with no conditions that may cause complications or impair healing
What to Ask Dr. Brantner
What are my facial rejuvenation options?
What is the process of neck lift surgery?
Do you have recommendations for the aesthetics of my procedure?
With Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the bend, many men and women are focused on creating the perfect holiday experience. Food, friends, and fun holiday decor are just the tip of the iceberg, and they won’t quit until they have a party fit to grace the likes of Southern Living. But many also have that niggling voice in the back of their head, “What about family pictures?”
Non-Surgical Procedures
Fortunately for the camera shy, there’s an easier solution than “schedule an emergency facelift.” Non-surgical procedures require little to no recovery time, making them ideal for last minute facial rejuvenation before the holidays. The effects of Botox and derma fillers are temporary, lasting a few months to a year, so patients don’t need to worry about committing to a major procedure before they’re ready. If you’re looking to smooth wrinkles, rejuvenate the skin, and restore a youthful glow for the holidays, one of our non-surgical procedures may be right for you.
Injectible Fillers
Injectible fillers fill creases, wrinkles, and depressions in the skin. Juvederm treats folds around the nose and mouth, smoothing the skin for up to one year. Fat injection treatments use fat from the stomach to smooth wrinkles and creases. Unlike other fillers, fat injections are often permanent. Patients rarely experience complications, since the fat is harvested from the patient’s own tissue. Botox targets the facial muscles, tautening them at a subdermal level to smooth the overall appearance of the face. Botox improves the appearance of moderate to severe frown lines around the eyes and forehead. The results typically last three to four months, but after several treatments, many patients see more lasting results.
Chemical Peels
Chemical peels rejuvenate the skin, restoring a healthy, youthful glow. Although chemical peels don’t target wrinkles the way injectible fillers do, TCA Peels and Glycolic Acid treatments may minimize the appearance of fine lines.
Want to learn more about what a non-surgical procedure can do for you? Call Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery to schedule a consultation with Dr. Brantner.
Deciding to have facial rejuvenation opens a long list of possible procedures. Depending on your age, health, desired look, and financial situation, you can choose a variety of non-surgical, surgical, and minor facial rejuvenation procedures. Before booking a surgical consultation with Dr. Brantner, read our blogs on popular cosmetic procedures for facial rejuvenation.
Facelifts, From Start to Finish
4 Signs You’re Ready for a Facelift: How do you know if a facelift is right for you? Read this blog to determine if you’re ready to move beyond smoothing creams, collagens, and injectible fillers.
Facial Contouring for Men: Women aren’t the only ones who can achieve smoother features through facial rejuvenation procedures. Learn about rhinoplasties, facelifts, and in-office facelifts for men.
Fast-Recovery Facelift: Are you ready for facial recontouring, but only want smoother skin in one or two problem areas? Minimize your recovery with Dr. Brantner’s minor, in-office facelift procedure.
Skin Care After a Facelift: Establishing good skin care habits slows visible aging, reducing the development of wrinkles and sustaining elasticity in the skin. Post-op skin care not only helps scars heal faster, it also makes facelifts and minor procedures more effective.
Non-Surgical Facial Rejuvenation Procedures
Some patients prefer non-surgical facial rejuvenation procedures to going under the knife. Others work up to their desired procedure by trying chemical peels or Botox injections first. To learn more about non-surgical facial rejuvenation, talk to a member of our staff.
Do you want smoother, younger looking skin? Call Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery to schedule a facial rejuvenation consultation with Dr. Brantner.
Are you frustrated by sagging skin and wrinkles around your eyes? Eyelid surgery, known in the medical community as a blepharoplasty, is unique in that it falls among the few cosmetic procedures that may be covered by medical insurance. Eyelid surgery removes wrinkles, folds, and loose skin around the eyes to improve appearance and vision. If you’re having problems with excess skin around your upper or lower eyelids, ask Dr. Brantner’s office about an eye lift procedure.
Eye Lift Procedures
Eyelid surgery can be performed alone or in conjunction with a full facelift. The procedure smooths lines around the eyes, removes excess skin, and reduces puffiness due to fat deposits. By lifting drooping eyelids, eyelid surgery restores patients to a more youthful appearance, allowing the brightness of their eyes to shine through. Patients experiencing vision problems due to skin folds may be candidates for eyelid surgery for medical reasons. If you have experienced limited eyesight due to sagging skin above or below the eyes, ask your insurance provider if eyelid rejuvenation falls under your coverage.
Good Candidates for Eyelid Surgery
As with any plastic surgery procedure, good candidates for eyelid surgery are non-smokers with no medical conditions known to cause complications. Candidates may also have:
Excess skin that causes folds and wrinkles around the eyes, potentially impairing vision
Visible bags beneath the eyes
Puffy, fatty deposits on the upper or lower eyelids
Wrinkles and fine lines on the lower eyelids
Drooping skin on the lower lid that exposes the whites of the eyes
Do you believe you’re a good candidate for an eyelid rejuvenation procedure? Schedule a consultation with Dr. Brantner to determine if eyelid surgery is right for you.
Patients are particularly aware of their skin during the holidays. The holiday season means office parties and parent-teacher meetings, family gatherings and reunions with old friends, and far more pictures than people take during the rest of the year. And, of course, the brisk winter weather does its best to undermine the soft, supple skin we wish was on display in each year’s Christmas photos. Whether you choose chemical peels, surgical facelifts, or fresh skin care routines to rejuvenate your skin this winter, there are some habits that everyone should break.
5 Habits That Cause Wrinkles
Smoking. Numerous studies have shown that smoking is the primary cause of premature aging. It also increases patients’ risks of infection, slows the healing process, and, in some cases, limits the results of cosmetic procedures.
Dehydration. Whether the problem is alcohol, frequent exertion without rehydration, or simply not drinking enough water, dehydration visibly reduces the plump freshness of the skin. Over time dehydration limits the production of collagen, reducing the elasticity of the skin.
Forgetting sunscreen. It’s easy to forget sunscreen on a cool, overcast day, but even a few minutes of sun exposure can lead to fine lines and creases in the skin. To guarantee daily skin protection, use moisturizer or foundation with a built-in sunscreen of at least 30 SPF. Moisturizing is also important to reducing wrinkles over time.
Poor sleep. Good sleep, regular exercise, and a balanced diet lead to increased production of growth hormones that keep skin thick and elastic. Inadequate sleep causes production of cortisol, a hormone that breaks down the cells of the skin. Studies show that sleeping with your face pressed against the pillow also causes wrinkles over time.
Bad Makeup Routines. Do you have crow’s feet and fine lines around your mouth? Chances are you’ve spent part of your life pulling the skin around your eyes and lips to better apply makeup. Never pull your skin taut to apply eyeliner, mascara, or lipstick; it’s a surefire way to develop deep furrows in the skin.
Are you interested in cosmetic facial rejuvenation for the holidays? Call Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery to schedule a consultation with Dr. Brantner.
When you have any kind of facial or body rejuvenation procedure, Dr. Brantner will give you instructions for after your surgery. These include everything from post-op care to ensuring a low-pain recovery. But many patients ignore one crucial area of post-op recovery: skin care. Proper skin care after a surgery will improve results, help patients heal faster, and extend the life of a cosmetic procedure. Make the most of your plastic surgery with these post-surgery skin care tips.
Minimizing Scars
When performing cosmetic surgery, Dr. Brantner makes small, precise incisions to reduce scarring. However, all cosmetic procedures involve minimal scarring. Patients can reduce the visibility of surgical scars by:
Applying fragrance-free moisturizer to the wound after suture removal
Refraining from smoking and drinking, which dry the skin
Post-Facelift Skin Care
Patients who implement a regular skin care regime after facial rejuvenation have better results. Whether you’ve had a non-surgical chemical peel, an injectible filler procedure, or a facelift, you can increase the longevity of your regained youthful appearance by properly caring for your skin after a facial procedure.
Follow any post-op instructions provided by Dr. Brantner and his staff
Stop using topical medicines (for the timespan indicated by Dr. Brantner in your surgical consultation)
Use mild, fragrance-free soaps and lotions
Moisturize daily
Stop using makeup until directed by Dr. Brantner, and always wash off makeup at night
Avoid direct sunlight during recovery and apply sunscreen year-round
Don’t touch or pick stitches, scars, or scabs
Eat healthy foods and stay hydrated
A chemical peel, Botox treatment, or facelift surgery can reduce lines and wrinkles, giving patients more youthful skin. Make your cosmetic procedure more effective by practicing post-procedure skin care as recommended by Dr. Brantner.
As people age, the skin often often loosens around their neck and jaw line. Treatment of these folds and fatty deposits does not always require a full facelift. Patients who choose neck lift surgery are often happy with the appearance of their features, but feel a tighter neck and jaw will rejuvenate their appearance. Here’s what you need to know if you’re considering a neck lift.
