Neck Lift

Rejuvenation of the neck is one of the prime concerns of Dr. Lampert’s facelift patients. A wrinkled neck creates the perception of advancing age, no matter how youthful the rest of the face is.

Middle-aged woman with short hair posing with her hand on her shoulder

There can be excess fatty tissue in the neck plus skin and muscle laxity that masks the jawline and blends the chin into the neck. Board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Joshua Lampert treats people of all ages who wish to restore a youthful, toned, athletic, and well-defined neck and jawline. A neck lift, or cervicoplasty, can be performed as part of an overall treatment plan or as a stand-alone procedure.

Dr. Lampert's Approach Necklift Sugeries Neck Liposuction Platysmaplasty Recovery Board Certification

Real Patient

Dr. Lampert’s Approach

Dr. Lampert practices a patient-centric approach, treating each client with the delicacy, care, and compassion he would his own family members or loved ones. Rather than rushing patients or pressuring and up-selling them, Dr. Lampert takes a great deal of time during the consultation process to listen to and process your goals. He offers education and information, empowering you to make the best decisions for your well-being and overall health.

Dr. Lampert will never suggest a surgical or non-surgical procedure that he doesn’t wholeheartedly believe is in the patient’s best interest. Integrity, transparency, and trustworthiness have created a practice that many in the Miami area consider a home away from home.

Before & Afters

All plastic surgeons should be judged on the aesthetic merits of their work. Review Dr. Lampert’s before and after gallery to see what he has accomplished.

Procedures Involved in a Neck Lift

There are three related procedures that can be used alone or in combination to tighten and tone the neck:

Neck liposuction – for patients who only have excess fat and good elasticity. In general, this is usually indicated for younger patients with good skin tone and a submental fat pad (a pocket of fat just below the chin.)
Neck lift with skin and fat excision – for patients with poor elasticity and excess relaxed skin and muscle. Sun-damaged loose neck skin is commonly seen in South Florida, even in younger patients seeking rejuvenation of the neck. Excess fat can be directly excised or removed with liposuction. Subplatysmal fat, or deep neck fat, is typically treated with direct excision.
Platysmaplasty – for patients with visible banding in the neck. Banding in the neck occurs due to laxity and separation, or diastasis, of the sheet-like platysma muscle in the neck.

When choosing a cosmetic plastic surgeon to perform your neck lift operation, it is very important that you research exactly what type of certification your surgeon has attained.

(PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS REGARDING THE IMPORTANCE OF BOARD CERTIFICATION BY THE AMERICAN BOARD OF PLASTIC SURGERY.)

Dr. Lampert completed extensive training in plastic and aesthetic surgery of the face and neck.

Neck Liposuction

Age is not a factor in the development of fatty deposits under the chin and on the neck. People of all ages can develop fatty deposits that blur the definition of the chin or create a double chin, making the upper neck appear recessed or weak. These fatty deposits create the impression of being overweight when this may not be the case.

Liposuction in this area removes the excess fatty tissue, restoring definition and contour. For patients with good skin elasticity, this may be all that is needed to restore definition to the neck and create a more pronounced jawline. Liposuction patients will need to wear a compression garment postoperatively to ensure best results with less risk of complication.

Neck Lift

If skin elasticity is poor and there is a significant amount of loose skin and muscle, a neck lift will be needed. Excess skin causes the jowls to droop and folds to form along the neck. Relaxation of the skin is usually caused by age, but it can also occur after significant weight loss or at an early age due to genetics.

Platysmaplasty

Vertical bands in the neck can be corrected through a procedure that tightens the platysma muscle. This is a flat muscle that covers the throat, chin, and jawline. A tight platysma helps keep the neck contour athletic and smooth.

Over time this muscle stretches, splits, and separates into two. This platysma diastasis and loose edges form the ‘turkey wattle’ that is a hallmark of aging. A platysmaplasty reconnects and tightens this muscle structure in order to restore a youthful contour to the neck. A full neck lift as performed by Dr. Lampert will include this procedure to improve and rejuvenate folds and wrinkles caused by the weak platysma muscle.

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Neck Lift Procedure

A full neck lift involves liposuction, repair of the platysma muscle, and the repositioning of the skin over the repaired muscles. Excess skin is removed through well-hidden incisions. The incisions are hidden within the natural creases around the ear, behind the ear, and then “ghosted” into the hairline edge behind the ear. The surgery is performed through this incision to ensure all scars are well hidden and camouflaged by the patient's natural anatomy. Sometimes a small incision is hidden in a fold below the chin crease, near the chin to neck junction.

As a prominent facelift surgeon, Dr. Lampert is an expert in the placement of incisions and meticulous incision closure. There is often no visible scar once healing is fully complete. His training as a plastic surgeon and a classical sculptor comes into full use when working with facial fat, neck muscle, and skin tissue. Aesthetics and patient safety are his prime concerns in order to ensure that each patient receives the best neck lift Miami has to offer.

Neck Lift Recovery

Bandages will be placed around the surgical site to minimize swelling and to ensure that the incisions are allowed to heal properly. A small drainage tube may be positioned to ensure no fluid collects under the skin. Patients will be given full post-operative instructions before being discharged. These instructions will cover how to shower, sleep, and care for the surgical sites, and which pain medications or herbal supplements to avoid. Correct pain medication will be prescribed to ensure patient comfort while healing. You will need to keep your head elevated, as indicated by Dr. Lampert. This will minimize swelling and will give the best possible outcome for the procedure. The surgical site must not be stressed in any way.

Patients should minimize twisting or bending the neck as much as possible. Stress, aggravation, and any source of blood pressure elevation should be minimized during the initial post-operative period. For the first few days, patients will experience swelling. This will usually decrease within 48 hours. Most bruising and any remaining swelling will resolve within 2 to 3 weeks. Patients are usually able to return to work and social activities after this period without any obvious telltale bruising. Generally, by this time, skin and scars are easily camouflaged by cosmetics and makeup. Strenuous exercise and sports activities should typically be postponed for at least 6 weeks. Walking is encouraged right after surgery.

The complete healing process for any facial surgery will take between 6 to 12 months, with improvements occurring over time. Scars continue to soften, mature, and fade even after a year. However, the benefits of face and neck lifting procedures are usually enjoyed a few short weeks after surgery.

Dr. Lampert has performed many neck lift surgeries as part of an overall facial surgical plan. Other procedures can be done in conjunction with a neck lift, such as a brow lift and eyelid surgery. Your initial consultation with Dr. Lampert can cover this topic if you want to minimize your downtime and maximize results.

An Important Note About Board Certification

The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) regulates and certifies 24 specialty boards in the United States in order to maintain standards for physician certification. The American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) is the only board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties, which certifies the full spectrum of plastic surgeries regarding the entire body, including the head, neck, trunk, and extremities. In Florida, many doctors who have had absolutely NO accredited training in plastic surgery call themselves “cosmetic” surgeons or “plastic” surgeons. Board certification and accredited residency training dedicated to plastic surgery is an extremely long and exacting process. Only the best and safest surgeons can complete the necessary requirements. It is very important that you make sure your plastic surgeon is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery have completed at least 5 years of surgical training following medical school, including a plastic surgery residency program that meets accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

In the United States, cunningly clever entrepreneurs have “invented” many different “Board Certifications” that are not recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. Many of these “Boards” will “Certify” doctors from other specialties without any form of ACGME-accredited plastic surgery training. Unfortunately, the general public is not typically aware of the various types of “Board Certifications” or that their “Cosmetic Surgeon” may in fact have had NO plastic surgery training. For various reasons, some doctors take advantage of this and claim to be something they are not, practice outside the scope of their training, and create unnecessary risk to the unknowing patient.

WARNING: Any “Board Certification” labeled “Cosmetic” is not from a board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. Dr. Lampert completed extensive training in plastic and aesthetic surgery. This training included 6 years of an accredited Plastic Surgery residency in Manhattan at The Mount Sinai Hospital. Dr. Lampert then spent an extra year of training specifically within the specialty of reconstructive and cosmetic surgery of the face, head, and neck. Dr. Lampert is a proud member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American College of Surgeons. He is a Diplomate and certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.