A neck lift is a plastic surgery procedure that rejuvenates the neck. It usually involves the removal of excess skin and fat, with or without the tightening of underlying muscles, and the redraping of skin on the neck. Speak with double-board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Keith Hurvitz to find out more about undergoing a neck lift in Long Beach.

Anesthesia Type: General or Local

Facility Type: Outpatient surgery center or in-office surgical suite

Recovery Time: 1-2 weeks to be socially acceptable, 4-6 weeks full recovery

What to Expect During Recovery: Swelling, bruising, itching and redness along incisions, temporary loss of sensation around surgical area, asymmetric healing,  pain ranging in degree, tenderness, restricted range of motion when turning your head from side to side. A post surgical garment may be required for the first few days to 1 week following surgery.

Deciding to Have a Neck Lift

Patients considering this type of neck plastic surgery must first schedule a consultation. During your visit, you and Dr. Hurvitz will discuss your aesthetic needs and goals. He will also walk you through the details of the procedure, including costs and recovery.

Patients must be have realistic goals in terms of neck lift results. To help with this, Dr. Hurvitz will explain the types of results that can and cannot be achieved. Dr. Hurvitz has years of experience and can achieve high-quality results.

Dr. Hurvitz will perform an examination your neck and face to determine which procedure or combination of procedures will be ideal for your goals. Your overall health and medical history will be reviewed in order to ensure that the procedure is safe for you.

About Neck Lift Surgery

Neck lift surgery is requested by both men and women. Often times, the first signs of aging begin to show in the neck area. Some of the changes someone might notice are:

• Loose neck skin
• Fat under the chin
• Turkey neck
• Visible bands running vertically down the front of the neck (platysmal bands)

Modern advances in plastic surgery techniques have enabled plastic surgeons, such as Dr. Hurvitz, to offer patients more options for rejuvenating their face and neck. Decades ago, it was common for surgeons to perform a total facelift, which would include the neck.

Today, facial specialists such as Dr. Hurvitz have adopted a more customized approach for correcting facial aging. He breaks the face down into four areas.

• Upper Face – forehead, brow, upper eyes
• Mid Face – temple, cheeks, lower eyes
• Lower Face – nasal labial folds, lower cheeks, jawline, mouth, chin
• Neck – lower jawline, neck, chest

Neck Lift Options

In some cases, Dr. Hurvitz may recommend combining a neck lift with a lower facelift. Often times, patients put off pursuing cosmetic surgery until aging reaches a point where they can no longer stand looking in the mirror. By this time, the signs of aging have progressed, requiring additional procedures to achieve the best result.

There is something to be said about combating aging early. Not only will the result be subtle and less obvious to those around you, but it will help keep other issues at bay a little longer. When possible, Dr. Hurvitz suggests a staged approach to managing facial aging.

With today’s advances and a more conservative customized approach to addressing facial aging, patients now have the option of choosing between having their surgery performed in-office under local anesthesia or under general anesthesia at an outpatient surgical facility.

There are some instances where one anesthesia option over another is preferred or required by Dr. Hurvitz. Often times, if multiple procedures are being combined into one surgery, it is best to have the surgery under general anesthesia. This will be discussed in greater detail during the consultation.

The Healing Process After a Neck Lift

Neck lift recovery is a process that involves diligently following the instructions of Dr. Hurvitz. This will ensure that the recovery period is as short as possible and most likely will not involve any complications.

Wearing an elastic support garment overnight will help to minimize post-surgical bruising and swelling. Ice packs also help reduce swelling. Additionally, it will be important to keep your head and neck elevated for a time. Pillows can aid in this while you are sleeping.

For up to six weeks, you will need to avoid physically taxing activities. To ensure that the incisions are not damaged, wear loose button-down shirts so that you will not have to pull shirts over your head and neck.

Neck Lift Cost

Because there are numerous ways to perform a neck lift, the exact price will vary. Neck lift cost is based on the techniques used, the amount of tissue removed, the length of time the procedure takes to perform, and many other factors.

Setting Up Your Consultation

If you would like to learn more about what a neck lift in Long Beach can do for you, contact Hurvitz Plastic Surgery and arrange a consultation. Dr. Keith Hurvitz will be happy to tell you more about the procedure.

Procedures Frequently Combined with a Neck Lift

• Platysmaplasty (tightening of the muscle bands in the neck)
• Liposuction of the neck
• Lower facelift
• Chin implant