Reasons Why People Have a Neck Lift
Individuals may choose to undergo a neck lift to address skin laxity, wrinkles, and accumulated fat in the neck area. A neck lift typically involves removing excess skin, tightening underlying muscles, and sometimes reducing fat.
In addition to cosmetic reasons, a neck lift can serve medical purposes. For example, significant weight loss might leave a person with excess skin that does not respond to diet and exercise. This can cause physical discomfort and skin issues such as irritation and hygiene problems. By removing the excess skin and adjusting it to the new contours of the body, a neck lift not only changes the appearance but also alleviates these physical discomforts.
At Vie by Fraser Kirk on the Sunshine Coast, neck lift surgery is customised to each patient’s specific anatomical and aesthetic needs. The procedure is primarily designed to alter the physical appearance of the neck area, ensuring that changes are in harmony with the rest of the patient’s facial features. It is not intended to alter the patient’s fundamental appearance but to create a more proportionate look while addressing both cosmetic and medical concerns.
Our Philosophy on Neck Lift Surgery
Our approach to neck lift surgery at Vie by Fraser Kirk focuses on achieving results that are consistent with the patient’s natural facial structure. Dr Grant Fraser Kirk customises each procedure, considering the individual characteristics and specific aesthetic goals of the patient. The aim is to adjust the neck area in a way that aligns with the overall facial anatomy.
Informed consent and patient education are central to our practice. We ensure that each patient understands the details of the procedure, including the surgical techniques involved, potential outcomes, and the recovery process. This helps patients form realistic expectations and make well-informed decisions about undergoing surgery.
We utilise current surgical techniques and continuously incorporate the latest advancements in cosmetic surgery to increase procedural effectiveness. Our commitment is to provide a high standard of care throughout the patient’s surgical journey.
Suitable Candidates for a Neck Lift
During your consultation at Vie by Fraser Kirk on the Sunshine Coast, we’ll discuss your aesthetic goals, expectations, any health conditions, past surgeries and some important lifestyle factors to determine if you are a suitable candidate for the procedure.
Ensuring that you are a suitable candidate not only helps us minimise potential risks and complications but also allows us to ensure that a neck lift is a procedure that aligns with your needs.
A suitable candidate for a neck lift is typically in good overall health without contraindications to surgery. Candidates should be non-smokers or willing to quit before the procedure. Candidates should have realistic expectations for their results and be committed to following preparation and recovery instructions.
We understand that each candidate is unique. After assessing your general suitability for surgery, we can aim to tailor a surgery plan for a neck lift to meet your needs as much as possible.
The Surgical Process
The neck lift procedure at Vie by Fraser Kirk is carefully planned and executed. It typically involves incisions made under the chin or behind the ears. The location and extent of these incisions depend on the specific areas needing adjustment. These incisions provide access to the underlying platysma muscle, a structure often targeted during the procedure to correct descending skin and muscle banding that can develop with age.
During the surgery, excess skin is removed. The remaining skin is then re-draped over the adjusted underlying muscular and soft tissue structures that have been tightened to change the neck’s contour. The incisions are meticulously sutured closed, focusing on placing sutures in less visible areas.
A neck lift can take several hours to complete, with the exact duration depending on the individual case’s complexity and the techniques employed. The surgery is performed under general anaesthesia. This surgical approach is intended to address specific aesthetic concerns in the neck area and is planned to maintain harmony with the patient’s overall facial proportions. The details of each surgical plan are tailored to the individual to meet their anatomical requirements and aesthetic goals.
Costs of a Neck Lift
When you have your consultation, our team will provide you with a detailed, personalised quote outlining your procedure costs.
Neck lift surgery needs to be highly personalised to suit the needs of each unique patient, which means that costs can vary.
Costs are calculated by the surgeon’s fees (which need to reflect the surgeon’s qualifications and experience), anaesthesia fees (based on the type of anaesthesia and the anaesthetist’s experience level), and hospital fees (which includes the use of equipment, the operating theatre, the recovery room, and more).
Each fee will also be influenced by your personal needs and the specific details of your procedure. These details include the complexity of the procedure steps, total procedure time, and if the procedure will be combined with any other surgeries.
We can discuss the details of your personalised procedure plan and explain your costs, so that you have an understanding of your total fees.
Aftercare and Recovery
After undergoing a neck lift at Vie by Fraser Kirk, patients receive comprehensive instructions tailored to their specific needs to facilitate the recovery process. It is common for patients to experience swelling and bruising in the treated area, which typically diminish over several weeks. Various pain management solutions are provided to help alleviate discomfort during this early recovery phase.
To support healing, patients are advised to maintain an elevated head position, especially during sleep, and to avoid any activities or movements that might place undue stress on the neck area. While the recovery period can differ among individuals, most patients observe a decrease in swelling and discomfort within the initial weeks following the procedure. As healing progresses, patients are usually able to gradually return to their normal daily activities, following guidelines provided by their surgeon.
Regular follow-up visits are an important aspect of postoperative care. These appointments are designed to assess the healing process and ensure that recovery is on track. During these visits, patients have the opportunity to address any questions or concerns they may have with Dr Fraser Kirk and receive ongoing guidance regarding their recovery and care. This continued support is crucial for monitoring the patient’s health and ensuring that the healing process is proceeding appropriately.
Minimising Scars After a Neck Lift
At Vie by Fraser Kirk, we provide you with thorough preparation and recovery instructions to follow before and after your neck lift, which will include steps that help to minimise scarring.
Essentially, we aim to carefully minimise scarring throughout your surgery process by taking steps before, during and after your procedure.
The appearance of any scarring that may result after a neck lift will depend on the placement of the incisions. Usually, Dr Fraser Kirk places incisions underneath the chin or behind the ears, which makes the incision sites easily concealable and reduces their visibility. However, the placement of incisions will depend on your personal needs. He will also use specialised techniques during the procedure to support the healing of the incisions, which can help to reduce the chance of highly visible scars forming.
To further reduce the visibility of scars from incision sites, you should closely follow your recovery instructions, as they are designed to prevent issues like infection and delayed wound healing, which can influence the appearance of scars.
Generally, your instructions will involve keeping the incision site clean and dry as it heals, protecting it from any irritation. You’ll need to change any bandages or dressings as instructed and take care when showering or cleaning the area.
Once the incision has healed, some further steps you can take include preventing the darkening of scars by protecting the area from UV rays and using scar massage techniques to help break down the scar tissue.
Minimising scars can also begin during your preparation for surgery. For example, you’ll typically need to avoid certain medications or supplements and quit smoking before your surgery to best support your body’s healing. If you are prone to developing significant scars, such as keloid scarring, please ensure that you mention this during your consultation.
Surgery Risks
Like all surgical procedures, a neck lift involves inherent risks that patients must consider before undergoing the surgery. These include general surgical risks such as complications from anaesthesia (e.g., allergic reactions, breathing difficulties, itching, or hives), the potential for infection, and the formation of haematomas or seromas, which are collections of blood or fluid under the skin that may require drainage.
Specific to neck lift surgery, risks can include noticeable scarring, although incisions are typically placed in less visible areas to reduce their appearance. Changes in skin sensation may occur due to nerve disruption during surgery, which in most cases is temporary but can be permanent in rare instances. In addition, there is a risk of asymmetry in the results, where one side of the neck may appear slightly different from the other.
Dr Grant Fraser Kirk ensures that all potential risks are thoroughly discussed during pre-operative consultations at Vie by Fraser Kirk. This discussion helps to ensure that patients have a comprehensive understanding of what the surgery entails and can make an informed decision about proceeding. A thorough patient health assessment, including medical history, previous surgeries, current medications, and medical conditions, is also conducted to determine factors that can affect the outcomes of a neck lift. The clinic adheres to strict surgical protocols and maintains high standards of practice to minimise these risks. Postoperative care includes close monitoring to promptly address and manage any complications should they arise, supporting the patient’s recovery process.