Neck Lift

Restore a More Defined, Youthful Neck Profile in Chicago and Winnetka with a Neck Lift

A neck lift from the Chicago area’s innovative Dr. John Q. Cook—a recognized leader in the field of aesthetic surgery—will enhance the neck, jaw and lower face for patients who want a better-defined profile and more youthful overall appearance.

Just like the rest of the face, the neck changes with age as it is subjected to ultraviolet radiation, environmental damage, gravity, and intrinsic aging. It’s common for loose, sagging skin to form on the jaw, neck, and décolletage as a result. This stems from a breakdown of collagen and elastin in the skin. In fact, the neck is often one of the first areas where signs of aging show. Although most of us dedicate plenty of time to caring for our facial skin, the neck is an area that may be neglected. As the neck ages, the supporting muscle that contributes to a clean neckline becomes loose and forms bands that run from the jaw border to the collar bone. Fat may also accumulate underneath the skin of the neck.

What Is a Neck Lift?

A neck lift, also referred to as a lower rhytidectomy, is a cosmetic surgery procedure intended to address visible signs of aging on the jawline and neck. What are the benefits of a neck lift? The surgery removes excess fat and skin from around the neck in order to improve definition and provide sleeker contours. The muscle that supports the neck is restored to a position that provides good definition to the neck. A neck lift can be performed on its own as a standalone procedure, but it may also be combined with other procedures—such as a facelift and fat transfer—for holistic rejuvenation.

What is the difference between a facelift and neck lift? Patients are often unsure if they should get one or the other. A facelift addresses signs of aging on the mid and lower face, such as sagging tissue in the cheek area, while a neck lift focuses specifically on the jawline and below.

Who Is a Candidate for a Neck Lift?

At what age do people get neck lifts? There is no ideal age to get this surgery. If you want to restore a taut, sleek neck, then it may be ideal for you, since the procedure addresses wrinkling on the neck, a double chin, turkey wattle, and jowl lines. Many people who have had substantial weight loss and want to address loose skin on the neck are good candidates for neck lift surgery.

The best candidates for neck lift surgery include healthy women and men without serious medical conditions that would impair healing, non-smokers, and those have a positive outlook and realistic expectations. Patients should be in good mental, physical, and emotional health.

If you have allergies to certain medications or chronic health conditions, you may need to consider a different option.

Overall, if your neck area does not match the look of your upper face, or you are not ready for a facelift because you feel like the upper face is still youthful, a neck lift could be a good option.

How Do You Prepare for a Neck Lift?

Prior to your neck lift surgery, you will be asked to avoid taking blood thinning medications for several days. You will also need to quit smoking for some time before and after the surgery because nicotine will increase the risk of complications while also slowing recovery and healing. It’s recommended that you make arrangements for someone to accompany you home after surgery and stay with you overnight.

To prepare for your neck lift consultation at either our Chicago or Winnetka office, please bring photographs that show your face in good detail—including your jawline—at approximately five-year intervals. This will allow Dr. Cook to analyze how your face has changed over time and will emphasize the singular aspects of your facial identity. Dr. Cook will also examine your face and take measurements before the surgery.

The Whole Beauty^® Institute is committed to total facial rejuvenation. In addition to Dr. Cook’s in-depth analysis, we will provide you with advanced non-surgical solutions that will help to prepare you for your surgery and enhance the overall effectiveness of the neck lift results.

In addition to providing information in person during a consultation and after, Dr. Cook makes helpful resources available online, including 10 questions you should ask about facial plastic surgery and detailed facts about facelift and other facial surgery options. These resources provide you with a detailed understanding of Dr. Cook’s naturalistic approach. For more information about neck lift surgery and related facial rejuvenation techniques, contact our Chicago or Winnetka offices to schedule a private consultation.

What Are the Options for a Neck Lift with Dr. John Q. Cook?

Isolated Neck Lift

The isolated neck lift is a good technique for the patient who is concerned with a loss of definition in the neck, but who has not experienced significant settling of the deeper structures of the upper or mid cheek. Dr. Cook gains access to the neck through incisions behind the ears, usually with a short extension in the crease in front of the earlobe. For some patients, there will also be a short incision beneath the skin.

Neck and Jaw Border Lift

This technique is well suited to the patient who is dissatisfied with the definition of his or her neck and who has noted a loss of the clean line along the jaw border, but who is reasonably happy with the tone of the upper regions of the cheek. As with the isolated neck lift, Dr. Cook will make incisions behind the ear, but there will also be an incision that follows the curves along the front of the ear and at the base of the sideburn. This allows Dr. Cook to compensate for the upward shifting that occurs when the jaw border structures are brought back into good definition. For some patients, Dr. Cook also makes a short incision under the chin.

MyEllevate^®

If a lack of neck definition is mostly related to a loss of tone of the supporting muscle of the neck and the overlying skin has relatively mild looseness, Dr. Cook may recommend use of the MyEllevate^® device. This allows Dr. Cook to interrupt the bands that have formed in the muscle and weave a supporting network of sutures that bring the muscle into a position that improves definition underneath the chin and jawline. All of this can be done through tiny openings in the skin and a fiberoptic guidance system. In this way, the usual incisions around the ear can be avoided.

Why Choose Whole Beauty^® Institute for a Neck Lift in the Chicago Area?

Dr. John Q. Cook’s innovative approaches to rejuvenation of the face and neck have established him as a recognized leader in the field. His naturalistic approach to facial aesthetic surgery is the product of years of study of the intricacies of facial form and motion. This knowledge base has allowed Dr. Cook to develop an extensive repertoire of techniques for face and neck lift at his Chicago-area practice, so that he can properly respond to each patient’s needs.

In some cases, the patient’s goals may be met by procedures that can be accomplished under local anesthesia in the office. In other cases, more extensive neck lift surgery is required. Patients trust Dr. Cook to provide them with optimal individualized solutions that take into account each person’s aesthetic sensibility and time available for recovery.

Our attentiveness to your needs extends to the recovery process from neck lift surgery at our Chicago or Winnetka offices. Whether you are from the Chicago metropolitan area, outside the Chicago region, or from outside the United States, we will design a custom recovery program that will respect your taste and need for privacy. Our office and surgical facility are located within a few minutes of the leading hotels in Chicago, a city that beckons to an increasingly international clientele.

What Are Recovery and Results Like After Neck Lift Surgery?

Patients can expect bruising, tightness, and swelling in the days and weeks after their neck lift surgery. These effects fade and resolve naturally as the body heals. As they do, the new contours and improved definition resulting from the neck lift surgery will become increasingly visible. It’s important to follow Dr. Cook’s guidelines about avoiding certain activities and environments. Although the results from a neck lift will be long-lasting, the surgery will not prevent future aging.

Are There Procedures That Complement a Neck Lift?

There are many cosmetic surgery and non-surgical options for correcting signs of aging on the face and neck. A neck lift focuses on the lowest portions of the face, while a facelift typically addresses age-related contour changes from the mid-face down. For those who wish to tighten lax skin and restore a more youthful upper third of the face, blepharoplasty to improve sagging eyelids or a brow lift for lifting a sagging forehead may be appropriate.

Non-surgical and minimally invasive procedures can complement or optimize results from a neck lift. Neuromodulators like BOTOX^®, Dysport^®, and Xeomin^® reduce dynamic wrinkles; injectable facial fillers reduce the severity of static wrinkles such as nasolabial folds; and laser skin resurfacing, Morpheus 8, and chemical peels improve the general tone and texture of the skin.

Patients who want to improve jawline definition but who are not ready for surgery may consider FaceTite^®, a minimally invasive treatment that uses radiofrequency energy to encourage collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid production for a more youthful look.

Can you lift your neck without surgery? Patients may also wish to consider MyEllevate^®, a procedure that uses light-guided technology to restore a more youthful neck in a minimally invasive manner. The results are not as significant as possible with surgery, but they serve patients looking for a nonsurgical option well.