I’m 58 and I feel that I look pretty good for my age; everyone always thinks that I’m younger. However, over the past year or so, my neck has begun to get really saggy. What are my options for improving the contour of my neck?

You have a few options to address your concerns for the contour of your neck. Non-invasive options include technologies that are designed to tighten skin. These include lasers, radiofrequency, and ultrasound. These modalities usually require a series of treatments, and may also need maintenance treatments after your series of treatments. If you have excess fat underneath the excess skin, then liposuction may benefit you to achieve a more youthful contour of the neck. If there are muscle bands in the neck that cause further sagging of the neck, then I perform a procedure through a small incision to tighten these muscles; this is referred to as platysmaplasty and/or submentoplasty. Finally, if there is excess skin, you would benefit from a necklift; this procedure is performed through well hidden incisions behind the ear to tighten the platysma neck muscle and skin to achieve a more youthful neck contour.

Posted by Rami K. Batniji, M.D., F.A.C.S.