Neck liposuction is a great procedure for removing excess fat under the chin and along the jawline to create a more sculpted, less heavy appearance. In addition to eliminating the fullness on profile, this procedure can create more definition to the jawline and chin on frontal view. A more contoured neck also imparts a less heavy appearance to the face.
An ideal candidate is one with good skin elasticity and mild to moderate excess fat. It the skin is too lax then it will not contract around the smaller contour. Instead, it will droop. This is also the case in patients with very large amount of fat. In these situations even skin that has excellent elasticity will not contract enough to conform to a much smaller neck, and will also droop.
Sometimes the excess fat can be located deep to a thin layer of muscle in the neck called the platysma. This fat is not accessible by liposuction, but it can be removed. It is also possible o have excess fat in both locations. It is important that the anatomic variation be identified before surgery so that the results are in line with the patients expectations.
Neck liposuction is typically performed under local anesthetic in the office with oral sedation. It takes about a half hour of actual operating time. The excess subcutaneous fat is removed with a small cannula that is inserted through a tiny skin incision directly under the chin. The suctioning is done manually using a syringe. This allows for more precise fat removal. Once the desired contour is achieved, a pressure dressing is applied to the front of the neck. The dressing is removed by the patient at 4 days. I tell patients to expect visible swelling when the dressing comes off and that it may be 4 to 6 weeks before there is significant improvement . Although it is not uncommon to see changes in the first couple weeks, it may take 4 - 6 weeks before there is significant improvement. It may take several months for all of the swelling to clear.
In the properly selected patient, neck liposuction is a great procedure that can yield very satisfying results with very minimal risks.