A neck lift can drastically improve the appearance of a patient’s neck by reducing wrinkles, tightening the underlying muscles, and smoothing the skin. The result is a more youthful neck appearance.
Because the neck often shows signs of aging before even the face and other parts of the body, this is an excellent procedure for both mature patients and younger patients who are entering their late 40s and 50s and are starting to show more noticeable signs of aging for the first time.
While patients are naturally very excited about the outcome of this surgery, it is important to remember that there is always a crucial period of recovery following a neck lift or any other type of plastic surgery. Neck lift recovery tends to last approximately two weeks, with the first week being the time when most symptoms are present and bothersome.
Let’s go over what you can expect during your neck lift recovery time, plus tips for making the healing process smooth and successful.
What to Expect During Your Neck Lift Recovery Period
Right After Surgery
The neck lift healing process begins as soon as you wake up from surgery. Most patients need to be under general anesthesia for this procedure, so you may wake up groggy and a bit nauseous as this wears off. Make sure you have someone to drive you home after your surgical procedure.
Bandages and sometimes another compression garment will be applied to the treatment area after surgery. These must be worn as directed. Sometimes, sutures will remain in the skin too. These should be removed at some point within the first week of recovery.
At Home
At home, your neck lift recovery experience should be overall quiet and relaxing. Don’t plan anything big, and make sure you’ve taken at least one week off from work (sometimes, two weeks off will be necessary, depending on the circumstances of your surgery and your particular job).
Symptoms will include bruising, swelling, and some discomfort. Attend all of your follow-up appointments, and promote healing by taking it easy, eating healthy, and avoiding smoking and alcohol.
If you would like a clearer picture of what you can expect during the recovery process, you can also look up neck lift recovery pictures day by day online. A general image search should show you what the neck lift recovery process typically looks like with each passing day and week.
Neck Lift Recovery Tips
During your neck lift recovery journey, be sure to follow your surgeon’s after care instructions. The instructions you receive will be catered to you individually.
They may vary depending on how much your neck muscles were tightened, whether you had a traditional or mini neck lift, where your incisions were located, and other details of your specific neck lift procedure. In general you should plan to:
Keep your head elevated.
Keeping your head elevated during recovery can reduce fluid buildup, swelling, and help maintain your results.
Carefully treat your wounds.
Wound care instructions will be outlined in your recovery directives by your cosmetic surgeon. Avoid potential issues by taking special care to regularly treat and upkeep your wound ares.
Take your pain medication.
For a smooth healing process, eliminate your discomfort and take your prescribed pain medication as directed.
Avoid physical activity.
You may risk causing excess blood flow (and raised blood pressure), straining or stretching your neck skin (and marring your neck’s appearance), or causing other problems if you are too active during recovery. Take it slow and easy. Walk regularly, but do not lift heavy or get sweaty.
Rest and sleep often.
You will better take on a more youthful appearance and combat the visible signs of aging if you get enough sleep each night. This goes for any time. But especially during plastic surgery recovery, sleep and rest are important.
Consider using silicone scar treatments for fainter neck lift scars.
Once your neck wounds have healed entirely, consider using a scar silicone treatment to reduce the visibility of your scars even more.
FAQ: Neck Lift Cost and Recovery Time
How much does a neck lift cost?
Costs vary for any type of cosmetic surgery. Please book a consultation to learn more.
Where are neck lift incisions and scars located?
Incisions for neck lift surgery are typically made along the front and back of the ear — in folds and creases where they won’t be very noticeable. Sometimes, the incisions will go into the hairline near the ear as well. Ultimately, most neck lift scars after very hard to see once they’ve gone through the entire healing process.
Also note that certain patients may also have an incision and resulting neck lift scar beneath their chin. It really depends on how much excess skin needs to be removed and/or tightened.
What is recovery like after a neck lift and lower facelift?
The recovery period following a neck lift and lower facelift combined procedure will be very similar to recovery from neck lift alone. See above.
Also note that you can always take a look at neck lift lower facelift recovery pictures day by day as well. These are readily available online on third-party websites and on some plastic surgeon’s sites as well.
Book a Consultation Appointment with Dr. Mason
If you are seeking a neck lift Las Vegas, we invite you to contact our office today to set up a personal consultation appointment with board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Rachel Mason. Dr. Mason has been performing neck lift surgeries and other facial plastic surgery procedures for many years and has many happy patients.
Neck lift surgery is the ideal procedure for patients who want to look and feel younger but don’t want to change the appearance of their face or alter themselves in a drastic or noticeable way. When performed by an experienced board-certified plastic surgeon like Dr. Mason, neck lift surgery can look totally natural and will improve your appearance by leaps and bounds.
Please call us today to schedule an appointment for your consultation. We look forward to hearing from you.