Following his attendance at the master session at this year's Vegas Cosmetic Surgery conference, Dr. Buckley talks about the latest in neck lifting and neck rejuvenation, including platysmaplasty.
We have surgical and nonsurgical options for addressing not only sagging neck skin, known as the turkey gobbler neck, but also neck cords, neck fullness and aging neck and jawline skin.
MILFORD, Pa. (PRWEB) July 23, 2019
It used to be that cosmetic surgery patients would get a facelift but their older looking necks would remain. That’s not the case anymore, as neck rejuvenation and surgical neck lifts have evolved to make necks look sculpted and youthful, according to cosmetic surgeon Dr. Richard E. Buckley, medical director of MilfordMD Cosmetic Dermatology Surgery & Laser Center, in Milford, Penn.
“We have surgical and nonsurgical options for addressing not only sagging neck skin, known as the turkey gobbler neck, but also neck cords, neck fullness and aging neck and jawline skin,” says Dr. Buckley, who attended master sessions on facelift and neck lift techniques given at the Vegas Cosmetic Surgery and Aesthetic Dermatology conference.
The surgical neck lift can be done in a variety of ways depending on patients’ desires, according to Dr. Buckley.
“We often approach the surgical neck lift by going underneath the chin and making a tiny incision, which allows us to sculpt deeper central neck fat pockets, tighten the platysma muscle and to re-drape the neck skin. Over time, many adults develop loosening of their platysma muscles in the neck—they’re the bands that go from the top of the neck at the jawline to the bottom. “Many of today’s surgeons also offer a procedure called an anterior platysmaplasty, which tightens the muscles that cause the banding or visible cords in the neck. An anterior central mid-line submental platysmaplasty can flatten out those bands quite nicely. This gives patients a more contoured and youthful neckline and chin angle.,” he says. The neck muscles and skin can be further tightened with very small incisions just in front of and behind the ear lobes.” These are among the surgical or more invasive neck lifting options, according to Dr. Buckley.
For patients that have unwanted fat areas in the neck, PrecisionTx is a minimally invasive laser that melts and removes fat cells from under the neck. CoolSculpting is a noninvasive device for removing unwanted neck fat.
“Minimally invasive procedures do not mimic or approach what can be done with surgery. Having said that, surgery alone without addressing the texture, tone and quality of the skin, and without addressing volume changes, is not the ideal,” he says.
Dr. Buckley often will combine surgery with less invasive treatments for improving the skin. For young patients with a lot of skin elasticity, noninvasive options might be enough to achieve their desired results.
Some of today’s most popular devices for treating the neck are micro-focused ultrasound with Ultherapy for subtle nick skin lifting, as well as Thermage--the gold standard in radiofrequency skin tightening, according to Dr. Buckley.
“One can do a combination of no-downtime radiofrequency skin tightening with Thermage and no-downtime micro-focused ultrasound skin lifting with Ultherapy. We might also combine treatments with a medical grade skin peel or other therapy to improve skin texture and tone,” he says.
A minimally invasive option for addressing neck cords is ThermiRase. ThermiRase treatment targets and reduces the nerve activity responsible for neck cords. Dr. Buckley first uses an external nerve stimulator to identify and mark the nerves that cause the muscle movements that create the neck cords. He then uses a tiny probe to deliver radiofrequency energy under the skin to the nerve, which inactivates the nerve for up to a year and diminishes the look of the neck cords.
“Some patients prefer the ThermiRase treatment to getting Botox, Dysport or other neuromodulator relaxer injections in the neck because ThermiRase tends to last much longer,” he says.
The key to neck rejuvenation success is proper patient selection, Dr. Buckley says. Some people need surgery to achieve their desired results. And surgery comes with some recovery and downtime.
“With a surgical neck lift there are some stitches, usually dissolving stiches, and some swelling,” he says. “But surgery offers long-term, fairly immediate results. And it’s a one-time treatment. Noninvasive options might require more than one treatment, results take time and are much less dramatic than surgical outcomes. Nevertheless, nonsurgical and minimally invasive neck rejuvenation options are all that some people need and want. It’s important for people to know their options.”
About MilfordMD Cosmetic Dermatology Surgery & Laser Center:
The MilfordMD Cosmetic Dermatology Surgery & Laser Center offers state-of-the-art highly specialized procedures in laser and cosmetic surgery and aesthetic skin care. In addition to its AAAHC nationally accredited surgical center and extensive laser surgery capabilities, MilfordMD offers physician designed skin care products for home use. Milford Pennsylvania’s MilfordMD Cosmetic Dermatology Surgery & Laser Center is sought out by patients from around the world for expertise and innovation in cosmetic treatments performed by Board Certified Physicians, Richard E. Buckley, M.D. and Marina Buckley, M.D.
MilfordMD Cosmetic Dermatology Surgery & Laser Center is located at 303 W. Harford Street, Milford, PA 18337. Tel: (570) 491-1962. For real patient video testimonials, follow MilfordMD on Instagram and Facebook, and visit our MilfordMD YouTube channel.