Performed either alone or as part of a face lift, a neck lift can remove excess skin, fatty tissue and banding, and restore a smooth, refined appearance to the neck.

For people with loose sagging skin under the chin, vertical bands in the neck, "turkey wattles" or necks that are too heavy, neck lift surgery - either alone or in combination with other cosmetic procedures - can produce very gratifying results.

Different procedures are used to address each of these problems:

• Sagging skin may be tightened or removed using a procedure called Cervicoplasty.
  
• To correct vertical bands or wattles, a technique called Platysmaplasty can be used to tighten the muscles of the neck.
  
• Fat deposits can be removed directly or by liposuction. 

The quality of the result will depend upon the elasticity of the neck skin and degree of sun damage to the area. Naturally, it is important to have realistic expectations, but fortunately current techniques allow for an elaborate and detailed restitution of a youthful contouring the neck, that can benefit patients with a variety of problems.

In general terms, people whose relatives have strong jaws and chins, maintain a more defined appearance of the neck later in life. For those who have inherited a relatively small chin, a combination of neck lift and chin augmentation can produce dramatic improvements for the facial balance and neck contours.