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Neck Liposuction
Neck Liposuction

Treatment of the “Double Chin” – Liposuction of the Neck under the Chin

One of the somewhat unfortunate effects of hereditary tendency is to develop fatty deposits under the chin and along and under the jawline. Again, this is often hereditary. If your parents display this issue of a loss of jawline and neckline definition, chances are good that you may be showing it too.

Surgical procedures we utilize to improve this area are a combination of primarily fat removal by liposuction or sometimes even lifting of the loose neck tissues. Some techniques involving laser tightening or radiofrequency tightening of the skin and fat tissue under the chin can make an improvement, but it usually does not solve the problem sufficiently or for a lasting period of time. Based on your age and residual elasticity (stretch ability and recoil of the nature of your tissues), removal of fat only can be of great benefit. However, if the tissues have lost their elasticity and are lax, further procedures may be required to make a significant improvement.

Liposuction (the term used for removal of subcutaneous fatty tissue deposits) is a key component procedure in neck rejuvenation, such as what is accomplished in a facelift or a neck lift only. With increasing interest in the method of fat removal and development of safer instruments, liposuction has proven to be an excellent procedure that improves the jaw and neckline, especially under the chin.

Liposuction is a key component procedure in neck rejuvenation or correction of a hereditary fatty collection under the chin. Liposuction can be performed as an independent or solo procedure, with a neck lift only, or in combination with a facelift. With the increasing interest in this method of fat removal and the development of safer instrumentation, liposuction has proven to be an excellent procedure that improves the neckline, especially under the chin. It is quite often the treatment for a double chin, particularly in younger patients with greater elasticity to the skin.

Dr. Perkins uses liposuction to enhance the results of a neck lift in those patients who have fatty deposits under the chin and along the jawline but also need tightening of the skin. If your skin has good elasticity or you are in a more youthful age group, liposuction alone can be the sole treatment for a very effective and easily accomplished result. Liposuction candidates are those who have skin with enough elasticity to reshape and recontour the neckline by just removal of the fat and letting the tissues shrink and mold to the new defined jaw and neckline.

How Does Liposuction Work?

He typically uses very tiny, small diameter “cannulas” for delicate, smooth contouring of the lower jawline and neck. There have been discussions of using chemicals and other means of adding heat to the area to shrink the fatty tissue, but a simple procedure very easily performed and easy to recover from is called subcutaneous liposuction. A flat-ended cannula is introduced under the surface of the skin through a small or tiny opening just under the chin, and fat is essentially and truly “vacuumed” away. This allows the tissues to retract and conform to a new sharper jawline and neckline. The recovery is very minimal. The good news is that the result is also quite immediate with minimum swelling and bruising related to the procedure. Unlike heating the tissues or using a chemical to dissolve the fat (which cause significant swelling and inflammation), liposuction alone obtains the same result in a shorter period of time.

Liposuction generally does require some degree of anesthesia, either sedation or general anesthesia, depending on the extent of the procedure. It is not a very long procedure and can safely be performed on an outpatient basis.

Results

Patients who undergo liposuction need to understand that it takes between six weeks and three months to achieve the best and desired results because of the continued contraction of the underlying tissue and swelling to go down. However, as soon as the one night overnight dressing is taken off, one can see the immediate improvement. Inherently, in this procedure, the breaking up of the fat deposits and fat cells with a cannula sucking them out and taking the excess loose fat out creates a void that needs to be compressed, so a chin strap or some kind of dressing is usually worn to help compress this area and let the skin tighten up creating a new beautiful neck and jawline.

Computerized Images

Dr. Perkins utilizes computer imaging and photos so that patients can see an estimate of what their outcome will look like prior to scheduling neck or under-the-chin liposuction, as well as a neck lift, if that is required. These are certainly estimated results, (and it can vary from patient to patient) but one can compare these before and after surgery photos to get the idea of the expected results. Computerized imaging is a tool that enables Dr. Perkins to also get an understanding of the patient’s likes and dislikes as well as their desired expectations and surgical outcomes during the consultation process.