How Can I Treat Sagging Skin Around the Neck and Jowls?

You wouldn’t trade your years on this earth for anything in the world – but you can’t say the same for the sagging skin around your neck and jowls. Unfortunately, as we get older, youth-enhancing fat pads around the cheeks and eyes begin to break down, resulting in sagging skin. Add gravity to the mix, and you have a recipe for considerable drooping around the neck and jawline.

While previous generations of people tried to target sagging skin through awkward facial exercises (look them up on YouTube!), today’s savvy person has access to a variety of effective treatments. In fact, here are two excellent approaches for treating sagging skin around the neck and jowls:

• Surgical: If you have significant sagging – we’re talking excess folds with little-to-no skin laxity – a neck or lower facelift might be your best option. During these procedures, your plastic surgeon makes small incisions behind the ears and around the jawline to access key muscles. The plastic surgeon lifts these muscles taut and trims away excess skin to reveal a more youthful appearance.

In addition to a neck or lower facelift, your plastic surgeon may opt to transfer fat to the cheeks in order to address overall sagging. Fat transfers involve using liposuction procedures to remove fat from the harvest area (usually the neck or flanks) and injecting it into youth-enhancing areas of the face. Your plastic surgeon can help determine if fat transfers are right for your particular needs.

• Non-surgical: If you have moderate skin laxity and you’re looking to avoid surgery, there are plenty of non-surgical treatments that can treat sagging skin around the neck and jowls. A “Liquid Facelift” involves using a combination of laser resurfacing treatments and injectables to help restore volume while minimizing the appearance of deep wrinkles and lines around the nose and mouth.

Wondering which approach is right for your jawline and neck region? Schedule a consultation with board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Robert Aycock in Walnut Creek, CA (925)-937-8377 or Greenbrae, CA (415) 925-1700.

Dr. Aycock serves the greater San Francisco Bay area.