-by Lisa Daeffler, Patient Consultant for Dr. Heather Lee, double board-certified facial plastic surgeon
“I hate my double-chin!”
Have you ever thought or said something similar? The lack of definition to the chin or jawline is a common concern, and I speak to people about it every week. Sometimes people will use the term “double chin,” other times they will tell me there is simply no definition between their chin, their jawline, and their neck. Until you are seen in-person at a consultation appointment, it can be difficult to determine what the contributing factors are; submental fat, platysma muscle in need of tightening, lack of projection to the chin, or a combination of all three. When I hear these types of concerns from prospective patients, I talk with them about deep neck contouring; a popular procedure performed by facial plastic surgeons, Dr. Heather Lee, Dr. Vito Quatela, and Dr. Alex Montague.
What is Deep Neck Contouring?
Deep neck contouring means different things for each patient. This surgery is customized to the patient dependent upon their unique needs. It offers patients a way to contour their neck, chin, and jawline by addressing fat, the neck muscle and possibly even utilizing a chin implant to provide a more aesthetic profile. Procedures commonly used in deep neck contouring can include:
- Neck lift (platysmaplasty) – tightens the neck muscles
- Neck liposuction – removes fat cells in the neck and chin area
- Chin augmentation – utilizes an implant to strengthen the look of the chin, giving it more definition
- Submandibular gland excision – removes the bulky part of the gland to create a more defined jawline
- Subplatysmal fat excision – addresses fat underneath the platysma muscle that cannot be removed with simple liposuction
How Do I Know if I am a Candidate?
In order to determine if you are a candidate for this procedure, you will meet with one of our facial plastic surgeons in consultation. After learning about your goals and concerns, they will do a hands-on exam to determine which combination of procedures will be necessary to help you achieve your desired result in the most effective way. Drs. Lee, Quatela, and Montague use this opportunity to demonstrate to the patient why they are recommending certain procedures. At this time, they will also introduce their patient to the image enhancement session. Photos of the patient taken in our office are uploaded into a software program that allows them to manipulate the photos, enabling them to show patients what the potential outcome will be when having surgery.
How Long is the Recovery?
Recovery from deep neck contouring can range anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks, and you should expect to have some level of bruising, swelling and discomfort during this time. This varies from patient to patient. Typically, Dr. Lee encourages patients to take a minimum of one-week off from work, but this would depend on the nature of the patient’s job and how rigorous the work is. Patients who work remotely from home oftentimes feel well enough after 3-4 days to do computer work; not an 8-hour day, but a few hours here and there.
Please note that this procedure is most often recommended for patients under the age of 50. Patients in their mid- to late-50s looking to address this area are often better candidates for the facelift procedure, which addresses loose, sagging skin and muscle in the lower part of the face, as well as the neck. This provides the patient with a much more natural look.
If you are looking to achieve a natural, beautifully defined chin, neck and jawline, we would love to meet you! To have additional questions answered, please call our office at (585) 244-1000 to speak to a Patient Consultant.
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