Liposuction of the neck and jowls is clinically one of the most rewarding procedures in aesthetic surgery. With a short, low-risk, relatively inexpensive procedure, patients can achieve a dramatic change in their appearance. With recent technical advances, the results achieved with liposuction can, in many patients, rival those achieved with a facelift.

What is a neck liposuction?

Neck liposuction is used to remove fat from beneath the chin. It is successfully used to minimize the look of a double chin or jowls. Liposuction is not a good tool for tightening the skin. The removal of quantities of fat can leave the skin even more loose. In these cases, a face/necklift is recommended to be done in conjunction with the liposuction surgery.

What are some of the most common benefits of neck liposuction?

The face and neck are usually the first features we notice when we meet someone new, so improvements in this area can create a dramatic change. Excess fatty deposits in the chin and neck may give the appearance of being overweight.
The most remarkable aspect of neck liposuction is the amount of improvement that sometimes can be achieved with a limited amount of incisions.

Procedure of a liposuction of the neck

Mostly, neck liposuction is done on an outpatient basis, but depending on your general health and the amount of fat to be removed, you may require a hospital stay. If you are having a face lift or neck lift at the same time as neck liposuction, then you can plan to be  operated under general anesthesia and in the hospital for 1 or 2 days.

Neck liposuction is usually performed with a cannula (a narrow tube) that is attached to a vacuum device. Before neck liposuction, the surgeon will delineate the precise areas of the body where the fat is to be removed. If you are not undergoing general anesthesia, you may be given a sedative for relaxation.

During neck liposuction, the surgeon makes a tiny incision in the skin, typically in the crease just under the chin or behind the ear lobes. The cannula is inserted and the surgeon aims to break up the fat deposits and sculpt the area to the desired proportions. One of the advantages of using neck liposuction to remove neck fat is that the skin, muscles, nerves, and blood vessels remain intact.

Recovery of a liposuction of the neck

Most of the bruising and swelling should subside within three weeks. It is common to suffer from a sore neck as well as experience burning, swelling, numbness, crusting and bleeding after neck liposuction. Usually the surgeon prescribes painkillers to help people through the pain of neck liposuction. During that time you will be wearing a compression bandage for about 1 week after your neck liposuction to ensure that your neck stays firm.

You should see visible results of your neck liposuction within two or three weeks, but the full effects may not be evident for six months to a year. Generally, you can expect that the more fat that is removed, the longer it will take for the desired results to be fully evident.

Since the normal aging process affects the firmness and elasticity of the skin, older patients may not experience results as dramatic as those typically achieved in younger patients.