5 Advantages of Mini Neck Lift Compared to Liposuction for Neck Rejuvenation

November 22, 2023

Neck contouring surgery is commonly requested of plastic surgeons. For patients who have excess (sagging or lax) neck skin, a neck lift procedure (or one of its variants) will be required. These procedures include Neck Lift, extended Neck Lift, or Facelift. What about when excess skin is NOT an issue? Patients are often better suited to a less invasive Neck Liposuction or alternatively, a Mini Neck Lift. To ensure patients’ cosmetic goals are achieved, Dr. Tong carefully assesses each patient to determine which procedure is best suited for a particular individual.

In this blog post, Dr. Lawrence Tong compares Mini Neck Lift to Neck Liposuction.

What is Neck (submental) Liposuction?

Neck Liposuction is a less invasive procedure that is performed specifically to reduce subcutaneous fat (the layer of fat that sits beneath the skin) in the areas under the chin and neck. This area, called the submental area, is where a “double chin” resides. Submental fat is often situated under the chin from the bottom edge of the jawline, extending laterally to the ears, and is also a main culprit when patients complain about a lack of jawline definition. Treating the area under the chin and the neck with Liposuction allows Dr. Tong to sculpt the area to correct a double chin, reveal a more defined jawline, and create a slimmer neck.

What is a Mini Neck Lift?

A Mini Neck Lift includes Neck liposuction as the first step. The important difference is that a Mini Neck Lift goes much further to also affect the deeper layers of the neck. During a Mini Neck Lift, Dr. Tong reduces the deep (subplatysmal) fat layer of neck fat. This helps eliminate bulkiness caused by the deep fat, and to enhance the depth of the angle under the chin. Furthermore, tightening the platysma muscles (corset platysmaplasty) is also performed to eliminate vertical muscle bands (platysmal bands), and to further enhance the definition between the neck and jawline.

Benefits of Mini Neck Lift compared Neck liposuction

The Mini Neck Lift optimizes a patient’s aesthetic results in the neck, short of performing a full neck lift. A Mini Neck Lift includes Neck Liposuction but has additional surgical components which result in several advantages compared to Neck Liposuction.

1. Better Correction of a Double Chin

A double chin is often associated with being overweight, but even thinner people can develop slightly more fat in the submental area which creates the appearance of a double chin. When the fat is mainly located under the skin, liposuction is sufficient to correct the double chin. Some patients may ALSO have significant fat under the muscle as well as under the skin. In these cases, liposuction alone may not suffice. The Mini Neck Lift deals with the deep fat and therefore is ideal for creating a more defined appearance to the area under the chin if an individual has extra fat in the deeper layers.

2. Reduce or Eliminate Platysmal Bands

The neck is one of the first features to show signs of aging. Vertical neck banding (platysma bands) is a common sign of neck aging caused by lax muscles. A Mini Neck Lift addresses the bands by tightening the platysma muscles (corset platysmaplasty) to eliminate the bands. Additionally, the plication helps to further define the angle where the chin and neck meet for a more streamlined, youthful neck.

3. Better Neck and Jawline Definition Compared to Liposuction Alone

In order to achieve the best jawline/neck definition, the contrast between the neck and the jaw must be maximized. The Mini Neck Lift does this more effectively than Liposuction alone because the ‘depth’ of the neck is maximized in two ways:

• The deep fat is removed
• The platysma muscle is plicated (tightened) to highlight/enhance the angle where the neck and jaw meet (cervicomental angle)

4. Reshape Your Profile for a Stronger Chin

A Mini Neck Lift isn’t just about getting rid of a double chin: the procedure affords a plastic surgeon the ability to fully sculpt the neck and the area under the jawline. Oftentimes the result can make the chin look more projected (stronger), especially if the submental area has significant bulk which causes the chin to appear shorter or weaker. The Mini Neck Lift can unmask the true contours of the jawline and chin, resulting in a profile that appears naturally more youthful, well-defined. and stronger.

5. May Allow for Better Redraping of the Skin

Even though neither a Mini Neck Lift nor Neck Liposuction involves direct removal of skin, a Mini Neck Lift may be better for patients who have minor degrees of skin excess compared to Liposuction. Why is this? The answer is due to each procedure’s overall ability to contour the neck. The Mini Neck Lift generally creates a deeper neck/chin angle (cervicomental angle) compared to Liposuction which creates a (relatively) blunter/straighter cervicomental angle. Since the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, the more angled/contoured profile creates a longer path and more territory’ for any excess skin to be distributed. This means that when there is a minor degree of excess skin, a Mini Neck Lift would be expected to do a better job at redistributing the skin compared to liposuction alone.

Mini Neck Lift with Submental Liposuction at a Glance

Is a Mini Neck Lift Right For You?

If you think you need a full Neck Lift to address signs of aging and a lack of contours to your neck, you may be surprised to learn that you can achieve your goals with a less invasive (and less costly) Mini Neck Lift with Liposuction. Schedule your consultation with Dr. Tong in Toronto to learn more about your treatment options.