Harper’s Bazaar and Dr. Jacono Talk Snatching Necks with a Neck Lift
The Jawline: Why Is It So Important?
For just how much the neck and jawline impact the face’s aesthetic balance, they are often relegated to a place of secondary importance in comparison to more noticeable qualities: the shape of the nose, the smoothness of the forehead, and the plumpness of the lips. The vast majority of people, therefore, believe, to some extent, that cosmetic surgery is reserved for the areas above the chin.
Of course, this couldn’t be further from the truth. The neck and jawline are as integral to facial harmony as any other feature, and they work as a unit; a tight neck produces a slick, well-defined jawline, and a loose, wrinkled neck causes a soft, doughy jawline and dreaded “double chin.” Contrary to popular belief, being old or overweight isn’t a prerequisite to having loose neck skin; in fact, you can be young and skinny and still suffer from a characteristic chin pouch.
“A lot of it boils down to genetics,” says Dr. Jacono. “A third of my patients who want what they call a ‘snatched neck’—or a really sleek, sharp jawline—are in their thirties and forties, and are not necessarily aging badly. Simply put, a lot of them have always struggled with excess neck skin.”
Ways to Get Rid of That Double Chin
There are many ways to tighten the under-chin area, not all of which involve surgery. Some people, for example, are satisfied combining Botox, ultrasound tightening (Ultherapy), and hyaluronic acid fillers to lift the jaw and firm the neckbands. The perk of these treatments is that they generally have no downtime and are only painful for a few days, but there are downsides. Botox and hyaluronic acid fillers, for example, require upkeep every few months, and Ultherapy’s results will not fully show until about six months after treatment (the results also only last for around 2 years).
“As convenient as minimally invasive treatments are, they, unfortunately, don’t offer the kind of incredible improvements that something surgical does,” says Dr. Jacono. “In most cases, there is only a 25 to 30 percent change, which can be quite disappointing.”
For those seeking something more dramatic, there is, of course, the necklift, which tightens the neck’s underlying muscles and removes crinkly excess skin. The goal, of course, is to make the jawline look just like what it really is: a sturdy structural pole that supports the face.
“One of the major advantages of surgery is that it permanently resolves glaring issues,” continues Dr. Jacono. “You can look great, and you don’t have to go back to your doctor’s office for maintenance every six or so months.”
The Ideal Necklift Candidate
For better or worse, cosmetic surgery is usually associated with older people. They are, after all, the ones whom aging has affected most acutely. Interestingly, though, younger people tend to be better candidates for surgery.
“It all comes down to the quality of the skin,” says Dr. Jacono. “Younger people have more resilient skin and underlying tissue, and they both heal better and look better after surgery. The idea that you have to wait until you’re, say, fifty or sixty years old is becoming increasingly unreliable. These days, in fact, I routinely see patients who want to fix, or at the very least refine, a particular aspect of their appearance before they’ve even begun to exhibit serious signs of aging.”
So, perhaps there is no good reason to wait for that tweak you’ve always wanted. After all, if a simple surgical procedure can make you feel that much more comfortable inhabiting yourself, then what is the harm in consulting an expert who has your best interest in mind?
