Excess Neck Fat – What’s the Best Solution?

neck fat, neck fat Inland Empire, jowls, Inland Empire, facelift Inland Empire, natural, Dr. Brian Machida, facial plastic surgeon

Yale Medicine calls it the “Quarantine 15.”  Working from home during the pandemic, many find themselves packing on the pounds.  Dr. John Morton, MD, Medical Director of Bariatric Surgery at Yale New Haven Hospital said he has patients who have gained 5, 10 – even 30 pounds in the past few months.  You may now find that excess neck fat is an issue you’d like to resolve.

neck fat, neck fat Inland Empire, neck lift, facelift Inland Empire, face lift Inland Empire, Dr. Brian Machida, neck fat, Before and After
Before and After neck lift and facelift by Dr. Brian Machida

Neck fat can do more that hide your jawline and give you a double chin.  Too much can narrow your airway, increasing your risk of sleep apnea.  The long-running Framingham Heart Study found that excess neck fat, more than other kinds of fat, increased men’s and especially women’s risk factors for cardiovascular disease.  Getting rid of that thick neck and double chin can be good for your looks and your health.

Is Kybella the answer?

neck fat, double chin, man, maleYou’ve probably seen TV commercials touting Kybella as the best non-invasive solution for excess neck fat and a double chin.  I don’t recommend it.  Here’s why:  Kybella reduces neck fat by dissolving it.  Your body will then absorb it.  But this method can produce inflammation at the injection site.  This causes scar tissue nodules to form.  They pull and tighten your neck skin.  If Kybella is not injected properly, those scar tissue nodules become larger and more noticeable.  Nurses often do the injecting, but Kybella shots require a highly skilled doctor to avoid these problems.

Most people need three Kybella treatments to achieve results.  Your costs start adding up.  Each injection will cause inflammation and redness.  And Kybella doesn’t do anything for a major factor in neck aging – loose muscles.  For these reasons, at my practice – STC Plastic Surgery in Inland Empire, California – we don’t offer Kybella.

Removing excess neck fat in your 20s and 30s

If you’re in your 20s or 30s, removing excess neck fat may be all you need to look and feel great.  Frequently, most extra fat is just below the skin.  If that’s the case, neck liposuction is what I’d recommend.

neck fat, neck fat Inland Empire, neck liposuction
Before and After neck liposuction by Dr. Brian Machida

Progressive plastic and facial plastic surgeons often start with safer local anesthetic plus oral sedation.  You can see why in “How to Make a $16,000 Beverly Hills-Quality Facelift Cost Much Less.”  Neck liposuction requires, at most, minimal incisions in front of your ears and under your chin.  The result will be a streamlined, more attractive neck.

When excess neck fat starts to hide your chin and jawline

Sometimes neck fat accumulates to the point where it obscures your chin and jawline.  This often means that fat is not just above your platysma muscles, but below them as well.  You will need more than just liposuction to get the strong, clearly defined jawline and chin that looks best.  Here’s why:

Your neck contains structures that are vital to life.  These include your trachea, through which you breathe, as well as blood vessels that provide oxygen and food to your brain while removing cellular waste.  All these structures are under your platysma muscles, which protect them.

It’s safe and effective to remove fat above your muscles with liposuction.  But you cannot safely suction fat out a place full of critical structures like the area under your platysma.  This must be done surgically.

neck fat, neck fat Inland Empire, neck lift, neck lift Inland Empire, Dr. Brian Machida
Before and After neck liposuction and neck lift by Dr. Brian Machida

Your surgeon will make a small incision under your chin and remove fat under the skin.  Then he or she will make another incision in the fascia membrane, between the platysma muscles, and look directly under them.  The doctor will then remove the fat below the muscles.  Next, he or she will tighten the platysma muscles on the sides and in the center of your neck.  Finally, your surgeon will remove excess skin.

You’ll have fewer reasons to worry about the medical consequences of too much neck fat.  And you’ll get a slimmer, more attractive neck and a stronger jawline and chin.

Excess neck fat from your 40s to early 50s

But what if you don’t have a large amount of neck fat, but want to get rid of a double chin and too much neck fullness?  By the time you reach your 40s, lax neck muscles often become part of the problem.  Along with neck liposuction to remove fat, you’ll need a neck lift to get the desired results.  After performing liposuction, your surgeon will tighten your platysma muscles and remove excess skin.  You’ll get a slimmer neck that looks years younger.

Excess neck fat in your mid-50s and up

neck fat, neck fat Inland Empire, jowls inland empire, neck lift, Before and After photo, facelift by Dr. Brian Machida
Before and After neck lift and lower facelift by Dr. Brian Machida

Besides extra neck fat, people in their mid-50s often have sagging in the lower face.  Due to anatomy, some younger patients experience this as well.  If that’s your situation, you’ll often need to add a lower facelift to your neck lift in order to truly improve your looks.  It will be worth the effort.  That lower facelift will tighten up your jawline, removing jowls.  It will also smooth your nasolabial folds and reduce or eliminate marionette lines around your mouth.  This procedure will firm up your lower face to go along with your firmer, streamlined neck.

How much downtime?      CONTACT Dr. Machida Inland Empire, CA 

You should recover well from a neck lift, even with a lower facelift, in 7-10 days.  Following your surgeon’s instructions closely can shorten the process.  If you’re working from home, this could be an excellent time to substantially improve your looks.  As you can see in “Is Now the Best Time for a Facelift?” there are economic, aesthetic and emotional advantages to getting the work done now.

You’ll want a highly experienced facial plastic surgeon, or a plastic surgeon who specializes in the face and neck.  If you’re in Inland Empire, California, you can find me at STC Plastic Surgery in Ontario.

About Dr. Brian Machida, MD, FACS

Dr. Brian K. Machida, MD, FACS is a double board certified facial plastic surgeon. He has an exceptional level of experience, having performed ( read more )

Articles by Dr. Brian Machida, MD, FACS

Mistakes to Avoid When You Choose a Plastic Surgeon

It can be a challenging task to choose a plastic surgeon. Are there quick ways to select one? Or can taking common decision shortcuts cause you to make a mistake? Expert facial plastic surgeon Dr. Brian Machida helps you see the best way to choose the right plastic surgeon. [Read More]

Turkey Neck? Double Chin? What Can Improve Neck Lift Results?

A good neck lift can dramatically improve a double chin, turkey neck, or neck banding. How can you improve neck lift results? A highly experienced, board-certified facial plastic surgeon reveals some of his best techniques. [Read More]

Nasolabial Folds – Facelift or Filler? What’s the Most Cost-Effective Solution?

What’s your best and most cost-effective option for improving your nasolabial folds – filler injections or a facelift? Expert facial plastic surgeon Dr. Brian Machida discusses the pros and cons of each method, including how much each will cost you. [Read More]

Facelift Inflation – Does a Higher Price Guarantee a Better Result?

Inflation – now it has hit the facial plastic surgery market. Is facelift inflation necessary? Can you get an outstanding facelift for less in the United States? [Read More]

Bags Under Your Eyes – What’s the Better Solution – Blepharoplasty or Filler Injections?

If bags under your eyes are making you look older than you feel, what’s the best way to treat them? Is blepharoplasty – eyelid surgery – the best way to go? Or, are fillers a good option? An expert facial plastic surgeon reveals the facts. [Read More]

How Can You Afford a Great Facelift?

Can you afford a facelift in this time of inflation? How can you get an outstanding new look that fits your budget? For a great, affordable facelift Inland Empire highly experienced facial plastic surgeon Dr. Brian Machida tells what should be on your checklist. [Read More]

Marionette Lines – How Can You Get Rid of Them?

Marionette lines can make you look old and sad when you don’t feel that way. How can you get rid of marionette lines? Is a facelift the only way? Are there marionette lines fillers? Does Botox work? Inland Empire, California expert facial plastic surgeon Dr. Brian Machida tells you the answers. [Read More]

Sagging Cheeks – What’s the Most Cost-Effective Way to Rejuvenate Them?

If you want to firm up your sagging cheeks, what’s the most cost-effective way to do it? A highly experienced, board-certified facial plastic surgeon tell you how. [Read More]

Thick Neck? Tech Neck? Why Neck Liposuction Often Fails in Younger People

Do you have a thick neck? Or, have you developed a Tech Neck? Many younger people with these issues turn to neck liposuction. But this may not solve the problem? Why not? Could there be a better solution? An expert facial plastic surgeon gives you the facts. [Read More]

Is the Ponytail Facelift a Better Facelift?

Should you get the Ponytail Facelift? Is the “new facelift” better? Highly experienced, board-certified facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Brian Machida of Inland Empire, CA discusses what the “new facelift” can and cannot do and presents what might be a better alternative for you. [Read More]