A neck lift procedure involves removing excess skin and fat from the neck while tightening the underlying muscles to create a smoother, more contoured appearance for a youthful look. Both men and women choose the procedure to eliminate the sagging skin commonly known as “turkey neck” and look younger. Men, however, often wish to boost their confidence to improve both business and social interactions. Most also crave a more masculine jawline.
While a neck lift procedure is essentially the same for men and women, differences between the two genders do make for a few small differences. You’ll want to choose an experienced surgeon who understands these subtle but crucial differences so you can get the best surgical results possible.
While men and women both wish to look younger, they don’t necessarily want to look like each other after surgery. While neither gender wants it to be obvious that they’ve had work done, men are often fearful that they may be left with an overly soft, feminized appearance after surgery.
Men desire a strong, more defined jawline and chin after a neck lift with a sharper neck contour. They also want a surgeon who can perform their surgery in a way that doesn’t disrupt their beard line or create a facial bald spot. This involves strategic incision placement and skin removal. A skilled surgeon will also take care not to disrupt the beard line by pulling the skin on the neck too taut.
Men’s and women’s bodies aren’t the same, and this means that surgeons may have to do some things differently when performing neck lifts on men.
Men have thicker skin than women and, as a result, hold more collagen. This excess collagen makes the skin more supple and allows it to hold tension better. Understanding this prevents your surgeon from pulling your skin as tightly as he would a woman’s, which can result in a tight and obviously overdone look.
It’s also vital that your surgeon tightens your neck muscles as necessary without smoothing them out too much. Men naturally have more pronounced neck muscles, and surgery should correct problems without altering or diminishing the muscle’s natural appearance.
Men carry more subcutaneous fat around their necks, especially around the chin and jawline. In order to achieve the right contour during your neck lift, your surgeon may need to remove excess fat more aggressively than he would for a woman. It’s often necessary to perform a bit of liposuction during the lift to get the desired results.
Perhaps the most obvious difference between a man’s neck and a woman’s is the Adam’s apple. Your surgeon will need to tighten your neck muscles and skin carefully since overtightening can flatten out the Adam’s apple, thereby feminizing the neck. Although most people don’t focus on your Adam’s apple when they look at you, diminishing its appearance can make people notice that something is off, even if they can’t put their finger on what.
While a neck lift is an option for most men, not everyone is a good candidate. Ideal candidates for a male neck lift are those who meet the following criteria:
Scarring is always a concern when performing surgery on a highly visible area of the body. Fortunately, neck lift scars are extremely discreet. Your surgeon will make an incision behind each of your ears and beneath your chin. They will take care to place your chin incision as close to your natural chin crease as possible so that it’s all but invisible.
Surgery can be a transformative experience, but recovering from it definitely interrupts the flow of your life for a time. This can be frustrating, but it’s important that you don’t rush the healing process. Remember that though it may feel long some days, recovery is temporary.
It sometimes takes men a bit longer to recover from a neck lift than it does women. Their thicker skin may hold more fluid, leading to an increase in swelling. At the same time, their stronger muscles are more resistant to surgical manipulation, leading to increased bruising. Everyone is slightly different, but most men follow a similar healing pattern:
You should expect to experience swelling and bruising after surgery, but you can take steps to minimize both. All of the following will help:
So long as your job isn’t physically demanding, you’ll likely return to work about two weeks after your surgery. You may still have some visible bruising when you do. You can hide this, if desired, with a high-collared shirt or concealer. If you’re not sure how to deal with concealer, there are tons of makeup tutorials online. You can also seek help from a woman whose makeup always looks nice.
You can resume light exercise three to four weeks after your procedure. More strenuous workouts and activities, however, will need to wait for about two to three months.
The results of your neck lift can easily last 10 to 15 years or longer, but the aging process will continue and could impact your surgical results over time. While you can’t stop the clock, you can take steps to increase the longevity of your new neck contours. These steps include:
Men and women aren’t the same, and the differences between them impact the way a man’s neck lift is performed. Men desire different aesthetic results such as a masculine jawline and strong chin. They also have significant anatomical differences that impact surgery, including thicker skin and stronger neck muscles. A skilled plastic surgeon understands these differences and adapts to the specific needs of men.
Of course, just as men and women aren’t the same, neither are all men. It’s important to consult with a plastic surgeon about your unique concerns, anatomy, and desired surgical outcome. We would be pleased to offer you a free virtual consultation and provide you with answers specific to your situation.
Yes. Excess skin and fat deposits around the chin and jaw can reduce definition and pad the area, making it smoother and softer than you would like. A neck lift can address this concern and provide both a more defined jawline and stronger chin.
In most cases, neck lifts occur through incisions behind the ears where they meet the neck and/or underneath the chin in the chin crease. These incisions are extremely discreet, making the scars hard to spot after neck lift surgery. They’re unlikely to be noticed unless you point them out.
You should always consult with your surgeon before restarting exercise or increasing your exercise level. Generally, however, you can resume light cardio like riding a stationary bike about a month after surgery. Four to six weeks after your neck lift you may be allowed to resume light strength training that focuses on the lower body. Every day is leg day during this period. At two to three months, you can resume your normal workout routine.
A neck lift can turn back the clock and make you look younger, but it can’t stop the aging process. You may start to notice some sagging skin and neck banding 10 to 15 years after surgery. You can prolong your neck lift results by living a healthy lifestyle and taking good care of your skin after your surgery.