Dr. Richard Rand wants to be clear: “This is not a mini-lift. Mini-lift is a mini-result for a mini-length of time.” The cheek and neck lift is somewhere in between: the result of a total facelift without the sometimes too-dramatic results.

The procedure Dr. Rand developed was in response to patient demand. His patients, mostly between the ages of 40 and 65, wanted a way to correct sagging cheeks and jaw lines without the too-tight “wind tunnel” look of traditional facelifts.

“Patients would say, ‘I’m not ready for a face lift’ and they’re thinking of Joan Rivers,” he says. So Dr. Rand came up with the cheek and neck lift, a modification on the facelift that helps treat four major signs of aging with discrete results.

The cheek and neck lift corrects the appearance of jowls, laxity in the neck muscles, looseness in the neck, and the descent of the cheeks with minimal scarring. Dr. Rand starts with an incision under the chin, where he is able to access fat in the neck, removing it without lipo and tightening the appearance neck muscles. He then goes in both in front of and behind the ears to elevate the cheek tissues without making them tight or pulling on the skin.

The result addresses sagging cheeks and jowls, taking years off a patient’s appearance but still giving them a natural look, says Dr. Rand. “You have outstanding rejuvenation without the least bit of an operated-on look.”

However, since the neck and cheek lift only addresses the lower face, patients who also need work done to correct problems with the brow and eyes would need to either explore a full facelift or separate procedures to address those issues as well. Video plays below.

Many women between the ages of 30 and 50 undergo neck liposuction as an alternative to having a facelift. Neck liposuction can be a standalone procedure or carried out alongside other cosmetic procedures.  Many surgeons combine neck liposuction with a lower eye surgery for what is known as a “mini lift.”

How Is Neck Liposuction Done?

Neck liposuction, like most cosmetic procedures, is performed on an outpatient basis. The patient is put under general or local anesthesia, and a sedative may be administered to help the patient relax if local anesthesia is used.

Specific areas of the neck and face where fat will be extracted is determined by the patient and surgeon prior to surgery.  During the surgery, the surgeon makes a small incision either behind the patient’s earlobes or in the fold under the chin to make way for the insertion of the canulla, a narrow tube used to extract the fat from the desired area.

Post-surgical effects of Liposuction
After the procedure, patients will experience swelling and bruising for up to three weeks. Patients can also experience a sore neck, crusting and bleeding of the area, and sensations of numbness and burning.  Following the surgery, patients must wear a compression band for many weeks to ensure that the neck is held in place.

Expected Results
By removing excess fatty tissue in the neck area, neck liposuction gives the face and neck a more aesthetically pleasing shape for those who have it. Initial results of neck liposuction that are directly observable can be expected in less than a month. However, it may take 6 months to a full year before full effects of neck liposuction become evident.