Is a neck lift safe?
Neck lift safety, and what to settle before booking
Anyone considering a neck lift is right to ask this before anything else.
Health, surgeon and facility
No general source can give a safety verdict for any person. How safe a neck lift is for you depends on your health, the surgeon, and where the operation is done, and those are things to check and to discuss with a surgeon.
Studied evidence and your surgeon
Safety and longevity are questions to ask together. Start with what has been studied, then ask who is doing your surgery.
For general reading, the Cleveland Clinic page on neck lift (platysmaplasty) describes the operation and recovery. To see how evidence in this field is pooled and weighed, read about systematic review and meta-analysis in facial plastic surgery. If cost is part of your decision, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons page on neck lift cost is a place to start.
You can check a provider's credentials yourself with the state Department of Health provider credential and facility search.
Checking the surgeon and facility
- Look up your surgeon and the facility through the state search before you commit.
- Ask your surgeon what complications they watch for, how they handle them, and what follow-up is planned.
- Ask what happens if a revision is needed later.
Revision records and long follow-up
Follow-up data and revision records show what a first-week photograph cannot. Your own risk is for a surgeon who has examined you to judge.