Adam’s Apple Reduction after Facelift

Q: Dr. Eppley, A comparatively recent (4 weeks ago) facelift revealed a prominent Adam’s apple and even more prominent larynx. I am a fairly slim woman, and those two bumps stick out visibly and are quite unsightly. Could you please advise on whether anything could be improved?

A: Thank you for sending your after facelift pictures. While tightening the neck and redefining its angles is usually a positive aesthetic outcome, the more rigid structures in the center of the neck can be more evident.  I think what has been revealed from your neck tightening is the hyoid bone (upper) and the Adam’s apple. (lower) An Adam’s apple reduction (tracheal shave)( can be done in the usual fashion with a successful improvement. The hyoid bone is slightly different in that it is a suspensory bone with numerous ligaments and muscles attached rather than a fixed structure like the Adam’s apple. But its prominence can still be reduced somewhat by resecting its central portion.

Anatomically the Adam’s apple is the larynx so they are not separate structures. I would advise waiting at least 3 to 4 months after the facelift to give the tissues time to relax and see of these two central neck prominences remain the same.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana