Can A Direct Necklift Stop Where My Beard Ends?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am a 65 year old male with central loose neck skin. I wear a beard that extends to just above my Adams apple. Can the excision of a direct neck lift stop where the beard hair stops.I would prefer not to have a visible scar on anterior neck below the beard .

thanks

A:Thank you for your inquiry and sending your pictures. In the direct neck lift the excision pattern typically follows down to the inferior end of the midline neck web  which is usually at the  second horizontal neck line. At the minimum the direct necklift needs to go to at least to first horizontal line To be effective. Your beard ends at the halfway point between the submental crease and the first horizontal neckline so keeping it limited to that beard area is not going to producing a very effective result. I can certainly appreciate the scar concerns but I don’t see anyway around trying to carry it down to at least the first horizontal line to get a reasonable result.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Plastic Surgeon