What Is The Least Invasive Procedure To Improve My Small Neck Wattle?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have a minor amount of loose skin under my chin and between my Adam’s Apple that I want flattened. The neck skin has very little, if any, fat. I’m 51 years old and my skin heals from cuts and abrasions very well. The procedure with the lowest trauma and shortest recovery time along with the lowest cost is preferred. Please let me know what procedure you recommend, along with the its recovery time to where I can be out without the procedure being noticeable. Thank you.

A: Thank you for sending the pictures and describing your objectives. The small midline neck wattle poses a bit of a quandary in terms of an ideal procedure. It is not big enough to justify any more major surgery (formal neck lift)  but it is significant enough that is it not going too respond to smaller minimally invasive procedures. (e.g., external skin tightening, liposuction etc) Thus in these situations one is ‘forced’ to choose a procedure that is not perfect. (can not create the ideal result or has some trade-offs) This translates into either a submentoplasty with liposuction (otherwise known as a submental tuck up or a direct small neck lift. (most effective since the skin excess is vertical but the scar may not be acceptable in a younger patient)

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana