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What to do when creams are already powerless?
In pursuit of beauty and youth, ladies basically throw all their strength into taking care of the face, often forgetting about the neck, which in the future betrays age. Deep wrinkles and creases, sagging – this is a common pattern faced by plastic surgeons. If the aging process is no longer possible to slow down with the help of care procedures, this problem can be radically solved. Today, there are several proven neck correction techniques. Plastic surgeon Dmitry Saratovtsev will tell you more about them.
Plastic surgeon, candidate of medical sciences, full member of the Russian Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons.
Today, neck lift operations can be divided into several types – these are direct and indirect lift or platysmoplasty. Its essence lies in the tightening of a special neck muscle, which is responsible for the elasticity of the tissues of this zone, forms the angle of the neck, maintains the tone of the neckline and chest. This platysma is the largest facial muscle responsible for the beauty of this zone. It is also called the “muscle of youth”.
Who is this operation indicated for?
In principle, there are few restrictions here. By and large, the indication for this operation is the presence of laxity of the skin, excess soft tissue in the neck and an unclear cervico-chin angle, which ideally should be at least 120 degrees. Correction can be done at any age. There are even young patients who are not satisfied with the exact line of the neck (often very young girls may have the same double chin), but basically our contingent for this type of operation is women aged 40+.
Why do creases appear on the skin?
In addition to age-related changes, one of the reasons for the formation of deep creases in the neck area is improper posture. Slouching causes muscle spasm, tension, and this, in turn, gives folds and sagging.
Another point that also entails muscle clamps in the neck is improper sleep. An uncomfortable pillow or mattress, a small bed – these are all enemies of beauty. Of course, from one night on such a bed, there will be no problems, but if this happens for years, you should not hope that platism will be in good shape.
Despite the fact that platysma is a large muscle, it is flat, thin and often suffers, since it has a very thin fat layer and a minimum of sebaceous glands. Often it is dry, which makes it possible for the formation of wrinkles.
How is the surgery going?
Direct platysmoplasty performed under local anesthesia. Through a 2–4 cm incision in the chin, the doctor sutures the so-called “legs” of the platysma. These are layers of muscle on both sides that have diverged. This reduces the volume of the stretched muscle of the anterior neck line. The seam is located in a natural fold and after a while becomes invisible.
Indirect platysmoplasty occurs in lateral tension of platysma, and most often it is combined with a facelift. In this case, access to the tissues is carried out through incisions behind the auricles. And if the muscle is tightened along with the skin, then this operation is called non-lifting.
As a rule, in isolation (separately), these corrections are done very rarely, but usually they go in combination with lifting the soft tissues of the face, which gives a good complex effect. And you can also add lipolifting to it – the intake of adipose tissue, which may be present under the muscle.
Contraindications for platysmoplasty
As with any surgical intervention, there are contraindications for the procedure. First of all, they certainly include:
diabetes,
benign formations in the neck,
oncological diseases,
injuries and defects in this area.
Any plastic surgery should not be done for infections, including exacerbated stages of chronic diseases, cardiovascular problems and low blood clotting.
Naturally, pregnancy and lactation are temporary contraindications.
How is rehabilitation after platysmoplasty going?
The patient should spend the first few days in the clinic under the supervision of a doctor. It is necessary to take special care of the seam, wipe it with a solution of chlorhexidine in order to exclude the introduction of infection.
One of the temporary discomforts may be a feeling of tightness of the skin in the incision area, which will disappear two weeks after the operation. For the same period, the patient will lose edema and hematomas.
In order for the recovery process to take place calmly and without complications, in the first month it is necessary to refuse from taking hot baths, visiting a sauna or bath, a solarium. Physical activity is also prohibited during this period.
Your plastic surgeon will tell you more about all the rules and subtleties of correction at the preliminary consultation.