Often seen as we age, bands forming in the neck can result from excess skin or loosening of the platysma muscle. In youth, the platysma muscle spans much if not all of the neck and is tightly applied to the underlying neck structures. This platysma muscle is a depressor of the lower lip, and used frequently in daily expression. Daily use over the years causes the muscle to loosen and begin to span the angle between the chin and the lower neck, creating bands of tissue that denote the aging neck.
Correction of neck bands can be done in several ways, but most often the muscle creating the bands is divided either completely or partially. Tension on the muscle is applied by redraping it toward the back of the ear in a lower face and/or neck lift, and the combination of maneuvers leaves you neck in a much more youthful form.
If you have questions about your aging neck, make an appointment to come see me at Montecito Plastic Surgery in Santa Barbara. If surgery is not something that you want to pursue, non-invasive options such as Ultherapy can also help in many necks. Only by taking the next step and getting an evaluation can we find the best option for you. Hope to see you soon.
