You may not consider yourself one who loves turtlenecks. In most situations, this style of clothing is reserved for the cold winter months. That is, unless your Diane Keaton. Scarves, on the other hand, you just might be able to pull those off day after day, though this may grow old, as well. If not for fashion’s sake, why would anyone want to do either of these things? To hide their neck, that’s why!
We live in the era of non-aging. Judging by any Real Housewife, we aren’t really all that concerned with aging gracefully; we simply don’t want to age. Period. What is so interesting is that, for the most part, we have that option. We can inject solutions to freeze muscles and plump the lips and define the jaw and erase wrinkles – and this is what we do. All the while, we may be forgetting what’s happening down below; below the chin, that is.
The Power Curve
In our youth, most of us don’t even realize how lucky we are to be graced with a right-angle between the neck and swan-like chin, a la Katherine Hepburn. It isn’t until we wake up one day, mid-forties, and notice there is a sloped curve, and some sagging and wrinkling. In some cases, the curve all but disappears thanks to a double-chin. There are reasons for this . . .
The skin on the neck is incredibly thin and delicate, much like the skin on the eyelids. Unlike the eyes, the neck may not get treated to the same moisturizing. All the years of neglect eventually show up with a vengeance. The platysma band becomes stressed and tense while, at the same time, its strands fray. This causes the horizontal muscle to drop into a V. As you can guess, the skin above the band will happily follow its downward slide. While all this is happening mid-neck, the fat pads beneath the chin are also reveling in their newfound freedom, pushing outward into an obvious appearance.
Avoiding the Drop
The goal is to postpone the signs of aging with preventive care. This includes taking great care of your skin on a daily basis. It may also involve obtaining anti-aging treatments like Botox, which can be used to keep the platysmal band in line. At some point, though, you may need more. This is where neck lift surgery comes in. As many non-surgical treatments as there are today, nothing gets the job done like a precision neck lift.
Is it time to put that waddle to bed? Let’s talk. Schedule a visit in our Austin practice at 512-450-1077.
