Ready to say yes to the nonsurgical neck lift?  If you’re looking for an effective and non-invasive way to restore your neck and achieve a youthful, contoured appearance, then you may want to consider a variety of neck and decolletage restoration treatments available at Monaco MedSpa. These treatments include:

Botox

Dermal Fillers

Biostimulatory Fillers

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)

Kybella® Double Chin Treatments

Morpheus8 Microneedling with Radiofrequency

Plasma Pen Treatments

Laser & IPL Treatments

Microneedling alone or with PRP

PDO Thread Lifts

Chemical Peels

Medical Grade Skincare Creams

Neck Botox

Botox has been a go-to solution for many aesthetic treatments for quite some time. It is one of the most popular treatments for restoring the neck. Botox in the neck works by temporarily weakening the muscles that pull down the neck, and it can also help tighten the skin and reduce wrinkles and creases. Results typically last 3-4 months, so regular treatments are recommended.

With the Nefertiti neck lift, Botox is injected along the jawline. This causes the platysma muscle to relax its downward pull, creating a more lifted, defined and snatched jawline. It is called the Nefertiti neck lift because the Egyptian Queen Nefertiti had a long, thin, and defined neck and jawline.

Botox can also be injected into the neck’s Platysmal Bands. Platysmal Bands cause a pulling forward motion that create unsightly neck cords and a forward-sagging neck. They also create increased sagging right under the chin in the submental area. Injecting Botox into these neck bands relaxes the downward and forward pulling action of the platysma neck muscle, which causes the neck to be more lifted, thereby creating a nonsurgical neck lift.

Small amounts of Botox can also be injected in micro doses very superficially into the skin throughout the neck to relax the crepey, small skin wrinkles that occur with aging. 

To create a slender, longer looking neck and refined shoulders, Botox is also injected into the trapezius muscle. This relaxes the muscle and prevents it from looking bulky. This procedure is called Barbie Botox, with the aim of producing a long, slender aesthetically-pleasing neck, such as is seen in Barbie dolls.

Neck restoration with Botox is one of the most popular treatments used to help reduce signs of aging in the neck area. Botox is injected using specialized location points for the best results. It works by temporarily relaxing muscles, helping to soften wrinkles and fine lines. It also helps diminish sagging skin and reduces neck bands.

Neck Dermal Fillers

Dermal Fillers are also a great option for creating a more youthful looking neck. Fillers are used to add fullness to the neck area, address wrinkles and folds, and contour the jawline and neck. 

Hyaluronic acid based fillers are commonly used, as they attract and capture water molecules that help to improve skin hydration. Thin Hyaluronic Acid Fillers such as Juvederm’s SKINVIVE can be injected into the superficial dermal skin of the neck to fill in crepey skin and fine neck lines. 

SKINVIVE is the first and only FDA-approved hyaluronic acid intradermal microdroplet injection available in the U.S. It is a low viscosity liquid-like filler that is injected superficially in the dermis and spreads along the dermis under the skin to fill in the spaces that are causing fine lines and wrinkles and skin crepiness. This gives your skin a nice glow and gives it a hydrated and moisturized appearance. It makes the skin look smooth and glowing.

Deeper horizontal neck lines can be treated with other thicker hyaluronic acid fillers that actually fill the lines in. This usually requires 1 to 3 treatment sessions, depending on the depth and severity of the lines.

Additionally, thick hyaluronic acid fillers can be placed along the jawline or chin to elongate the jawline. This is called jaw contouring and it creates a defined jawline. Depending on the amount of chin and jawline projection achieved, jaw contouring can help reduce the sagging or bulky submental, under chin neck area. The amount of filler needed for jaw, chin and neck contouring depends on the size of the chin and mandible and on the amount of upper neck sagging and aging that has occurred. In people with receding chins and mandibles, jaw and chin contouring can be extremely beneficial in improving one’s profile and in lifting a sagging neck. 

Fillers are a great solution when it comes to restoring the jawline and neck. Hyaluronic acid-based fillers are commonly used as they attract and capture water molecules which help to improve hydration and plump up the skin. They can also be used to give a more youthful contour and definition to the jawline and neck area. The effects of fillers can last for up to two years with repeated treatments, depending on the fillers used.

Biostimulatory Fillers

Biostimulatory fillers, such as Sculptra and Radiesse, work by stimulating your own natural collagen production, creating long-lasting results. They are injected into the dermis of the neck, right underneath the skin, and over the course of several treatments, your neck skin becomes fuller, restoring volume loss and diminishing wrinkles, folds and lines. This can create a more lifted and youthful appearance of the neck.

For long-lasting results, multiple treatments every 6 weeks are recommended, with maintenance touch-up treatments every 1 to 2 years. Usually the initial amount of treatments required depends on your age and your skin condition. More mature individuals and those with sun-damaged skin typically require more treatments.

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)

As a beauty treatment, PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) and PRF (Platelet Rich Fibrin) have become hugely popular. PRP is a minimally invasive medical procedure which harnesses the power of your own body to promote collagen production, resulting in improved skin texture, tone and appearance. There is no downtime associated with this procedure, and the results can be seen after just a few treatments.

PRP and PRF are made from the patient's own blood, which is drawn, spun down and separated into its component parts. The platelet-rich plasma (PRP) or platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) is then injected back into the patient during the treatment process. The regenerative platelets and growth factors in PRP and PRF cause the body to respond by accelerating and increasing the regeneration of new healthy tissue in the area of treatment, promoting healing, reducing blemishes and wrinkles, and giving skin a healthy, youthful glow.

Although PRP is most commonly used for facial skin treatments, it can also be beneficial for other areas on the body, such as the neck. When PRP is injected into the neck tissues it causes skin rejuvenation and wrinkle reduction. It stimulates the neck tissues to create new collagen and elastin, which is what helps to restore a youthful look and smooth wrinkle-free appearance.

When getting PRP to combat the negative effects of neck skin aging, initially three PRP treatments are recommended, each 4 weeks apart, for optimal results. Then, treatments should be done every 4 to 6 months for maintenance. PRP treatments can be combined with microneedling or Morpheus8 microneedling with radiofrequency treatments.

Kybella®

 Kybella® is a prescription-strength injection used to treat submental fat (a double chin) in adults. 

Kybella® is the only FDA-approved injectable treatment for persons over 18 years old that destroys fat cells. It is used to reduce the appearance of moderate to severe fat below the chin. Fat below the chin area is also called submental fat or a “double chin.”

Kybella® destroys the fat cells that accumulate in the upper neck region under the chin. The body then naturally eliminates the fat slowly over the next few weeks. Once these cells are destroyed, they can no longer store or accumulate fat.

Kybella® is a great way to treat a double chin in younger patients who have good skin elasticity. 

In older patients, it can leave the skin in the submental area loose and, therefore, it may not be the best option to treat a double chin/submental fat in patients older than 40 years old or in those patients whose collagen and elastin production has started to diminish. In these patients their skin doesn’t “snap back” as well as in younger patients.

Kybella® is also not the best treatment for a double chin in patients with excessive skin laxity or prominent platysmal bands or in patients who have had prior surgical or aesthetic treatments of the submental area.

In some patients over 40 years old with double chins, Kybella® treatments can sometimes be done and they can be followed by plasma pen treatments to treat any loose skin left behind after the swelling subsides. However, in older patients, sometimes Morpheus8 microneedling with radiofrequency treatments are a better treatment option to help reduce a double chin because it destroys fat cells and tightens the dermis at the same time. 

No matter your age, we strongly recommend a consultation with our doctor to see what the best treatment option for your double chin would be.

If it is determined that Kybella® is the best treatment option for you, then Kybella® is injected into the skin with a very fine needle after numbing the skin with a topical anesthetic. The treatment takes about 15-20 minutes. 

Most patients require two to three vials per treatment and most patients require two to six treatment sessions, each one month apart. The exact number of injections and the number of treatments is tailored to the individual patient’s submental fat distribution and treatment goals. There is no guarantee of results of any treatment and up to six treatments may be needed to achieve a satisfactory result.  Final improvement is assessed six weeks after the final treatment when all the swelling has subsided. 

Kybella® is a great treatment to help reduce the appearance of a double chin in younger patients and in patients who do not have excessive skin laxity. 

Morpheus8 Microneedling with Radiofrequency

Morpheus8 employs microneedling with radiofrequency energy to remodel and contour the face and neck. Radiofrequency energy is used to heat the treatment area without damaging the skin. Depending on the depth and radiofrequency energy used, Morpheus8 can remodel the dermis to tighten loose skin. This helps to improve skin laxity and firm up the neck without surgery. At deeper settings and higher energies it can decrease the fat cells underneath the dermis while also tightening the dermis above, creating a slimmer, more countered neck.

The skin on the neck is thin and sensitive, and if you don’t take care of it, it will begin to exhibit the signs of aging. Morpheus8 treatments can help improve the skin on the neck and increase collagen production to make it appear firmer, smoother, and younger looking. In those with very thick or fat necks, the Morpheus8 device is set at deeper depths and higher energies to get rid of the fat, and then it is set at moderate and shallow depths to tighten the overlying skin, thereby not only reducing the size of the neck, but tightening its skin also.

 
Morpheus8 is one of the best neck treatments available today. Dr. Barrueta is a nationally-recognized Top Morpheus8 Provider and has performed hundreds of Morpheus8 neck treatments with outstanding results. Browse through our Morpheus8 Face & Neck Before and After picture gallery to see for yourself. Then read more about Morpheus8 on our Morpheus8 Face, Eyes & Neck Services Section to learn more about this revolutionary, new treatment now available that helps to get rid of double chins and neck sagginess and that helps restore your neck to its youthful, beautiful appearance. 

If you are looking for a superior treatment that offers a great alternative to surgery, you will love everything about our Morpheus8 neck treatments. Morpheus8 is exceptional in treating double chins, obese necks, and sagging, crepey-looking necks.

Plexr Plasma Pen Treatments

Are you looking for a revolutionary skin tightening treatment that can help you get rid of crepey, extra neck skin without the need for surgery? The Plasma Pen might be just what you need. The Plasma Pen is a fibroblast tightening device that we use to treat loose skin everywhere in the body, especially the neck. 

The Plasma Pen is an energy device that works by causing the treated skin to contract thereby vaporizing wrinkles. As the skin heals, it tightens the epidermis through fibroblast-induced collagen production, causing a rejuvenation of the skin texture, resulting in a smoother, more supple skin appearance over the next few weeks. 

Skin tightening treatments with the Plasma Pen occur via two mechanisms: vaporization of the wrinkle and fibroblast-induced collagen production. There aren't many treatments available that can address crepey skin in the neck. However, this treatment is ideal to address those concerns in these areas.

Our Plexr Plasma Pen energy device can visibly improve the appearance of saggy, crepey skin and wrinkles on any part of the body, especially the neck. It is a non-invasive alternative to surgery and CO2 Lasers. And, unlike CO2 Lasers, the entire area of the skin is not burned off. Therefore, the recovery is much quicker and there is significantly less downtime than with CO2 lasers. It also doesn't carry the high risk of hyperpigmentation that CO2 Laser treatments do.

Laser & IPL Treatments

Intense Pulse Light (IPL) is a versatile and effective treatment for a variety of neck skin pigmentation concerns, including hyperpigmentation, dark spots, red marks and telangiectasias. IPL treatments are safe and effective, with minimal downtime and side effects. They require 1 to 3 treatments to get rid of dark or red spots that tend to occur with aging and sun damaged skin.

Microneedling alone or with PRP

Microneedling is a minimally invasive anti-aging and skin rejuvenating treatment that is also known as collagen induction therapy. Microneedling targets the outer layer of the skin, called the epidermis. Microneedling increases collagen production by creating micro “injuries” in the skin which triggers new collagen synthesis. The result is smoother, firmer and younger looking skin. Microneedling alone or in combination with PRP is a great way to treat fine lines and wrinkles and crepiness of the neck skin. Over time, the skin texture improves, leaving a smooth, youthful textural appearance.  One to three sessions per month are initially recommended for neck epidermal skin restoration, followed by maintenance treatments every 6 months.

PDO Thread Lifts

PDO threads are sutures made of an absorbable material that are placed just beneath the surface of the skin. Once in place, the threads can lift sagging skin, plump areas that have begun to hollow, and smooth over fine lines and folds. The threads also stimulate the body’s production of rejuvenating collagen. Many patients use PDO threads as a non-surgical alternative to a neck lift. Others use them to extend the results of a previous neck lift. 

There are many types of PDO threads. There are ones that lift tissues by having little 'arms' along the length of the thread that pulls up the tissues under the skin, temporarily keeping it suspended. Several techniques can be used to achieve almost any degree of lift.

There are other PDO threads without arms that are used to create volume and fill in wrinkles and etched-in permanent lines, such as the horizontal neck lines. These are called volumizing "mono" threads. Mono threads can also be used for skin that has thinned out and lost its plump, youthful appearance. They work by stimulating your body to produce collagen in the dermis in the vicinity where they are placed. 

Collagen is the structural protein throughout the body that gives skin its strength and youthful texture. Collagen keeps the skin and underlying tissues, called the dermis, supple, resilient and firm. 

By increasing your natural collagen volume, PDO threads help smooth out uneven texture, reverse crepey looking skin, and create a scaffolding to bring back and maintain your tightened and toned, youthful appearance.

The placement of PDO threads is a simple, in-office treatment.  For most patients, the skin is immediately lifted by the placement of the threads. Your results will continue to improve over the next six weeks as your body responds by producing more collagen. By the time the threads dissolve in 6 to 9 months, a new lattice of collagen will have formed that will take the thread’s place in supporting the skin. People with very saggy skin are not good candidates for neck thread lifts. Everyone interested in a PDO thread lift needs a consultation with our physician first to see if they are a good candidate for a PDO thread lift.

Chemical Peels

Medical Grade Creams

Your neck should be considered as an extension of your face and should be treated with the same creams daily. Creams should be of medical grade quality because regardless of what they tell you on social media, the truth is that non medical grade creams do not contain the same potency of active ingredients as medical grade or prescribed creams.

Everyone would benefit from a neck cream containing retinol or tretinoin, except pregnant or breastfeeding patients. Additionally, creams with biopeptide growth factors and stem cells are recommended by Dr. Barrueta for everyone over 40 years old, given that at this age collagen and elastin production start to naturally diminish. Regardless of what procedures you do on your neck, everyone should be using a neck cream and applying daily sunscreen to the neck and decolletage. A skin care consultation appointment with Dr. Barrueta is the best way to see which creams are best suited for your age and skin condition.

The Decolletage

The decolletage is the chest area right below the neckline, above the breasts. Many people ignore the decolletage until it starts looking discolored, wrinkled and old. Every single treatment available for the neck described above can also be used for the decolletage. The only difference being is that Botox in this area is injected in very small doses and very superficially to treat skin crepiness and fine lines.

The most effective and popular decolletage treatments that can restore the youthfulness of the decolletage are microneedling alone or with PRP, Morpheus8 microneedling with radiofrequency, and injections of SKINVIVE filler, Biostimulatory Fillers, or PRP. All these modalities help get rid of the fine lines, wrinkles and crepiness that occur in that area as we age. To treat the dark and red spots that are so commonly seen in the decolletage, IPL is the best treatment, although chemical peels can also be used.

Take Home Message

As you age, your neck and decolletage can become two of the most visible signs of aging that add years to your appearance. Sagging, crepey skin, wrinkles, loose tissue, submetal hanging fat, double chins, discolored skin and thick neck bands are all signs of an aging neck. Crepey, wrinkly skin and discoloration are all signs of aging in the decolletage area. Fortunately, in today’s day and age, there are a variety of treatments available that can help restore a youthful appearance to your neck and decolletage. 

Neck and decolletage restoration is rapidly becoming a popular way of treating the signs of aging. With all the advances in minimally-invasive treatments nowadays available, we can restore and enhance the look of the neck and decolletage without the need for surgery. 

No matter what your age is, there is a neck and decolletage restoration treatment that can help reduce your wrinkles, restore lost volume, and give you a more beautiful, youthful appearance. Our treatments are all reliable, safe and effective. 

During your neck and decolletage restoration consultation with Dr. Barrueta, she will determine the best treatment options for you.