Neck and chin liposuction with Dr. Henry Sandel
Chin & Neck Liposuction
Removes excess fat from the area below the face, giving definition to the jawline, contouring the neck, and eliminating a double chin. A simple procedure, popular with younger patients whose skin has the elasticity to contract and tighten after fat removal.
At a glance
Surgeon
Dr. Henry Sandel
Procedure time
About 30 minutes
Anesthesia
Local, sedation optional
Setting
West Annapolis Surgery Center
Sutures out
After 7 days
Back to work
3–5 days
Full exercise
About 2 weeks
Results
Permanent fat removal
Chin liposuction: a 30-minute change to your profile
If you feel that fat in your neck makes you look heavier than you are, find the appearance of a double chin bothersome, or wish you had a more defined jawline, liposuction could be the solution. The procedure takes less than 30 minutes and the results are permanent. Chin and neck liposuction is also called submental liposuction, which is the term we use.
Liposuction uses small cannulas — thin surgical straws — to remove unwanted fat. On the chin and neck, taking excess fat from the chin, jowls, or neck can transform the appearance of the face, making a person look younger and thinner and restoring balance to facial features.
Submental liposuction is often combined with chin augmentation. Removing the fat defines the jawline, and adding projection to the chin sharpens it further, giving a stronger and more confident profile than either procedure achieves on its own.
If your skin lacks the elasticity to tighten naturally after liposuction, a lower facelift or neck lift may be the better answer.
What chin and neck liposuction can do
Eliminate a fatty bulge under the chin, which may appear as a double chin
Refine and give definition to the jawline
Give a slimmer, toned appearance to the neck
Am I a good candidate?
The best candidates are close to their ideal body weight and have firm, elastic skin that will tighten after the excess fat is gone. In consultation, Dr. Sandel will examine you to determine whether the pockets of fat on your chin and neck are ideal for removal with liposuction, and whether your skin has the elasticity to contract smoothly and evenly over the slimmed contours.
As with any plastic surgery procedure, candidates should be in good health. Specific medical conditions put patients at higher risk of complications. If you smoke, you will need to be tobacco-free for a period before and after the procedure.
Neck liposuction before and after — an actual patient.
Neck liposuction patient case.
Often combined with
How it is done
Chin liposuction takes about thirty minutes, under local anesthetic.
We perform neck and chin liposuction in our West Annapolis Surgery Center. First, a local anesthetic numbs the skin in the treatment area. Incisions are made under the chin and behind the ears, and a small suction tube separates and removes the excess fat while tightening the overlying skin.
Finally, the incisions are closed with fine sutures to minimize scars. You will be able to go home after the procedure; if it involves sedation, arrange ahead of time for someone to drive you.
Recovery after chin liposuction
You will have a light cotton wrap in place for support the first night. Some swelling and mild bruising is normal for the first few days — minimize both with ice and by keeping your head elevated. You may have a chin-compression garment to wear for the first week, and at night for another week or two after that. After seven days, you return to our office to have the sutures removed.
You will see the effects the first day after the cotton wrap comes off, and results improve over the next few weeks as residual swelling disappears and the tissue settles. Most patients return to work three to five days after the procedure, a bit longer if their job is physically demanding, and resume all normal activities including strenuous exercise after about two weeks.
Recovery
Firm and numb before it is sharp.
The contour under the chin is visible early, but the tissue takes several weeks to soften. Knowing that in advance is most of the reassurance patients need.
This is the guidance we give every patient, alongside the general instructions that follow any surgery. Your own sheet and Dr. Sandel’s instructions govern your case. Call the office on (410) 266-7120 with any question about your healing.
The first days
Ice packs under the chin and neck for the first three to four days to keep swelling and bruising down.
The chin strap
Worn as directed. It supports the healing tissue and controls swelling, and it does more for the final contour than anything else you do at home.
How it feels
Firmness under the chin and along the neck, with numbness of the chin and neck that resolves gradually. Temporary unevenness of the skin is common and smooths as you heal.
Day 7
Sutures come out.
One to two weeks
Swelling, bruising and soreness are typically gone.
When to call
Significant swelling, or swelling obviously worse on one side.
Questions patients ask about neck and chin liposuction
Schedule a consultation.
Dr. Sandel has extensive experience in facial and body contouring, and the practice has earned the Best Cosmetic Doctor vote in Annapolis in The Capital Reader’s Choice Awards.