Shaping the Neck by Fat-Dissolving Injections
LipoDissolve, a method of getting rid of small areas of fat through injections in the office, has been a very useful technique in my practice. While it is not a substitute for liposuction (although is certain cases it can be), it produces good results in properly selected patients. While the results you see do not appear fast and the treatments are associated with swelling afterwards, it does keep you out of the operating room and, as a result, saves money.
I have found it particularly useful in the neck and jowl areas. It is perhaps this area where it consistently produces good results, provided that you don’t have too much hanging skin. The neck is an ideal area because the fat collection is not big, even in a very full-necked patient. Contrary to most patient perceptions, the skin actually retracts as the fat goes away, and doesn’t hang looser. It usually takes at least 3 treatments, done 4 to 6 weeks apart, to get good results. Some patients even go on for a fourth or fifth treatment to get the best result possible. The jowl area, due to its very small size, always gets very good results too.
I now incorporate the skin tightening laser, Skin Tyte, as part of the treatment protocol with the Lipodissolve treatments. This high-intensity light heats the underside of the skin causing a tightening effect also. This complements the retracting effect as the fat goes away and gives the best skin tightening that is possible with this neck treatment method.
In saggy necks that are mainly caused by skin, a neck or facelift is a better option. This is easy to spot so a patient can get directed towards the right treatment approach from the beginning.
Dr Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana