The angle between the jaw line and the neck is a critical measure of facial beauty. Too sharp and the person's face appears vulpine; too wide, and it appears neckless. The key to obtaining an attractive jaw line is making sure the angle is sharp ? just sharp enough to give an impression of tightness and strength. This is the purpose of the cosmetic surgery known as neck liposuction ? one of the most widely-performed types of plastic surgery. By removing excess fat from beneath the chin and by tightening the skin of the neck and face, the jaw/neck angle is sharpened just enough to eliminate the dreaded double chin effect and give the patient a strong, clean look.

Although suitable for most adult patients, neck liposuction is frequently performed on women 30-50, either as an alternative to a full facelift or in combination with lower eye surgery (the famous ?mini-lift?). As with most cosmetic surgeries, neck liposuction is performed in s clinical environment or a doctor's private surgery, rather than in a hospital. This permits the surgeon to treat the client as an outpatient, and perform the surgery using general or local anesthesia as necessary. The patient may also be sedated during surgery to decrease their movement and improve their comfort.

The procedure itself begins with a series of small incisions, either behind the patient's ears or in one of his or her chin folds. This enables the surgeon to insert the cannula (the suction tube) into the areas most in need of fat removal as determined by a thorough pre-operative examination. Once inserted, the cannula is connected to a vacuum pump via a flexible tube and suction applied, drawing the excess fat cells out of the patient's neck and away for disposal. The surgeon then trims the skin of the neck to fit, tightens it over the flesh, and closes the wounds.

Post-operative complications and major side effects are rare in neck liposuction. Some swelling and moderate to severe bruising may appear and persist for up to 21 days. Bleeding can also be a problem, although proper bandaging will reduce the risk of this; otherwise, tenderness, burning, lack of sensation or some combination of these are likely to be the only side effects of note. The surgical team will apply and adjust a compression bandage over the wound area to prevent detachment of tissue or opening of wounds during the recovery process; otherwise, no further treatment is required. Patients can expect directly observable results to appear within three to four weeks; for permanent results, 24-52 weeks are generally required.

Neck liposuction is one of the best ways of obtaining an aesthetically improved facial structure. It can give the patient a younger, firmer appearance without the need for a facelift or implants, and by so doing improve patient self-esteem and psychological health. As with all types of surgery, neck liposuction bears certain risks, however, and any decision to seek the procedure must be made only after consulting a board-certified plastic surgeon.