Overview
The authors wrote this review to help facial plastic surgeons avoid and correct common problems after neck procedures. They use the platysma muscle as the dividing line between the superficial and deep neck. The abstract reports no patient data.
Findings
- Many aesthetic neck problems come from overtreatment or undertreatment of parts of the neck.
- Structures above the platysma are easy to reach, which leads to overtreatment.
- Structures below the platysma are hard to reach, which leads to undertreatment and overall imbalance.
- The authors describe strategies to assess and treat all neck structures in proportion, to prevent and correct problems.
- Minimally invasive techniques have produced new complications.
- The abstract gives no numbers.
What it means for a patient
- A neck result depends on treating each layer in proportion. Removing too much fat under the skin, or leaving deep fullness untreated, can both cause an uneven neck.
- Ask your surgeon which layers they will treat and why.
- Minimally invasive neck treatments can cause their own problems. Tell your surgeon about any past neck treatments.
- This is an expert review. It does not report results from a patient study.
Why this paper matters
It frames neck deformities as a balance problem between superficial and deep structures, divided by the platysma. It also notes that minimally invasive techniques have added new complications. Cited 11 times (NIH iCite, 2026-09-25).
Terms
- Platysma: the thin muscle that covers the front of the neck.
- Superficial neck: the skin and fat above the platysma.
- Deep neck: the structures below the platysma, such as deep fat, saliva glands and small muscles.
- Overtreatment: removing or changing more tissue than needed.
- Undertreatment: leaving tissue that needed treatment.
- Minimally invasive techniques: procedures done with needles, devices or small openings rather than open surgery.