The Nefertiti Lift
Do you feel like you have turkey neck? Are you looking for an effective, non-invasive way to look youthful in the neck and lower facial areas?
BOTOX was discovered in the 1970s and was found to improve muscles and reduce wrinkles. However, it wasn’t until the late 1990s that doctors began to appreciate the usefulness of BOTOX to create a youthful looking neck. By 2007, the Nefertiti lift was discovered1 and considered to be the best way to look youthful, without surgery or pain, by tightening the jowls and the marionette lines with BOTOX, resulting in mandibular contouring2.
This new trend in cosmetic enhancement is based on science. As discussed in our recent post on the science behind beauty, one of the first things we notice and assess about a person, based on the Magnificent Seven, is the shape of their face3. It makes sense then that the neck and jawline are getting a lot of attention in the media, as we tend to notice this area first.
BOTOX injections function by weakening the targeted muscle area so that it can no longer contract, making the wrinkles soften and relax. The Nefertiti lift involves injecting BOTOX in the platysmal bands (the thick cords or bands in the neck), which tend to separate as one ages, and along the border of the mandible (the jawline).
BOTOX is considered a beneficial and safe option to rejuvenate the neck and jawline to give you a youthful look, according to a recent study. The researchers studied the Nefertiti lift, and found that there was a substantial improvement in the platysmal bands, as well as an improvement of jowls, marionette lines (the lines around the mouth) and oral commissures (the corner of the mouth). Further, the study demonstrated that 93.3% of the participants and panel investigators considered there to be an improvement following BOTOX and 96.6% of the participants were satisfied with the results of the BOTOX injections. In this study, 90% of participants said they would have the procedure again and 93.3% said they would recommend the procedure to a friend4.
Photos reproduced from the Jabbour et. al study5
Side effects of the Nefertiti lift are mild and temporary. Five patients had injection point ecchymosis (bruising) that only lasted a couple of days and one patient had mild dysphagia (discomfort swallowing) and minor muscle weakness in the neck that lasted approximately 2 weeks following the treatment.
1Levy, Phillip M. (2007) 'The 'Nefertiti lift': A new technique for specific re-contouring of the jawline', Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 9:4, 249 - 252
2Matarasso, Alan; Matarasso, Seth L. (2017) “Discussion: Botulinum Toxin for Neck Rejuvenation: Assessing Efficacy and Redefining Patient Selection” Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 2017: 140 p 18e–19e; Jabbour SF, Kechichian EG, Awaida CJ, et. al. “Botulinumtoxin for neck rejuvenation: Assessing efficacy and redefining patient selection.” Plast Reconstr Surg. 2017;140:9e–17e.
3Swift, Arthur and Kent Remington (2011) “BeautiPHIcation: A Global Approach to Facial Beauty” Clin Plastic Surg 38 (2011) 347–377.
4Matarasso, Supra note, 2 Jabbour SF, Kechichian EG, Awaida CJ, et. al. “Botulinumtoxin for neck rejuvenation: Assessing efficacy and redefining patient selection.” Plast Reconstr Surg. 2017;140:9e–17e.
5Jabbour, Supra note, 4.
6 Matarasso, Supra note, 2; Jabbour, Supra note, 4.