ABSTRACT
Increasing laxity of the soft tissues of the neck occurs with aging due to the combined effects of gravity and compositional changes. Aged skin contains decreased amounts of elastic fibers and hyaluronic acid, and a lesser degree of collagen cross-linking when compared to youthful skin. While changes in the aging skin may be corrected by fractional lasers, chemical peels, and other nonsurgical modalities, surgery is required to effect changes at the deeper levels.
