Hate That Pesky "Turkey Neck"?
BOSTON (CBS) -- You can work out. You can diet. But you might still have a little pouch of fat under your chin that just won't go away. It's even got a name: Turkey Neck.
Many younger women are now having it corrected and adding more definition to their profile.
35-year-old Tara Marques thought her jaw line was too slack, and she blamed the genes she got from her dad's side of the family. "He has the same thing," she said. "I saw him last night and I said, 'I got this from you.'"
Dr. Lawrence Reed, a plastic surgeon, is seeing more patients interested in correcting this situation. "It's more genetic than anything else," he explained. "While it's seen in heavier women, most of the women we see are thin women who just see this bulge under their neck and find it unattractive and it makes them look older."
Dr. Reed says getting rid of that little bit of fat under the chin is now quick and easy.
WBZ-TV's Paula Ebben reports.
For her procedure, Marques was put under a light anesthetic. A tiny tube, just two millimeters wide, was inserted thru three tiny incisions. In just 10 minutes, all the extra fat cells were vacuumed out.
Dr. Reed said, "The vacuum has enough energy to take out fat, but nothing else comes with it. Not nerves, not blood vessels, or any other tissues."
The three tiny incisions don't even require stitches, and often heal with no scarring. Patients usually go home an hour later, with only a small bandage under the chin.
Dr. Reed added, "The next day, the dressing comes off, they bathe and shower, and then return to full activity."
Before and after pictures reveal the procedure can have dramatic results.
Although it can take up to six months for all the swelling to go down, Marques was thrilled with her results after just two weeks. "I love it. I love it. I am happy. I actually have a line, a jaw line. You can see it," she exclaimed.
The cost of the procedure varies depending on the physician but usually is in the range of $3,000-$5,000.
