In our weekly Post Your Face column, Dr. Robert Freund answers readers' cosmetic surgery questions, and shows them how they'd look if they underwent the enhancement. To post your own face, visit postyourface.com.

The Patient's Question: My chicken neck needs tightening and my skin tone is blotchy.

Dr. Freund's Answer: Your skin appears to be damaged excessively from the sun -- living in Florida certainly doesn't help! The most obvious suggestion is to frequently apply a sunblock with zinc oxide as the primary ingredient.

The sun has two components that affect your skin: Ultraviolet B Rays cause sunburns, tanning, aging and skin cancer, but you have to be extra careful of Ultraviolet A Rays. These rays are around from sunrise to sunset and will penetrate through car glass, sunglasses, and some types of clothing. Also, SPF ratings do not rate UVA protection. So, beware. You can have a sunblock with an SPF of 100 and have no UVA protection. That's why you need zinc oxide. It's the only thing that will obstruct them.

If you want a more aggressive treatment for your mottled skin tone, then ask your dermatologist to prescribe Retin-A. It can:

1. Cause melanin granules to disperse, which will even out the blotchiness
2. Exfoliate your skin and thicken the deeper layer (the dermis) to make your skin look healthier and
3. Alleviate fine lines
4. Slow the loss of elasticity with age
5. Reduce your risk for some forms of skin cancer

Retin-A sometimes requires the guidance of a good doctor because it can have some side effects. But if you stick out the initial redness and itching, you'll likely be pleased with the results.

As for your other issue, the "after" photos will show you that a neck lift will have the extra benefit of making your chin stronger. This is simply because different parts of the face will appear bigger or smaller as other parts change. In your case a less saggy neck definitely improves the chin line. The other good news on a neck lift: quick recovery (sometimes as little as 7 days) and it costs between $5,000-7,000.

If you would like to find out more about what you can do for your skin or for ways to determine what a neck lift can do for you, please have a look at my book " A More Beautiful You: Reverse Aging Through Skin Care, Plastic Surgery and Lifestyle Solutions."


Respectfully submitted,
Robert M. Freund, MD

The health or medical information in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult your doctor or a qualified healthcare provider with any questions.