Cervical fascia: the layers of the neck
- Muscle
- Highlighted area
Quick facts
- Definition
- A set of connective tissue layers that wrap the muscles, vessels and viscera of the neck.
- General division
- Superficial cervical fascia and deep cervical fascia (with its layers).
- Relation to the platysma
- The superficial layer wraps the platysma, the skin muscle of the neck.
- Continuation
- The platysma continues with the SMAS of the face.
- Relevance
- Explains the plane of the neck and the closeness of important structures.
The cervical fascia is the set of connective tissue layers that wrap and separate the muscles, vessels, nerves and viscera of the neck. In the classic anatomical description, it divides into a superficial layer and a deep layer, the latter made of laminae that surround specific structures. For orofacial harmonization, the most relevant part is the superficial one.
What does the superficial layer contain?
Just below the skin is the subcutaneous tissue and, within it, the superficial fascia that wraps the platysma, a thin, wide muscle that extends from the chin area to the chest. The platysma continues upward with the SMAS of the face, and that continuity explains why the lower third of the face and the neck move and age in a related way.
Between the layers are the neck fat and the subplatysmal fat, which influence the look of the double chin.
And the deep layer?
The deep cervical fascia is described in laminae: one wraps the neck as a whole, another the infrahyoid muscles and the viscera (thyroid, larynx, trachea), and another the bundle of vessels and nerves. That detail belongs to surgical anatomy. What matters is that, beneath the superficial plane, vital structures exist.
Why does it matter in HOF?
The skin of the neck is thin and has less subcutaneous tissue than that of several parts of the face, which makes any procedure more sensitive to irregularities. Horizontal neck lines and laxity of the area are common complaints, and the choice of treatment depends on an individual assessment.
How do you talk to the patient?
The complaint tends to be a "sagging neck" or a "double chin". Showing the layers with a drawing helps explain why fat, muscle and skin contribute in different ways, and why not everything is solved with the same procedure.
In Harmy
The app has nine marking points, and the neck is not one of them. The projection works on the areas of the face marked on the frontal photo.
Also called: neck fascia.
Frequently asked questions
What is the superficial cervical fascia?
It is the layer of connective tissue just below the skin of the neck, which contains the subcutaneous fat and wraps the platysma. The exact reading varies between authors.
Why is the neck different from the face for HOF?
Because beneath the superficial layers there are important structures, such as large-caliber vessels, nerves, glands and the airway. The skin of the neck is also thin and has less fat than that of many parts of the face.