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Procedure guide · Face
Neck liftNeck lift surgery improves loose neck skin, platysma bands, submental fullness and loss of jawline-to-neck definition by removing or repositioning fat, tightening deeper tissues and redraping excess skin. Depending on anatomy, treatment may range from liposuction with limited platysma tightening to open platysmaplasty or a deeper structural neck lift. Surgery usually takes several hours, most patients return to work in about 7–14 days, and swelling may continue settling for up to 3 months.
From
€2,500$2,790£2,090
Typical range: €2,500$2,790£2,090€3,500$3,910£2,920
Turkey · 2 clinics
Also known as: Lower rhytidectomy, Platysmaplasty, Cervicoplasty
How prices compare
Typical all-inclusive package prices from verified clinics, set against what the same procedure costs at home.
2 clinics
€2,500$2,790£2,090€3,500$3,910£2,920
United Kingdom
Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026.
€8,990$10,040£7,500€14,390$16,060£12,000
United States
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to United States by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€9,670$10,800£8,070€15,490$17,300£12,930
Germany
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to Germany by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€7,700$8,600£6,420€12,300$13,730£10,260
France
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to France by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€7,800$8,710£6,510€12,500$13,960£10,430
Netherlands
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to Netherlands by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€8,200$9,160£6,840€13,100$14,630£10,930
Italy
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to Italy by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€6,900$7,700£5,760€11,000$12,280£9,180
Spain
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to Spain by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€6,500$7,260£5,420€10,400$11,610£8,680
Ireland
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to Ireland by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€9,650$10,770£8,050€15,500$17,310£12,930
Switzerland
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to Switzerland by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€12,470$13,920£10,400€20,020$22,350£16,700
Austria
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to Austria by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€8,000$8,930£6,670€12,800$14,290£10,680
Belgium
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to Belgium by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€8,250$9,210£6,880€13,200$14,740£11,010
Sweden
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to Sweden by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€8,600$9,600£7,170€13,700$15,300£11,430
Norway
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to Norway by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€9,100$10,160£7,590€14,600$16,300£12,180
Denmark
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to Denmark by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€9,900$11,050£8,260€15,800$17,640£13,180
Bulgaria
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to Bulgaria by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€4,450$4,970£3,710€7,100$7,930£5,920
Croatia
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to Croatia by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€5,550$6,200£4,630€8,900$9,940£7,420
Cyprus
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to Cyprus by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€6,350$7,090£5,300€10,100$11,280£8,420
Czechia
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to Czechia by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€6,350$7,090£5,300€10,100$11,280£8,420
Estonia
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to Estonia by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€7,200$8,040£6,010€11,500$12,840£9,590
Finland
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to Finland by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€8,550$9,550£7,130€13,700$15,300£11,430
Greece
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to Greece by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€6,200$6,920£5,170€9,900$11,050£8,260
Hungary
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to Hungary by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€5,500$6,140£4,590€8,800$9,830£7,340
Iceland
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to Iceland by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€12,300$13,730£10,260€19,700$22,000£16,430
Latvia
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to Latvia by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€5,900$6,590£4,920€9,450$10,550£7,880
Lithuania
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to Lithuania by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€5,850$6,530£4,880€9,400$10,500£7,840
Luxembourg
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to Luxembourg by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€9,300$10,380£7,760€14,900$16,640£12,430
Malta
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to Malta by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€6,500$7,260£5,420€10,400$11,610£8,680
Poland
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to Poland by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€5,200$5,810£4,340€8,300$9,270£6,920
Portugal
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to Portugal by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€6,150$6,870£5,130€9,850$11,000£8,220
Romania
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to Romania by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€4,600$5,140£3,840€7,400$8,260£6,170
Slovakia
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to Slovakia by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€6,050$6,750£5,050€9,650$10,770£8,050
Slovenia
Estimated from the UK price (Centre for Surgery published price list, 2026), scaled to Slovenia by Eurostat, price level indices (tec00120), household final consumption, 2025, converted at rates of 2026-09-23.
€6,350$7,090£5,300€10,100$11,280£8,420
About 74% less than United Kingdom
About 76% less than United States
About 70% less than Germany
About 70% less than France
About 72% less than Netherlands
About 66% less than Italy
About 64% less than Spain
About 76% less than Ireland
About 82% less than Switzerland
About 71% less than Austria
About 72% less than Belgium
About 73% less than Sweden
About 75% less than Norway
About 77% less than Denmark
About 48% less than Bulgaria
About 58% less than Croatia
About 64% less than Cyprus
About 64% less than Czechia
About 68% less than Estonia
About 73% less than Finland
About 63% less than Greece
About 58% less than Hungary
About 81% less than Iceland
About 61% less than Latvia
About 61% less than Lithuania
About 75% less than Luxembourg
About 64% less than Malta
About 56% less than Poland
About 63% less than Portugal
About 50% less than Romania
About 62% less than Slovakia
About 64% less than Slovenia
Turkey: €2,500$2,790£2,090 – €3,500$3,910£2,920
Prices are indicative ranges collected from clinics and verified periodically. Your final price follows a personal consultation.
2 clinics
From
€2,500$2,790£2,090
A neck lift in Turkey is a two- to three-hour operation that tightens the neck muscle, removes or repositions fat under the chin and redrapes the skin, done under general anaesthesia or sedation by a plastic surgeon, usually with one hospital night, at roughly a third of the price in Western Europe or North America. Packages include the operation, anaesthesia, the hospital night, a week in a hotel, transfers, a compression garment and follow-up checks, and a trip of eight to nine nights covers suture removal and the surgeon’s clearance to fly. The decisions that matter are whether your neck needs a lift or a facelift, a surgeon who tightens the platysma rather than only the skin, and an honest view of the jawline you can expect.
The neck ages in three layers: skin loosens, fat accumulates under the chin, and the paired platysma muscle separates into visible vertical bands. A neck lift addresses whichever layers are involved. Fat is removed by liposuction or directly, the platysma edges are sutured together in the midline through a small incision under the chin (platysmaplasty), and excess skin is redraped and removed through incisions behind the ears.
Younger patients with good skin sometimes need only liposuction; older patients need all three steps. The result is a sharper angle between chin and neck and a smoother contour along the jaw. Because the same incisions serve a facelift, many patients combine both operations in one session.
The platysma is a thin, paired sheet of muscle immediately under the skin of the neck, with almost no fat separating the two layers. It originates from the fascia overlying the upper chest and shoulder, fans upward and medially, and inserts into the lower border of the jaw, the skin of the lower face, and the muscles around the corners of the mouth. The two sides are not fused along the midline; in a youthful neck their medial edges lie close together or overlap slightly beneath the chin, creating a smooth surface. With age, and independent of weight change, these medial edges separate — a change surgeons call platysmal dehiscence. Once separated, the edges are held together by nothing but skin, so they become visible as two vertical cords running from the chin toward the collarbone, most obvious when the neck muscles contract while speaking or looking down. This is the anatomical basis of what patients call “turkey neck,” and it is a structural change in the muscle layer, not simply loose skin lying over an otherwise normal neck. Because of this, skin alone cannot correct the problem for long: if skin is tightened over muscle edges that remain apart, the bands tend to reappear as the skin relaxes again over the following months and years. Platysmaplasty — suturing the muscle edges back together — is what restores the sling and is the step that most determines how long a result lasts.
A neck lift and a facelift are anatomically adjacent but distinct operations, and the two are easy to conflate. A facelift repositions the SMAS, the fibromuscular layer beneath the cheeks, and redrapes cheek and jowl skin to soften nasolabial folds, marionette lines and jowling along the jawline. It does not reliably treat platysma bands or a full submental area, which sit below the zone it addresses. A neck lift, conversely, treats submental fat, the platysma muscle and neck skin, but does not lift sagging cheeks or soften folds around the mouth. A patient with isolated submental fullness and early banding, but a jawline and midface that are still well supported, is often served well by the neck alone. A patient with jowling, midface descent and neck laxity together typically needs both, because treating only one zone can make the untreated one look more pronounced by contrast. Surgeons weigh jowl volume, fold depth and cheek descent together, not age alone, to decide; and because the incision behind the ear is shared by both procedures, combining them in one session is technically straightforward when both are genuinely indicated.
Submental liposuction — removing fat from directly beneath the chin through a small incision — plays two different roles depending on the plan. As a standalone procedure it suits a narrower group than many patients expect: typically younger patients with a defined fat pocket, a platysma that has not yet separated, and skin elastic enough to redrape smoothly once the fat is gone. In that group, removing volume alone can sharpen the neck angle without any muscle or skin surgery, often under local anaesthesia or light sedation. As a step within a full neck lift, it serves a different purpose — clearing fat so the surgeon can see and access the platysma — performed before the muscle repair and skin redraping, not instead of them. In a patient with skin excess or separated bands, liposuction alone can disappoint: once the fat that was softening the contour is gone, the bands it was camouflaging become more visible, and skin that was stretched over the fat now hangs more noticeably.
Surgeons look for these points at the consultation.
Adults with loose neck skin, visible platysma bands or a full submental area, good general health and realistic expectations; skin that still retracts well gives the crispest result.
Reasons a good surgeon will ask you to wait or choose something else.
Smoking that cannot be paused, uncontrolled high blood pressure, bleeding disorders, active skin infection and body dysmorphic disorder.
Ask your surgeon which technique they recommend for you and why.
The two edges of the platysma muscle are stitched together through a small incision under the chin, removing vertical bands.
Excess skin is removed and redraped through incisions behind the ears.
Fat under the chin is removed through a tiny incision, sometimes as the only step in younger patients with good skin.
Step by step, from arrival to discharge.
The surgeon marks bands and fat with you upright; general anaesthesia or deep sedation follows.
A small incision in the chin crease allows fat removal and access to the platysma.
The muscle edges are sutured together to remove bands and define the angle under the jaw.
Through incisions behind the ears, skin is lifted, redraped and trimmed; drains are placed.
A compression strap is fitted; most patients stay one night and leave with drains out or removed at the first visit.
Frequencies follow published guidance; your personal risk depends on your health and the surgeon.
A neck lift is generally a safe, well-established operation, but it involves dissection close to several structures worth understanding before consenting. Swelling and bruising are universal and expected; haematoma is the complication surgeons watch for most closely in the first 24 hours, occurring somewhat more often in men and in anyone with uncontrolled blood pressure. The risk specific to neck surgery, and worth asking about directly, is injury to the marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve. This nerve runs close to the lower edge of the jawbone, in the same plane the surgeon works in to access the platysma, and controls the muscles that pull the lower lip and corner of the mouth down. Bruising or stretching it causes a temporary, lopsided smile; outright division is rare in experienced hands. The risks below range from near-universal and minor to rare and significant.
Expected for two to three weeks; a chin strap is worn day and night at first.
Blood collection under the skin, more frequent in men and with high blood pressure; drained early if it occurs.
The marginal mandibular nerve can be bruised, causing an uneven smile for weeks to months.
Loss of skin behind the ear, strongly linked to smoking.
Recovery from a neck lift is shaped by two things: the compression garment and the pattern in which swelling resolves. A chin strap is worn continuously, day and night, for about the first week, then only at night for one to two further weeks; it supports the redraped skin and the repaired muscle during early healing. Swelling is most pronounced in the first three to five days, often shifting downward and settling into fullness along the jawline and upper neck before gradually clearing — this is normal and not a sign that the muscle repair has failed. One pattern worth knowing in advance: mild residual tightness or a faint banded feeling under the chin can persist for several weeks after surgery. This is firmness in the healing tissue around the platysmaplasty sutures, not a return of the original muscle separation, and it typically softens between six and twelve weeks. Most patients feel comfortable in public, with a scarf or collar, by two to three weeks, while the final, settled contour continues to refine for up to six months.
Days 1-3
Compression garment on continuously, head elevated, drains removed on day one or two.
Week 1
Stitches removed around day seven; bruising fades from the neck.
Weeks 2-4
Presentable with a scarf or collar; avoid heavy lifting and turning the head sharply.
Months 2-6
Residual firmness softens and scars behind the ears mature.
Neck lift surgery can create a smoother transition between the jaw and neck, reduce vertical platysma bands and improve excess skin or fat beneath the chin.
The quality of the result depends heavily on identifying the anatomical cause of the patient's neck contour.
A patient whose primary problem is superficial fat may need a much smaller operation than a patient with:
Modern evidence supports this individualized approach.
A 2026 meta-analysis of 847 patients comparing open and closed neck rejuvenation techniques found different patient-reported outcomes depending on the procedure and use of liposuction. The authors concluded that closed techniques can perform very well in appropriately selected patients, while open techniques remain important when more extensive anatomical correction is necessary.
A systematic review of deeper neck surgery encompassing 8,648 patients found patient satisfaction ranging from approximately 81.6% to 98.6%, but techniques differed markedly and objective outcome measures were uncommon.
For platysma-focused surgery, pooled evidence from 2,106 patients found platysmal-band recurrence of approximately 1.4%.
Results are long lasting, but no neck lift stops ageing.
ASPS notes that healthy lifestyle habits and lifelong sun protection can help preserve the result.
We should not place a fixed claim such as “neck lift lasts exactly 10 years” on the page because reliable longevity depends on:
Three different operations are often grouped under “neck lift,” and price should reflect which one is actually being quoted. Submental liposuction alone, without muscle or skin work, is the least expensive option and is sometimes performed under local anaesthesia. Platysmaplasty with skin redraping — a full neck lift — costs more because it needs general anaesthesia or deep sedation, longer operating time, and usually a night of hospital observation with drains. Combining a neck lift with a facelift costs more again than either alone, though typically less than booking the two as separate operations, since theatre time, anaesthesia and aftercare overlap. When comparing quotes, confirm exactly which of these three is being priced.
From
€2,500$2,790£2,090
Typical range: €2,500$2,790£2,090€3,500$3,910£2,920
Prices for neck lift come from written quotes we hold on file, compared across 2 clinics in 1 destination. The full breakdown shows what each package covers and how it compares with having it done at home.
Why quotes for the same procedure differ, so you can compare packages fairly.
Options to weigh before deciding, surgical and non-surgical.
When the jawline sags too, a full face and neck lift gives a balanced result.
For younger patients with fat but good skin, liposuction under the chin is a short local-anaesthetic procedure.
A weak chin blurs the neck angle; an implant can sharpen the profile without a lift.
Ask the same questions at every consultation so you can compare answers.
The platysma is a broad, thin sheet of muscle immediately under the skin of the neck, with almost no fat separating the two layers. It originates from the fascia overlying the upper chest and shoulder, fans upward and medially, and inserts into the lower border of the jaw, the skin of the lower face, and the muscles around the corners of the mouth. The two sides are not fused along the midline; in a youthful neck, their medial edges lie close together or overlap slightly beneath the chin, creating a smooth, continuous surface. The muscle is supplied by the cervical branch of the facial nerve, and because it attaches into the lower lip and mouth muscles, it also plays a small role in lower lip movement and expression.
With age — independent of weight change — the medial edges of the two platysma muscles separate, a change surgeons call platysmal dehiscence. Once separated, the edges are held together by nothing but skin, so they become visible as two vertical cords running from the chin down toward the collarbone, most obvious when the neck muscles contract. This is the anatomical basis of what patients commonly call “turkey neck.” It is a structural change in the muscle layer, not simply a matter of loose skin lying over an otherwise normal neck.
This distinction matters clinically because skin alone cannot correct a muscle problem for long. If a surgeon only removes and re-tightens skin without addressing the separated platysma, the skin is pulled over muscle edges that remain apart; the bands may look slightly improved immediately after surgery because the skin is taut, but as the skin inevitably relaxes again, the same separated muscle reappears beneath it, and the bands return — often sooner than patients expect.
Platysmaplasty addresses the muscle directly. The most common approach, often called a corset or medial plication technique, brings the two medial edges of the muscle together with sutures running from just under the chin down toward the Adam’s apple area, re-creating a continuous muscular sling rather than two separated cords. Some surgeons also excise a narrow strip of redundant muscle before suturing if the separation is pronounced. Because this repair restores the structural support of the neck rather than only its surface appearance, it is this step — more than the amount of skin removed — that determines how sharp the chin-neck angle looks afterward, and how long that improvement holds.
A facelift and a neck lift are anatomically adjacent but distinct operations, and confusing them is one of the more common sources of mismatched expectations before surgery. A facelift lifts and repositions the SMAS and redrapes the skin of the cheeks and jowls, which softens nasolabial folds, marionette lines and jowling along the jawline. It does not, on its own, reliably treat platysma bands or a full submental area; those lie below the zone a facelift addresses. A neck lift, in turn, treats submental fat, the platysma muscle and the skin of the neck itself, but it does not lift sagging cheeks or soften deep folds around the mouth.
Deciding whether the neck alone is enough, or whether a facelift should be added, is a judgement made by examining several things together. A surgeon looks at how much the jowls and cheek skin have descended, how deep the nasolabial and marionette lines are, how much fat and muscle banding exists in the neck, and crucially, how these zones relate to each other visually. A younger patient with isolated submental fullness and early banding, but a jawline that is still well supported, is often served well by a neck lift — or even liposuction alone — without any facelift component. An older patient with jowling, midface descent and neck laxity typically needs both, because operating on only one zone can make the other look more pronounced by contrast: a newly tightened, youthful neck sitting directly beneath jowls and loose cheek skin that now draw more attention, not less.
There is also a practical, anatomical reason the two operations are so often combined rather than staged separately. The incision used for a neck lift — running behind the ear, sometimes extending into the lower scalp — is the same incision used for a facelift; a facelift simply extends it forward around the ear to the temple and sideburn. When both procedures are needed, performing them together means one general anaesthetic, one recovery period and one set of scars.
None of this means a neck lift alone is a lesser option — for the right anatomy, it is the appropriate and sufficient procedure, and adding a facelift a patient does not need adds cost, scarring and recovery time without a corresponding benefit.
Not every patient who wants a sharper neck angle needs the complete neck lift described elsewhere on this page. The right procedure depends less on age as a number and more on three specific findings: how much fat is present under the chin, whether the platysma muscle has separated into visible bands, and how well the skin itself would be expected to retract once volume is removed.
Submental liposuction alone — removing fat through a small incision under the chin, without touching the muscle or trimming skin — suits patients who have a defined pocket of fat but skin that still has good elastic recoil and a platysma that has not yet separated. This group is typically, though not exclusively, younger: late twenties through forties. Surgeons often assess this during examination with a simple skin pinch test and by asking the patient to tense the neck to check for bands; if the skin pinches thin and springs back promptly, and no bands appear on tensing, fat removal by itself can sharpen the jawline without further surgery.
A full neck lift — combining liposuction, platysmaplasty and skin redraping — becomes necessary once any of three things are present: visible platysma bands, skin loose enough that it would not retract smoothly over a flatter neck, or a combination of modest fat with more significant skin excess. This group is more often, though again not exclusively, in their fifties and beyond, but skin quality and sun exposure history matter more than age alone.
Choosing liposuction alone in a patient who actually needs muscle repair or skin excision is a common cause of disappointment. Removing the fat pad does not address a separated muscle; if anything, it can make platysma bands more visible once the fat that was softening the contour is gone. Likewise, removing fat from skin that lacks elasticity leaves a loose, slightly crepey envelope with nothing underneath to fill it. This is why a surgeon examining the neck in person — rather than a request for “liposuction” by name — should determine which procedure is appropriate.
Every neck lift carries a risk that is specific to this anatomical area and worth understanding precisely rather than filing under generic “nerve damage.” The marginal mandibular branch is one of the terminal branches of the facial nerve, which controls movement in the muscles of facial expression. After leaving the parotid gland, this branch runs forward along, and sometimes just below, the lower border of the jawbone before reaching the muscles that pull the lower lip and corner of the mouth downward and outward. Its job is subtle but visible: it is largely responsible for a full, symmetrical smile and for the ability to pull one side of the lower lip down independently.
This nerve sits in harm’s way during a neck lift because the dissection needed to access the platysma muscle and submental fat happens in the same region the nerve travels through, and the nerve itself is thin, lacks the clear landmarks of some other nerves, and in a meaningful proportion of people runs below the lower border of the jaw rather than strictly along it, bringing it closer to the surgical field. Surgeons manage this risk by staying within known safe anatomical planes, identifying the facial vein and lower border of the mandible as landmarks, and limiting electrocautery once dissection nears that area.
When this nerve is affected, the result is a temporary, asymmetric smile or an impaired ability to pull one side of the lower lip downward — the mouth can look subtly uneven when speaking or smiling broadly, while staying symmetrical at rest in most cases. In the great majority of cases this is a neuropraxia: the nerve has been bruised, stretched or irritated by retraction or swelling, not cut, and function returns over weeks to a few months. Permanent injury, where the nerve has been divided, is uncommon in the hands of an experienced facial surgeon operating in the correct plane, but it is not zero — which is why it is listed as a named risk rather than grouped under general bruising or swelling.
Patients are sometimes alarmed to hear this nerve named specifically in consent discussions, but that specificity is a sign of a thorough consultation rather than a reason for alarm.
Patients researching a neck lift will usually encounter two non-surgical options: deoxycholic acid injections for fat reduction, and radiofrequency-based skin-tightening devices. Both have a legitimate, if narrow, place in treating early neck concerns, and both are frequently oversold as alternatives to surgery for patients who are not, in fact, good candidates for them.
Deoxycholic acid is an injectable solution that works by disrupting the membrane of fat cells at the injection site, causing them to break down and be cleared gradually by the body; it is approved in several markets specifically for reducing submental fat. A typical course involves several sessions, commonly up to around six, spaced at least a month apart. Swelling afterward can be substantial and last days to a couple of weeks, often more pronounced than patients expect, and bruising and temporary numbness are common; rarer side effects include difficulty swallowing and, because injections are placed in the region the marginal mandibular nerve travels through, temporary asymmetry of the lower lip. Critically, this treatment reduces fat volume only — it does not tighten skin and does not address a separated platysma.
Radiofrequency and similar energy-based skin-tightening devices work differently: they deliver controlled heat to the deeper layers of skin to stimulate collagen contraction, producing a modest tightening effect on mild skin laxity. Results are gradual, generally require multiple sessions, and are measured in millimetres of improvement rather than the change a surgical lift produces; they have no meaningful ability to correct platysma banding or to remove redundant skin once skin excess is moderate or greater.
The honest summary for a patient comparing options is that these treatments work well for the same narrow group who would also be reasonable candidates for liposuction alone — mild fat, good skin, no bands — and do not work for the two things that most often bring a patient to a neck lift in the first place: a separated platysma and genuinely excess skin.
A neck lift uses two incision sites, both chosen to hide the resulting scar within natural contours or hair-bearing skin rather than on visible, flat skin. The first is a small, horizontal incision placed directly in the natural crease under the chin, usually only a few centimetres long. This is the access point for submental liposuction and for the platysmaplasty suturing of the muscle; because it sits within an existing skin fold, it is difficult to see once healed.
The second incision, used when skin is being redraped and trimmed rather than only muscle and fat addressed, runs behind the ear: typically starting around or just behind the earlobe, following the natural crease where the ear meets the scalp, and extending up and back into the hair-bearing skin behind the ear. When a facelift is performed in the same session, the same incision is extended forward as part of the longer facelift incision. In either case, the goal is the same: placing the scar where hair, the natural fold behind the ear, or the skin crease under the chin camouflages it.
Healing follows a fairly predictable pattern. Scars are typically pink or slightly raised in the first six to eight weeks, soften and begin to flatten over the following two to three months, and continue to fade in colour for up to a year. By the time they are fully mature, usually between six and twelve months, most patients and the people around them do not notice them at ordinary social viewing distance and lighting.
Scar quality is not identical for everyone, and a few factors make a visible or thickened scar more likely regardless of surgical technique: smoking, a personal or family history of hypertrophic or keloid scarring, and incisions closed under tension. Sun exposure to a scar in its first six to twelve months can darken it, which is why sun protection over the incision areas is standard aftercare.
Not always. If the jowls and midface are still firm, a neck lift alone corrects the neck. When the lower face sags too, surgeons usually recommend combining both, because lifting the neck alone can make jowls look more obvious.
Most patients keep a clearly improved neck for ten years or more. Ageing continues, but the muscle repair and skin removal give a durable foundation.
Plan for seven to ten days so stitches can be removed and any early haematoma managed before you fly.
A facelift lifts and tightens the cheeks and jawline, softening jowls and the folds around the mouth. A neck lift treats the area below that: fat under the chin, platysma muscle bands, and loose neck skin. They address neighbouring but different zones, which is why many patients need one, the other, or — when both areas have aged — both together in one operation.
Only for a narrow group. Deoxycholic acid injections and radiofrequency skin tightening can help patients with mild fat and no muscle banding or significant skin excess. Neither treatment repairs a separated platysma muscle or removes redundant skin, the two problems that usually bring a patient to surgery in the first place.
Possibly, if you have a defined pocket of fat under the chin, skin that springs back promptly when pinched, and no visible vertical bands when you tense your neck. This combination is more common in younger patients. If bands are present or skin lacks elasticity, liposuction alone can disappoint, since it tightens neither muscle nor skin.
Because the two zones age together and share the same incision behind the ear, which a facelift simply extends forward around the ear. Combining them means one anaesthetic and one recovery period instead of two separate operations months apart, and avoids the mismatched look of a newly tightened neck sitting beneath jowls that have not been addressed.
It is a branch of the facial nerve that runs near the lower jawbone and controls the muscles that pull the lower lip and mouth corner downward. It passes through the same area a neck lift operates in, so bruising or stretching it is a named, specific risk. Most cases are temporary and recover over weeks to months as swelling resolves.
A small scar sits in the natural crease under the chin, and a longer one runs behind the ear into the hairline, extending further if combined with a facelift. Both are placed to hide within natural folds or hair. Scars stay pink for the first couple of months, then fade over six to twelve months into a fine, usually inconspicuous line.
No. Platysma bands come from the neck muscle separating, not from fat, so liposuction cannot correct them and can sometimes make them more visible by removing the fat that was softening the contour. Bands need platysmaplasty — suturing the muscle edges back together — a different step performed through the same chin incision.
Treatment is typically given as a series of sessions, commonly up to around six, spaced at least a month apart, with each session consisting of several small injections under the chin. Swelling afterward can be more pronounced than patients expect and last one to two weeks. It reduces fat only and does not tighten skin or correct muscle banding.
Not for the same patients. Radiofrequency can produce a modest tightening effect over several sessions in people with mild skin laxity, but the improvement is measured in millimetres, not the visible change a surgical lift produces. Once skin excess is moderate or greater, surgically removing and redraping the skin is the only reliable way to correct it.
Firmness and mild residual tightness around the muscle repair are normal for several weeks and should not be confused with the original bands returning. Most patients notice this softening steadily between six and twelve weeks, with the neck continuing to refine in appearance for up to six months.
The combined operation needs more surgeon time and a longer anaesthetic than a neck lift alone, which raises the price. But because the two procedures share the same incision, anaesthesia set-up and a single recovery period, combining them is usually priced lower than booking a neck lift and a facelift as two fully separate operations.
Some numbness of the neck and lower face skin is common after surgery, because small sensory nerves in the skin are inevitably stretched or temporarily affected during dissection — separate from the marginal mandibular nerve that controls lip movement. Sensation typically returns gradually over weeks to a few months.
Yes, though it is less commonly needed after a muscle-repair neck lift than after a skin-only lift, since platysmaplasty addresses the underlying muscle rather than just the surface skin. Continued natural ageing after surgery can eventually bring some loosening back, and a secondary procedure years later is a reasonable option if it does.
Generally yes, as a primary treatment. Neither deoxycholic acid injections nor radiofrequency devices repair a separated platysma muscle, which is what causes visible bands. These treatments suit fat reduction or mild skin tightening in patients without bands; if bands are visible, a consultation about platysmaplasty is more likely to give a lasting result.
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