Even with the most rigorous skincare regimes, the aging process, sun damage and weight loss can all lead to your neck skin loosing elasticity and the excess skin appearing wrinkled or saggy. This loose skin around your lower face, jowls and neck area can lead to the appearance of ‘turkey neck’. You may also notice the appearance of bands of muscles as you get older.

Having neck lift surgery can help to correct these visible signs. A neck lift procedure is usually done in combination with a facelift or browlift. Your cosmetic surgeon will advise exactly what type of procedure will work best for you.

What happens during neck lift surgery?

A neck lift procedure is normally done as part of facelift surgery, which involves making cuts just in front and behind your ears. To do the neck lift, your plastic surgeon will usually need to make a small incision in the skin underneath your chin to reach a neck muscle and tighten it removing the creases and sagging skin.

As part of your cosmetic neck surgery, sometimes you might have liposuction too, for instance to remove the excess fat which produces the appearance of a double chin. This involves removing fat through the incisions in your skin. Your surgeon will lift and tighten the skin across your neck, and stitch it into place.

The surgery is usually carried out under sedation or a local anaesthetic. There is not normally any need for a general anaesthetic.

Recovery and what to expect after a neck lift

After neck lift surgery, you’re likely to have some dressings around your neck, and it will feel tight and sore after the surgery. You’ll be given painkillers to help manage this.

It can take several weeks for the skin on your neck to settle down, and you may need to wait up to nine months to judge the final results.

Your surgeon will tell you more about your recovery, including recovery times, aftercare, pain relief and potential complications to look out for. This will depend on the exact type of procedure you have.

Aftercare might include wearing something to compress your neck to help reduce swelling.

Neck lift costs and fees

Cosmetic surgery procedures, including neck lift surgery, aren’t typically available through private medical insurance. You’ll usually need to self-fund this treatment. The costs for neck lifts in the UK vary depending on the exact surgical procedure you undergo and your choice of hospital and surgeon.

Typically, an initial consultation with the surgeon will cost between £100 to £250 depending on where you live. If you move forwards with the procedure, you’ll be offered one of the following.

• An all-inclusive ‘package price’, where you know the full costs before undergoing treatment. Not all consultants and hospitals offer this.
• A ‘fee-per-service’ deal, where you receive different invoices from the surgeon, the anaesthetist and the hospital. You often won’t know the full costs until you receive the invoices.

For more information, you can read our guide on self-pay.

Other forms of plastic surgery

Neck lift surgery is carried out on the lower part of your face and your neckline. If you are concerned about your appearance elsewhere on your face, you may wish to consider eyelid surgery or a nose job. You can read more about these and other types of cosmetic surgery in the Help and Advice section of our website. 

Sources

• Pérez P & Hohman MH. Neck rejuvenation. StatPearls. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, last updated 17 February 2021.
• Alexander L & Patel BC. Platysmaplasty facelift. StatPearls. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, last updated 25 February 2021.
• Facelift and neck lift. British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS). baaps.org.uk (accessed 28 April 2021).
• Platysmaplasty facelift. Medscape. emedicine.medscape.com, updated 25 April 2019.