Necklift: A Clear Guide to Rejuvenating the Jawline and Neck

A well-defined jawline and smooth neck signal health and vitality. Yet the neck often shows age and lifestyle first: skin thins and loses elasticity, platysma bands appear, fat accumulates above and beneath the muscle, and the chin–neck angle blunts. Weight changes and genetics can accentuate these shifts. With constant video calls and “tech neck,” more people are scrutinizing their profiles and asking what can be done.

If you’re curious about what this surgery can achieve, whether you’re a candidate, and how the process unfolds from consultation to recovery, this guide covers the essentials in plain language, with real-world examples to help you visualize outcomes and timelines.

What a Necklift Can and Can’t Accomplish

A necklift aims to restore a clean transition from the jawline to the neck and a more acute cervicomental angle (the angle beneath the chin). It can:

• Smooth vertical platysmal bands and horizontal neck creases
• Reduce submental fullness (a “double chin”) and jawline heaviness
• Remove redundant skin under the chin and along the neck
• Improve asymmetry and blunting from weight changes or aging
• Enhance jawline definition, often alongside a facelift

A necklift can’t:

• Change bone structure. A weak chin or small jaw may limit results without augmentation
• Erase every fine line; thin, crepey skin can improve but not become “new”
• Replace healthy habits; weight gain or sun damage will still affect results
• Match a facelift when jowling and midface descent dominate

Realistic expectations matter. Understanding what a well-executed result looks like can help you feel prepared and informed. A successful necklift should look natural and refreshed, not “done.” Friends may say you look rested or “like yourself, but younger,” rather than guess you had surgery.

Necklift Techniques and Terminology, Demystified

There’s no single approach to a necklift; surgeons tailor techniques to your anatomy. Common elements include:

• Liposuction: Removes fat above the platysma. Helpful for younger patients with good elasticity and isolated fullness. Limited effect on loose skin or bands.
• Cervicoplasty: Excises redundant neck skin, usually with deeper work to avoid skin tension and wide scars.
• Platysmaplasty: Tightens and reshapes the platysma muscle. Two main approaches:
• Midline (anterior) platysmaplasty: A small incision under the chin allows the surgeon to suture the medial muscle edges, much like a corset, smoothing the bands and sharpening the neck angle.
• Lateral platysmaplasty: The muscle is anchored laterally through incisions around the ear, suspending the platysma to lift and define the jawline.
• Deep neck contouring: In selected patients, the surgeon may address subplatysmal fat (beneath the muscle), reduce bulky anterior digastric muscles, or contour prominent submandibular glands. These maneuvers can refine challenging necks but require advanced expertise and careful selection.
• Incisions and anesthesia: Incisions are typically hidden under the chin (for access to fat and platysma) or around the ears and sometimes slightly into the hairline (to remove skin and redrape). Surgery can be performed under general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation, depending on the complexity and the surgeon’s preference.
• Combined procedures: Often, this surgery is paired with: Facelift (for jowls and midface descent), Chin augmentation (implant or filler) to enhance projection, Skin-quality treatments (laser, peels, microneedling) after healing to improve texture

Terms like “deep plane,” “mini,” or “limited incision” describe how and where tissue is released and repositioned. The best technique is the one that safely addresses your anatomy and goals, not a branded approach.

Are You a Candidate for a Necklift?

Understanding the factors that determine candidacy for a necklift can help you assess whether this procedure is right for you. A useful framework for candidacy is the three-layer skin, fat, and muscle, plus your skeletal support.

• Skin: Good elasticity favors liposuction or limited skin removal. Significant laxity or sun-damaged, thin, crepey skin often requires more skin redraping and excision to avoid residual looseness.
• Fat: Fullness above the platysma responds to liposuction; fullness below the platysma may require open removal. Patients with little fat but prominent bands need muscle work rather than fat removal.
• Muscle: Visible vertical bands signal platysma laxity or separation. Surgery can reunite and tighten the muscle, smoothing the contour.
• Bone structure: A weak chin or recessed jaw can undermine even a technically perfect result. Augmenting chin projection can dramatically improve the neck angle and overall balance. Conversely, strong skeletal support may allow a less aggressive approach.

Other candidacy considerations:

• Age matters less than tissue quality and overall health; suitable candidates range from their late 30s to 70 years and older.
• Stable weight helps optimize and prolong results; significant fluctuations can affect the contour.
• Non-smokers heal better; nicotine compromises blood flow and increases complications.
• Medical conditions and medications that affect bleeding or healing must be reviewed.
• Goals should align with what surgery can deliver; photographs help clarify desired outcomes.

• Days 3–7: Bruising and swelling peak, then begin to subside. Sutures under the chin may come out around days 5–7; around-the-ear sutures often come out around days 7–10. Sleep with your head elevated and avoid turning your neck aggressively.
• Weeks 2–3: Most patients feel “socially presentable.” Light activity resumes; many return to desk work. Numbness, mild asymmetry from swelling, and a feeling of tightness are common and normal.
• Weeks 4–6: Bruising resolves; swelling continues to refine. You can usually resume exercise gradually. Scars begin to soften; scar care (as advised by your surgeon) supports a discreet result.
• Months 3–6: Final definition emerges as deep swelling resolves. Sensation normalizes. You can proceed with complementary skin care treatments if desired.

Best practices to protect your results:

• Maintain stable blood pressure and avoid strenuous activity early to minimize the risk of bleeding.
• Avoid nicotine before and after surgery for the period your surgeon specifies.
• Follow incision care and sun protection guidelines closely; UV exposure can cause scars to darken.
• Maintain a steady weight and a simple skincare routine to extend longevity.

Results commonly last 8–12 years, depending on genetics, lifestyle, and weight stability. Aging continues, but most patients retain a better baseline contour than they would have without surgery.

Risks, Trade‑Offs, and How to Choose a Surgeon

All surgery carries risks. Understanding them—and how your surgeon mitigates them—helps you make a confident decision.

Potential risks with a necklift include:

• Hematoma (bleeding under the skin), usually within 24 hours; urgent treatment prevents complications
• Infection or delayed wound healing, more common in smokers or patients with diabetes
• Nerve injury: temporary weakness of the lip (marginal mandibular nerve) can occur; permanent injury is rare in experienced hands
• Skin or hairline changes: widened scars, hair loss around incisions, or visible contour irregularities
• Asymmetry or recurrent banding over time
• Contour issues from over- or under-resection of fat, or persistent submandibular gland prominence

Risk reduction strategies:

• Choose a board‑certified plastic surgeon or facial plastic surgeon with substantial experience in this procedure
• Share your complete medical history and medications honestly
• Follow all pre‑ and postoperative instructions, including holding blood thinners as advised
• Prioritize a surgeon who emphasizes conservative, layered reshaping over excessive skin tension

Evaluating a Surgeon for a Necklift

• Review many before‑and‑after photos of patients like you, including profiles and oblique views.
• Ask how often they perform this surgery and which techniques they use in various scenarios.
• Discuss incision placement, expected scars, and whether drains or compression garments are used.
• Clarify anesthesia, facility accreditation, and emergency protocols.
• Get a detailed cost estimate, including surgeon, facility, and anesthesia fees.
• Geographic ranges vary widely, but a comprehensive procedure in the U.S. commonly costs several thousand to well over ten thousand dollars, depending on its complexity.

Non-surgical alternatives—such as radiofrequency microneedling, ultrasound tightening, neuromodulators for subtle banding, and deoxycholic acid for small fat pockets—can help address mild issues or maintain results, but they can’t replicate the effects of surgery when skin and muscle laxity are substantial.

Practical Examples: How Decisions and Timelines Play Out

• Case 1: Early fullness without laxity. A 42-year-old individual notices a soft, double chin on video calls, but has smooth skin and no visible bands. The examination reveals subcutaneous fat above the platysma, good skin elasticity, and a strong chin projection. Plan: Submental liposuction through a tiny incision under the chin. Recovery: Mild swelling and a compression wrap for a week; back to work in 3–5 days. Result: A crisper profile without changing facial character. If fullness returns with weight gain, touch‑ups are possible.
• Case 2: Banding and blunted angle. A 56-year-old patient presents with vertical bands, moderate skin laxity, and submental heaviness. Plan: Anterior platysmaplasty (midline corset) via a submental incision, limited liposuction to contour, and lateral platysma suspension through small incisions around the ears to redrape skin conservatively. Recovery: Drains for 24–48 hours, then wrap for 1–2 weeks. Sutures are removed by days 7–10. Back to desk work in 10–14 days. Result: Smoother neck, a sharper cervicomental angle, and a natural jawline without a pulled look.
• Case 3: Jowls plus neck laxity. A 64-year-old individual exhibits jowls, a square jawline resulting from tissue descent, and loose neck skin. Plan: Combined facelift with neck work to reposition descended tissue, plus a corset platysmaplasty to smooth bands; an optional small chin implant to improve projection and balance. Recovery: Similar arc with more swelling; social downtime is typically 2–3 weeks. Result: Comprehensive lower face and neck rejuvenation with harmonized contours.
• Case 4: Thick neck and strong glands. A 50-year-old individual with thick skin and prominent subplatysmal fat exhibits limited improvement from prior non-invasive treatments. Plan: Deep neck contouring under the chin to remove subplatysmal fat, possible reduction of bulky anterior digastric muscle, and selective management of visible submandibular gland fullness as indicated. Recovery: Slightly more swelling and longer compression; return to normal activities by week 3–4. Result: A markedly improved neck angle achievable only with access to deeper layers.

These scenarios demonstrate why a tailored approach is crucial: the best outcome results from matching technique to anatomy, rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all procedure.

Actionable Takeaways

• Start with a clear goal: a sharper jawline, a smoother neck, or both. Bring reference photos of yourself at a younger age and examples you like.
• Seek evaluation from a board‑certified surgeon who frequently performs this surgery; review cases similar to yours.
• Ask how your skin, fat, muscle, and bone structure will be addressed—and why.
• Plan adequate downtime: at least 10–14 days for social recovery, with longer periods recommended for strenuous activity.
• Protect your investment: a stable weight, sun protection, and a simple skincare routine can extend results; consider periodic non-invasive maintenance for optimal skin quality.

A necklift, executed thoughtfully, can restore a clean, confident profile without changing your identity. With realistic expectations, careful surgeon selection, and attentive recovery, the procedure offers one of the most satisfying—and enduring—rejuvenations in aesthetic surgery.