Neck Lift

The neck is one of the first areas to show obvious signs of aging. This is due to the natural loss of collagen and elastin proteins in the skin, as well as the effects of gravity pulling the tissue downward. Sun exposure, genetics, smoking, ligament stretching, fat loss, and weight loss or gain can also affect how the delicate tissues in the neck age over time. Neck lifts can make patients look instantly younger by restoring youthful, strong contour lines.

Our highly experienced, board-certified plastic surgeons have performed thousands of cosmetic and reconstructive procedures. We invite you to book a consultation to discuss your goals and treatment options.

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Neck lifts treat:

  • Sagging and excess neck skin

  • Double chin

  • Jawline drooping

  • Neck wrinkles

  • Fatty deposits or jowls around the mouth

The goal of the neck lift is to make the neck look naturally more youthful, slimmer, defined, lifted, and tightened. Poor neck lifts can look overstretched, making the neck tissue look different than the facial tissue. As board-certified plastic surgeons, we are experts at handling delicate neck skin, fascia, fat, and muscular tissue planes to achieve noticeable yet natural-looking results. We want to accentuate your natural beauty, versus making it clear that you had work done.

What to Expect

Before your neck lift, we’ll set up a consultation and talk about your goals, medical history, and procedural options based on your anatomy. We’ll take measurements and photographs and will recommend a treatment based on your desired outcomes and anatomy. We’ll also talk about the procedure, anesthesia, potential risks and complications, recovery, and aftercare instructions.

The neck lift procedure is conducted while the patient is under anesthesia and typically lasts less than two hours. Initially, discreet incisions are made around the back of the ears and into the hairline, through which fat deposits in the neck or jowls are removed or redistributed. To contour the jawline, an additional incision may be made under the chin to remove any excess skin or fat. Following this, we may tighten the platysma muscle and remove any excess skin in the neck area. Finally, sutures are used to close the incisions.

Our expertise in plastic surgery ensures that we skillfully close incisions and take into account each patient’s unique surgical objectives and physical features to produce optimal outcomes. The incision scars from a neck lift are typically inconspicuous because they are concealed by the ear and hairline contours.

We perform neck lifts as outpatient procedures at our accredited Northern Arizona SurgiCenter in Flagstaff. After the procedure, you will stay for observation and will need a ride home. Neck lift patients typically feel ready to return to work and do everyday activities within one to two weeks. Our neck lift patients usually see final results within six weeks. Some bruising and swelling after the procedure are normal.

Medical Review: This procedural information has been medically reviewed by plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Brian A. Cripe, M.D.

Neck Lift Before and After Photos

For privacy, we reserve the majority of before and after photos for viewing during in-office consultations. The cases presented are representative and shared with permission.

Neck Lift Recovery and Aftercare

To optimize healing, we ask our patients to follow these recovery guidelines after their neck lift. If you notice increased redness, discharge, or pain near your incision, please give us a call right away.

  • Incision Aftercare: Please keep the incision areas clean and dry, and be gentle with them. If we use dissolvable stitches, they don’t need to be removed. If we use removable stitches, we’ll see you in a week post-op to remove them.

  • Medications: You’ll be prescribed pain medications and an antibiotic ointment. Please apply the ointment to the incision areas for the first week after surgery.

  • Support Garment: You’ll receive a compression garment to wear for the first week continuously, and then just at night for the next three weeks. 

  • Scar Massage: Around two weeks after surgery, your incisions should be healed and ready to start scar massage. Gently massage a moisturizer – Aquaphor, Cetaphil, or cocoa butter are great – into the incision areas. Please don’t invest in an expensive scar cream. The most beneficial part of scar massage is the massage – not the lotion.

  • Water Exposure: You can shower 48 hours after surgery, but please avoid using hot water. No swimming, bathing, or fully submerging the neck in water for at least four weeks to reduce the risk of infection.

  • Sun Protection: Protect your neck from sun damage by wearing sunscreen and minimizing sun exposure.

  • Exercise: You can walk right away or as soon as you feel ready for light exercise, but avoid strenuous exercises for two to four weeks.

  • Laser Treatments: Laser skin resurfacing treatments complement neck lift surgery by promoting cellular turnover and collagen production, which help tighten the skin. We may offer these treatments in the office during your follow-up visits if we feel the neck could benefit from added rejuvenation.

Neck Lift FAQs

Every plastic surgery practice offers different pricing, based on their location and fee structures. The national average procedural cost of a neck lift is just shy of $6,000, plus charges for surgical facilities, anesthesia, and medications. Prices can vary based on your plastic surgeon.

Full facelifts address signs of sagging and aging in the bottom two-thirds of the face as well as the neck, whereas neck lifts just focus on the neck. Patients who feel that their neck has disproportionately aged before their face may be good candidates for a neck lift versus a full facelift or mini facelift procedure. Neck lifts tend to be less expensive than full facelifts. The recovery period and aftercare for both procedures are similar.

Good neck lift candidates are healthy, nonsmokers, and don’t have any medical conditions that would disrupt healthy wound healing processes. BMI is also a factor we consider. When you meet with one of our surgeons for your neck lift consultation, we will discuss your goals and anatomy to determine which cosmetic procedures would be best suited to meet your unique needs.

At our practice, we offer interest-free financing options through Care Credit and PatientFi.

Neck lifts can only be performed surgically, but sometimes patients ask us about “nonsurgical neck lifts.” While these treatments yield temporary results, they can slow down the signs of aging in the neck or complement a neck lift. Popular non-surgical facial procedures include: 

  • Botox: Botox relaxes muscles that can cause wrinkles. Botox injections in the forehead help prevent and reduce the appearance of wrinkles in the upper face. We can also inject Botox in the platysmal muscle bands to relax those muscle fibers, smoothing the neck contours. Botox injections in the masseters can slim the lower face and also alleviate jaw clenching or tension headaches.
  • Laser Skin Resurfacing: We use fractionated or infrared lasers to rejuvenate skin, reduce dark spots, and stimulate healthy cellular turnover. 
  • Dermal Fillers: Dermal fillers can be used to augment the cheeks, lips, jawline, and chin. We can also use fillers to restore youthful volume in areas of the face and neck that are sunken in or drooping.
  • Microneedling: Microneedling can help treat scars and wrinkles. We use tiny, thin needles to make holes in the outer layer of your skin, stimulating collagen and elastin production.

Our highly trained and experienced aestheticians also offer chemical peels, dermaplaning, facials, and hydrafacials.

You May Also Be Interested In:

View All Procedures

  • Chin Surgery

  • Dermal Fillers

  • Eyelid Surgery

  • Hydrafacial

  • Laser Skin Resurfacing

  • Mini Facelift

Book Your Neck Lift Appointment

Our experienced, board-certified plastic surgeons would love to bring you in for a consultation to discuss your goals and treatment options. Fill out this form to receive a call-back shortly, or give us a call at 928-774-2300.