Neck Lift

Neck lift — cervicoplasty — is the operation that redefines the jawline by tightening loose neck skin, eliminating the vertical platysmal bands and removing excess fat under the chin. It is the right operation for those with a still-toned face but a neck that tells their age — a situation that describes most anglosphere patients between 45 and 60 who contact us.

The neck ages on its own timeline, separate from the face. The skin slackens, the platysma (the subcutaneous muscle running from clavicle to mandible) loses tone and forms two visible vertical bands when the patient speaks or purses the lips, and fat accumulates under the chin creating the so-called "turkey neck" or double chin even in lean patients. Liposuction alone cannot correct all of this: once skin has lost elasticity, removing only the fat leaves a crepey look. Neck lift addresses the problem in its entirety — skin, muscle and fat in a single operation.

Who the neck lift is suitable for

The patients we operate on typically present loose neck skin or visible platysmal bands, with a still-toned face; a double chin — submental fat accumulation — that liposuction alone cannot correct because of skin laxity; a jawline that has lost definition while cheeks and midface are still in good position; realistic expectations of a rejuvenated neck — not an entirely transformed face; and are non-smokers at the time of surgery — smoking compromises skin healing and increases complication risk in the neck area.

Neck lift or full facelift?

It is the question we address at first consultation. The answer is not "more surgery = better result": it depends on what is ageing you. If the problem is limited to the neck and jawline — bands, double chin, sagging neck skin — isolated neck lift is the right choice. More hidden incision, shorter recovery, lower cost.

If, on the other hand, you also have deflated cheeks, deep nasolabial folds and sagging skin along the upper mandible, neck lift alone will produce an unbalanced result: a rejuvenated neck under a face that looks the same as before. In that case, full facelift (with or without deep-plane technique) is the correct choice. At consultation we assess the face as a whole — we do not sell you the bigger operation to upsell, but we do not sell you the smaller one if your case requires more.

The male "turkey neck"

Male patients form a significant and growing share of our neck lift practice. The anglosphere male — 50+, often executive or professional, often someone who has maintained his weight well — is frustrated by the one feature that most reliably gives his age away on a Zoom call or in a photograph: the neck. Neck lift on men requires a specific approach, because the male skin is thicker, the beard growth zone limits incision options, and the typical male aesthetic goal is "I don't want anyone to know". We operate on men weekly and the approach differs from female technique.

The surgery, step by step

The neck lift is performed under general anaesthesia in a JCI-accredited hospital, with a dedicated anaesthesiologist present throughout. Duration is typically two to three hours. One overnight stay in hospital is standard.

Incisions are hidden around the ears and, when central platysmal correction is also required, a small incision hidden under the chin. Through these access points, the surgeon tightens the platysma muscle at the midline (platysmaplasty — the step that eliminates the vertical bands), removes excess fat under the chin via targeted liposuction or direct excision, and repositions neck skin by lifting toward the ears. Excess skin is removed and incisions closed with fine sutures that mature into practically invisible scars hidden in the post-auricular fold.

Recovery

Weeks 1–2

Compression band under the chin worn twenty-four hours a day for the first week, then night-only for another week. Moderate bruising and swelling, concentrated under the chin and along the jawline. Sutures removed between day seven and ten. Return to desk work is realistic from week two — with a high collar or a scarf to cover the band in the first days.

Weeks 3–6

Swelling resolves progressively. Shape begins to define and the jawline becomes visible again. By week six most patients are back to fully normal life, including full physical exercise.

Months 3–6

Final shape settles. Scar maturation around the ears continues for twelve to eighteen months, until fine practically-invisible lines.

Risks and realistic expectations

Honest risks: haematoma (blood collection under the skin that may require a small drainage), temporary weakness of the marginal mandibular nerve that can alter lower lip movement (almost always temporary, resolves within weeks or months), residual scar visibility (minimised by careful post-auricular placement), and — rarely — asymmetries requiring a small touch-up.

Results typically last ten to fifteen years. The neck then ages at the natural rate of the rest of the face, but from a better starting position than it would have had without surgery. Many patients describe the result not as "looking younger" but as "looking rested" — which is the right language: a neck lift done well should not shout "surgery", it should return a clean jawline that friends do not identify as "operated".

Why Istanbul versus other destinations

Neck lift is a precision operation where the difference between a natural result and a "giveaway" one is measured in millimetres. Skin tension must be exactly right — too much, and the patient looks pulled; too little, and the result lasts a year. The marginal mandibular nerve runs through the operative field and must be respected with detailed anatomical knowledge. Platysmal correction requires a technique only weekly repetition teaches. Our surgeons perform operations on the lower and middle face every week, in JCI-accredited hospitals.

Dr. Mustafa Ekrem Güleş approves every patient clinically before surgery.

Why not the €1,500 neck lift

On the neck, the rock-bottom price is paid in permanent nerve weaknesses, visible asymmetries and hypertrophic scars in front of the ears. A clinic quoting neck lift at €1,500 often performs only liposuction and calls it a "lift" — which on the right patient can work, but on loose skin produces a result worse than the starting point. Or they skip the central platysmaplasty and the vertical bands remain even after the operation, forcing the patient into a revision.

What you pay for with us is verifiable: honest assessment of whether you actually need a lift or whether liposuction alone is enough, central platysmaplasty when indicated, plastic surgeon specialised in the lower third of the face, dedicated anaesthesiologist, JCI-accredited hospital, compression band included, follow-up at 1, 3 and 6 months via WhatsApp in English.

Threads, radiofrequency, Ultherapy — when they suffice and when they don't

Many anglosphere patients arrive after trying PDO threads, HIFU/Ultherapy, radiofrequency (Morpheus8, Thermage) or laser for the neck — and have realised none of these resolved the platysmal bands or truly loose skin. We owe you honesty: if you have skin still reasonably toned and only early laxity, a non-surgical treatment can be the right choice. But if platysmal bands are visible when you speak and neck skin folds when you drop your chin, no energy-based technology will resolve the problem. We tell you so at consultation before you book a flight.

English-speaking team — from first message to six-month follow-up

Our team replies in English on WhatsApp, phone and email. We understand that the decision to operate on your face requires discretion and trust with whoever follows you, and we provide that in English from the first quote through the six-month check-up. Questions about recovery times, the compression band, when to be seen again — all in English, with same-day response.

Request your free quote — our team replies in UK/IE business hours and in a second window covering US Eastern through Australian morning. Photo-based pre-assessment on the same day.