Neck lift in Turkey

A neck lift tightens the loose skin and the slackened muscle bands under the jaw, and removes or repositions the fat that blurs the line between jaw and neck. It is the operation people look for when the jawline has softened and the neck no longer looks separate from the chin.

One thing to clear up first, because it causes real confusion on this page: **turkey neck** is the English nickname for a sagging neck, and it has nothing to do with the country. If you searched for turkey neck surgery you were looking for this operation, and it can be done anywhere. This page happens to cover having it done in Turkey, which is a separate question.

These overlap, and the right answer depends on where the looseness starts. A surgeon who offers only one of them will find a reason to recommend it.

• Fat but firm skin, younger neck. Liposuction under the chin alone can be enough, and it is a much smaller operation.
• Muscle bands with reasonable skin. A platysmaplasty through a small incision under the chin, sometimes without the full lift.
• Loose skin and bands. A full neck lift, with incisions around the ear.
• Jowls and mid-face descent too. A lower facelift, with the neck done as part of it. Doing the neck alone when the face has also dropped gives a mismatched result.
• A double chin in a normal-weight person. May be a fat pad that responds to non-surgical options, which are worth asking about before agreeing to surgery.

If the face has descended as well, read the facelift in Turkey page, because the two operations are usually planned together.

1. 1

   The first days

   Tightness, swelling and bruising down the neck and sometimes into the chest. Sleeping propped up, and a garment that is uncomfortable but doing real work.
2. 2

   The first fortnight

   Sutures come out and the worst bruising fades. Most people are presentable, with a scarf, before they are healed.
3. 3

   Weeks three to six

   Swelling continues to settle and the jawline starts to appear. Numbness around the ear and under the chin is normal at this stage.
4. 4

   Months three to twelve

   Scars mature and the final contour appears. Judge it at the end of this period, because early tightness always relaxes somewhat.

• Neck alone or with a lower facelift. The biggest factor by far, because they are different operations at different theatre times.
• Whether platysmaplasty is included. Tightening the muscle through an under-chin incision adds time and is the part that makes the result last.
• Anaesthetic and hospital nights. General anaesthetic with an overnight stay costs more than sedation, and for a full neck lift it is often the right choice.
• Whether liposuction or skin tightening devices are bundled. Frequently added and frequently charged separately.
• The follow-up before you fly. Suture removal and flight clearance should be inside the package.

The clinic list on this page shows the current price for each hospital with a label saying what it covers. On staged payment, see the payment plans page.

• Send photographs sitting up, from the front and from both sides, and one with the chin raised. Bands and jawline are assessed in motion, not from a single flat portrait.
• Have your blood pressure checked. It matters more here than on most cosmetic pages.
• Stop smoking well in advance. Weeks, not days, and be honest about it.
• Agree the blood thinner plan with your own doctor. Aspirin, anti-inflammatories and some supplements increase bruising and haematoma risk.
• Plan a scarf and a garment. You will want both, and the garment is worn longer than most people expect.
• Book a changeable return. Flying is normally fine after the suture check, but a haematoma changes everything about the timetable.

• British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, facelift and neck lift patient information.
• NHS, cosmetic procedures and what to consider before surgery abroad.
• General Medical Council, checking a doctor's registration and cosmetic surgery guidance.
• Turkish Ministry of Health, health tourism authorisation for hospitals.