1. What is a Neck Lift?
A Neck Lift is a surgery that precisely lifts the sagging skin and muscle of the neck — especially the Platysma — to create a defined jawline and smooth neckline.
With age, the skin under the chin slackens and the platysma separates, producing vertical neck bands and blurring the boundary between jaw and neck. A neck lift fundamentally corrects these changes to restore a youthful, sharp profile.
What a Neck Lift Can Improve
Jawline Definition
Restores a clear, defined jawline and sharpens the boundary between the face and neck.
Removal of Vertical Neck Bands
Re-approximates the separated platysma to eliminate the vertical bands on the neck.
Double Chin Improvement
Removes accumulated submental fat and lifts the loose skin to complete a clean jawline.
Deep-Structure Contour Correction
When indicated, we evaluate and address even an enlarged submandibular gland or anterior belly of the digastric muscle through partial resection for refined submental contour.
2. Double Chin Sculpting
A double chin is not simply a fat-accumulation problem.
It arises from a combination of skin laxity, platysmal looseness, and enlargement of deep structures (submandibular gland, digastric muscle).
Cause-specific, customized treatment is essential.
① Fat-type
Excess fat has accumulated under the chin.
- •Submental liposuction to remove the excess fat
- •Liposuction alone can be effective if skin elasticity is good
② Sagging-type
Skin and muscle have both descended.
- •Platysma repair combined with skin lift
- •Maximum synergy when combined with facelift
③ Enlarged Submandibular Gland
The submandibular gland is enlarged, making the area under the chin look convex.
- •A common cause that liposuction alone cannot improve
- •After precise evaluation, partial resection of the gland when indicated
④ Enlarged Digastric Muscle
The anterior belly of the digastric muscle is thickened, causing submental fullness.
- •When fat/skin treatment alone fails to give a smooth submental curve
- •Partial resection of the muscle to create a deep, clean cervicomental angle
Importance of accurate diagnosis — Two patients with a similar-looking double chin can have entirely different causes. Focusing only on fat / skin / muscle may not deliver a satisfying outcome; the deep structures (submandibular gland, digastric muscle) must also be precisely evaluated to obtain a truly smooth submental line.
ROI's Double Chin Sculpting
More than just fat removal: we combine precision liposuction with platysma repair
to sculpt a sharp line from chin to neck.
- ✓ Precision liposuction: Even removal of submental and neck fat for a natural contour
- ✓ Bilateral platysma repair: Midline plication + bilateral lateral suspension to firmly tighten both the central neck bands and the sagging submental tissue
- ✓ Customized design: Optimal jaw and neckline planning tailored to each patient's skeletal and skin condition
3. Neck Lift vs. Double Chin Sculpting
Which procedure is right for you?
These are not two separate operations. Rather, a neck lift is a broader concept that includes double chin sculpting. How far we extend the approach depends on the degree of skin laxity and the patient's age.
Double Chin Sculpting
For relatively young patients with minimal skin laxity
Incision
A single ~3 cm incision hidden along the natural submental crease beneath the chin — barely visible after healing.
What we do
Through that one incision we reshape the internal structures (deep fat, enlarged glands, platysma) to refine the jawline.
Skin handling
No skin resection. Suited to patients whose skin still retains good elasticity.
Neck Lift
For patients with associated skin laxity (typically middle-aged or older)
Incision
Submental incision PLUS postauricular (behind-the-ear) incisions; when laxity is severe, extended along the hairline anterior to the ear in a hidden area.
What we do
Includes the internal reshaping of double chin sculpting, plus tightening and excising the redundant skin.
Skin handling
Excess skin is pulled and resected — the entire jaw & neck contour is lifted and cleanly redraped.
In short: Double chin sculpting is the smaller concept that focuses on "internal reshaping"; a neck lift is the larger concept that adds skin lifting to that foundation. During consultation we evaluate skin laxity, age, and lifestyle together to decide the most appropriate approach.
4. ROI's Differentiators
Synergy with Facelift
A neck lift achieves its best results when combined with a facelift.
Lifting the mid- and lower face together with the jawline and neckline produces
a single, continuous, natural line from face to neck.
Bilateral Platysma Repair
Many surgeons repair the platysma only at the midline.
Midline plication alone reorganizes the vertical neck bands but tends to leave the sagging tissue on the sides untouched.
At ROI, we add bilateral lateral suspension — anchoring the platysma to the mastoid bone on each side —
so the sagging submental tissue is also firmly elevated.
Partial resection is performed when indicated, producing a crisp jawline and a deep, clean cervicomental angle.
Deep-Structure Evaluation
We do not only look at surface fat and skin. We also assess potential enlargement of the
submandibular gland and the
anterior belly of the digastric muscle,
and perform precise partial resection when indicated to create a smooth submental curve.
Skipping this step often leaves liposuction or lift results unsatisfying.
Safe Gland Resection — with LigaSure
When resecting an enlarged salivary gland, the instrument used determines how safe the procedure is.
Resecting the gland with a conventional electrocautery (Bovie) or bipolar device readily produces
eschar (burnt, charred tissue) and exposes the surrounding tissue to thermal injury.
Residual eschar raises the risk of inflammation spreading into nearby tissue.
At ROI Plastic Surgery we use LigaSure to resect cleanly and safely with almost no eschar.
LigaSure relies on a costly single-use tip, but
we use it generously for patient safety even when it lowers our margin — that is our principle.
Layer-by-Layer Precision
Skin, fat, platysma, and deep structures are each addressed individually
in a multi-layer approach that delivers a natural appearance and long-lasting results.
5. Who Is It For?
Those bothered by a double chin
Patients whose submental fat persists regardless of weight, or whose double chin is not improved by diet or non-surgical procedures.
Those with visible vertical neck bands
Patients whose neck looks aged due to platysma laxity that produces visible vertical bands when speaking or animating.
Those with a collapsed jawline
Patients whose face and neck boundary has blurred because of jowling and sagging, making the lower face look older than it should.
Those planning a facelift
Patients seeking the most complete result by combining facelift and neck lift in a single procedure for a fully unified, natural rejuvenation.
6. Recovery Guide
Recovery time may vary depending on individual health and constitution.
Day 1 after surgery
Mandatory dressing visit. We confirm the condition of the surgical site and decide whether to remove the drain (if placed) based on its course.
Day 7 after surgery
Sutures are removed. Submental sculpting, which has a single incision at the center under the chin, has its sutures out on day 7. A neck lift, with incisions under the chin and behind the ears, has the submental sutures removed on day 7 and the behind-the-ear sutures on day 12 (the behind-the-ear sutures may also come out on day 7 depending on healing, at the medical team's discretion). By this time, most bruising and swelling have substantially subsided.
2 weeks after surgery
Most patients can resume daily life and light social activities; any residual swelling can usually be covered with makeup.
Final Result
Over 1–3 months, residual swelling resolves and the jawline and neckline progressively sharpen. The final, natural and youthful neckline is established by around 3 months.
Note: Bruising, swelling, and changes in sensation vary by individual. A return-to-activity plan tailored to your occupation and lifestyle will be discussed during consultation.
Before & After Photos
Actual neck lift & double chin sculpting results performed at ROI Plastic Surgery
Case #1
29-year-old female / Photographed: 3 months post-op
Neck Lift (Platysma repair + deep-fat & submandibular gland partial resection)
Case details · Side-effect notice
Background: Before visiting ROI, the patient had undergone submental liposuction twice at another clinic, yet the bulky double chin persisted and remained a source of stress.
Diagnosis: The problem was not limited to the superficial fat above the platysma. A combination of deeper subplatysmal fat and enlarged submandibular glands was creating the thick contour — layers that liposuction alone cannot safely access.
Surgical approach: Safe partial resection of subplatysmal fat and enlarged glands, followed by lateral platysmaplasty — tightening the platysma not only at the midline but also laterally for a tighter, more lasting neckline.
Possible side effects: bleeding, hematoma, infection, nerve injury (temporary/permanent sensory loss), asymmetry, scarring, swelling over the gland-resection area, recurrence with weight changes or aging.
Postoperative care: compression garment during recovery, temporary avoidance of vigorous exercise / sauna, scheduled follow-ups.
※ Individual results may vary. This case is published with the patient's written consent.
Case #2
59-year-old female / Photographed: 5 months post-op
Facelift + Neck Lift (performed together)
Case details · Side-effect notice
Background: With age, her cheeks and jawline sagged and the neck and under-chin line grew blurred. She wanted to refine the lower face overall, so she had a facelift and neck lift together.
Surgical approach: The sagging cheeks and jawline were lifted with a facelift, and the loose neckline was tidied with a neck lift — refining the whole lower face naturally in one procedure.
Possible side effects: Bleeding, hematoma, infection, nerve injury (temporary/permanent numbness), asymmetry, scarring, hair loss near incisions, recurrence with weight change or aging.
Postoperative care: Wear compression during recovery, avoid strenuous exercise and sauna for a period, and attend regular follow-ups.
※ Individual results may vary. This case is published with the patient's written consent.
Case #3
Late-30s female / Photographed: 9 months post-op
Facelift + Neck Lift (performed together)
Case details · Side-effect notice
Surgical approach: The sagging cheeks and jawline were lifted with a facelift, and the loose neckline was tidied with a neck lift — refining the whole lower face naturally in one procedure.
Possible side effects: Bleeding, hematoma, infection, nerve injury (temporary/permanent numbness), asymmetry, scarring, hair loss near incisions, recurrence with weight change or aging.
Postoperative care: Wear compression during recovery, avoid strenuous exercise and sauna for a period, and attend regular follow-ups.
※ Individual results may vary. This case is published with the patient's written consent.
Notice: All photos are published with patient consent. Surgical results may vary by individual.
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Restore a crisp jawline and smooth neckline
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