Face and Neck Lift in Turkey
Face and neck lift in Turkey: SMAS or deep-plane facelift with corset platysmaplasty and neck skin removal in one operation for jowls, cheeks and a loose neck; 2 hospital nights, 7 hotel nights. The complete lower-face rejuvenation, recovery, risks.
Anaesthesia
General anaesthesia
Operation time
4–5 hours
Hospital / hotel
2 nights / 7 nights
Stay in Turkey
9 nights (2 hospital + 7 hotel), sutures out before you fly
Back to work
Desk work in 3 weeks; social events at 4 weeks
Package price
€2,520
What Face and Neck Lift involves
The face and neck lift is the complete operation for the ageing lower face: it lifts the cheeks and jowls (the facelift) and corrects the neck bands, double chin and loose neck skin (the neck lift) through continuous incisions in one session. For most patients over 50 this is the right operation, because jowls and neck laxity arrive together and treating one without the other leaves an obvious mismatch — a crisp jawline over a soft neck, or the reverse.
The face component repositions the SMAS layer — either by tightening it (SMAS lift) or by releasing its ligaments and lifting it as a unit with the skin (deep-plane lift). The neck component adds a corset platysmaplasty through a small incision under the chin, liposuction of the double chin, and lateral tightening of the platysma from behind the ears. The skin is then redraped over the whole lower face and neck without tension and the excess removed. Fat grafting and blepharoplasty are often added so the face ages back in proportion.
What it does not do: it does not change skin quality, lift the brow or treat the upper face, and it does not stop ageing — it resets it by roughly a decade. It is a significant operation with a longer anaesthetic and a longer recovery than either component alone, and it demands a healthy, non-smoking patient with controlled blood pressure.
Scars: Temple hair, inside the tragus in front of the ear, around the earlobe and into the hairline behind the ear; plus a 3–4 cm line in the crease under the chin
Who it suits — and who it does not
Good candidates
- ✓Jowls, sagging cheeks, deep folds and a loose neck with bands or a double chin — typically from the early 50s onwards
- ✓Good skin elasticity for your age and a well-defined bone structure
- ✓Non-smokers, controlled blood pressure, stable weight, good general health
- ✓Able to take 3 weeks off and to follow head-elevation and activity restrictions
- ✓Realistic expectations of a rested, natural result
Usually advised against
- –Early jowls with a tight neck — a mini or lower facelift is sufficient
- –Skin texture as the main concern
- –Smokers unwilling to stop for 4 weeks each side — the combined flaps are the most blood-supply dependent in facial surgery
- –Uncontrolled high blood pressure or blood thinners that cannot be paused
- –Significant medical conditions making a 4–5 hour anaesthetic unwise
Techniques and options
SMAS or deep-plane facelift
The surgeon chooses between tightening the SMAS with plication or SMASectomy and the deep-plane approach that releases the retaining ligaments and lifts skin and SMAS together. Deep-plane gives a more complete cheek lift in heavier faces; SMAS techniques are reliable and adaptable. See the Facelift page for detail.
Corset platysmaplasty
Through a short incision under the chin, the separated platysma edges are stitched together in the midline to remove bands and create a firm sling; fat above and, where needed, beneath the muscle is reduced.
Lateral platysma tightening and neck skin redraping
Through the incisions behind the ears, the sides of the platysma are pulled upward and backward and secured, then the neck skin is redraped and the excess removed. This is what treats the "turkey neck".
Fat grafting and blepharoplasty
Fat from the abdomen or thigh restores volume to temples, cheeks and under the eyes so the lift does not look tight; blepharoplasty refreshes the eyes. Both are frequently added and priced as a combined package.
Incision design
One continuous incision: temple hair, inside the tragus, around the earlobe, into the hairline behind the ear — plus the small submental incision. Closure without tension is what keeps earlobes natural and hairlines unchanged.
What happens on surgery day
- 1
Assessment before travel: photos from the front, sides, three-quarter views, with teeth clenched and from below; medical history, blood-pressure control and medication. The surgeon proposes the face technique, neck components and any adjuncts.
- 2
Admission on the morning of surgery after fasting. Blood tests, ECG and anaesthetic review; blood pressure checked and optimised.
- 3
Markings sitting up; hair parted and taped, not shaved.
- 4
Under general anaesthesia, local anaesthetic with adrenaline is infiltrated. Neck first: liposuction and corset platysmaplasty through the submental incision. Then the face: incisions, skin elevation, SMAS or deep-plane lift, lateral platysma tightening. Fat grafting and blepharoplasty if planned. Skin redraped, excess removed, layered closure. Drains for 24 hours.
- 5
A soft padded head dressing. Two nights in hospital with head elevation, cold compresses, blood-pressure monitoring and drain removal.
- 6
Discharge to the hotel on day 2 with a support garment. Clinic visits for wound checks and staged suture removal at days 5–10; fit-to-fly report before you travel.
Recovery timeline
Days 1–3
Swelling, tightness and bruising along the jaw, neck and around the ears; numbness. Discomfort rather than pain. Head elevated at all times, soft food, no bending or lifting.
Days 5–10
Sutures removed in stages. Bruising yellowing and fading. You look swollen and uneven — expected. Gentle hair washing from day 3. Fit-to-fly check after the last sutures.
Weeks 2–3
Most bruising gone; swelling reducing. Desk work from week 3 with make-up over residual discolouration. Numbness in front of the ears and under the chin normal.
Weeks 4–6
Presentable; friends notice you look rested. Light exercise resumes; no heavy exertion, sauna or sunbathing. Scars pink.
Months 3–6
Residual swelling gone, tightness eased, the result clear. Sensation returning. Scars fading.
Month 12
Scars mature and are difficult to find. Baseline from which normal ageing continues.
Results — and their limits
A defined jawline, lifted cheeks, softened folds and a clean neck angle without bands — the whole lower face brought back into proportion, looking rested rather than operated.
A well-done face and neck lift resets the lower face by roughly 10 years and the result lasts a decade or more; the SMAS repositioning and platysma corset hold, and ageing continues from a much better position.
Skin quality is unchanged and is addressed separately. The upper face and brow are not treated unless adjuncts are added.
Numbness in front of the ears, along the jaw and under the chin lasts months and usually resolves fully.
When it is final: Swelling settles over 3 months; scars mature over 12 months; result lasts 10 years or more
Risks and how they are managed
Every operation carries risk. These are the ones that matter for this procedure, and what is done to reduce, spot or treat each.
Haematoma
The most important early complication, more common in men and in high blood pressure. Strict blood-pressure control, drains, two hospital nights with monitoring, immediate drainage if one forms.
Skin loss, especially behind the ears
Related to smoking, tension and haematoma. Non-smoking for 4 weeks each side, tension-free closure; small areas heal with dressings.
Nerve injury
Temporary weakness of a facial muscle (lower lip, forehead) in a small proportion, recovering over weeks to months; permanent injury rare. Earlobe numbness from the great auricular nerve is usually temporary.
Infection
Uncommon; antibiotic cover during the drain period.
Visible scars, earlobe distortion, hairline shift
Incision placement inside the tragus and along the hairline; closure without tension; scar care.
Asymmetry or under-correction
Faces are asymmetric; minor adjustments under local anaesthesia after 6–12 months.
Contour irregularity in the neck
Balanced fat removal leaving a layer under the skin; the corset restores support.
Anaesthetic complications and blood clots
Full pre-operative assessment, a consultant anaesthetist, compression stockings and early walking; the operation is staged if the planned combination is too long.
Package and cost
€2,520
One fixed price for the operation and a 9-night stay: 2 hospital nights and 7 hotel nights. No deposit surprises, no add-ons for anaesthesia or medication.
Included
- ✓Consultation with the operating plastic surgeon and planning of face and neck components
- ✓Pre-operative blood tests, ECG and anaesthetic assessment
- ✓Face and neck lift — SMAS or deep-plane facelift with corset platysmaplasty, submental liposuction and neck skin removal — under general anaesthesia in a hospital operating theatre
- ✓2 nights in hospital with nursing care, drains, blood-pressure monitoring and medication
- ✓7 nights in a 4- or 5-star hotel in Kuşadası
- ✓Private transfers between airport, hospital, clinic and hotel
- ✓Support garment, dressings, staged suture removal, wound checks and fit-to-fly report
- ✓12 months of remote photo follow-up
Not included
- –Flights and travel insurance that covers elective surgery abroad
- –Blepharoplasty or fat grafting if added — see the combined package with eyelid surgery
- –Skin resurfacing or skincare
- –Any later touch-up, assessed separately
How to compare this with a quote at home
Ask any clinic for the same list: surgeon and anaesthetist fees, hospital nights, tests, medication, garments or splints, follow-up visits. A cheaper headline price usually excludes several of these. Then add your flights and insurance to our price for a like-for-like comparison.
How to prepare
- 1.Send photos from the front, both sides, three-quarter views, with teeth clenched and from below, in neutral expression and good light, plus your medication list and blood-pressure history.
- 2.Stop smoking and all nicotine 4 weeks before and after — the most important instruction for this operation.
- 3.Stop aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, fish oil, vitamin E, ginkgo and other supplements that increase bleeding 14 days before.
- 4.Ensure blood pressure is well controlled; take your medication on the morning of surgery with a sip of water unless told otherwise.
- 5.Colour your hair before you travel; no colouring for 6 weeks after.
- 6.Arrange 9 nights in Turkey, 3 weeks off work, and someone at home for the first days back. Bring front-opening tops, a soft scarf and sunglasses.
Aftercare at home
- •Sleep with the head raised on two or three pillows for 2 weeks; avoid bending forward, lifting and sharp neck turns.
- •Cold compresses to cheeks and neck in the first 48 hours; soft food for a week; no wide yawning or gum.
- •Support garment as instructed, usually at night for 2–3 weeks.
- •Gentle hair washing from day 3; no colouring for 6 weeks.
- •No strenuous exercise, sauna or sunbathing for 4 weeks; SPF on the scars for 12 months.
- •Report any sudden one-sided swelling, increasing pain, fever or new weakness immediately. Photos at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3, 6 and 12 months.
Frequently asked questions
Why combine the face and neck?
Will it look natural?
How long does it last?
Where are the scars?
Should I add eyelid surgery or fat grafting?
How painful is it?
When will I look normal?
Am I too old?
When can I fly home?
What is included in the price?
Often considered alongside
Free assessment
Send your details; a coordinator replies with a surgeon’s opinion and a written plan.