Neck Lift in Turkey
Neck lift in Turkey: platysmaplasty for neck bands, liposuction of the double chin and removal of loose neck skin through incisions under the chin and behind the ears; 1 hospital night and 4 hotel nights. Techniques, recovery, risks.
Anaesthesia
General anaesthesia
Operation time
1.5–2.5 hours
Hospital / hotel
1 night / 4 nights
Stay in Turkey
6 nights (1 hospital + 4 hotel)
Back to work
Desk work in 10–14 days
Package price
€1,200
What Neck Lift involves
A neck lift treats the neck on its own: the double chin, the vertical bands that appear when the platysma muscle separates, the loss of the angle between jaw and neck, and loose "turkey neck" skin. It is the operation for the person whose face still looks reasonably fresh but whose neck gives their age away — which is common, because the neck skin is thin and the muscle bands are visible even in slim people.
The operation is built from three components chosen to the problem. Liposuction under the chin removes fat. Platysmaplasty, through a small incision in the crease under the chin, stitches the separated muscle edges together in the midline and removes the bands, creating a firm sling that defines the angle. When skin is loose, incisions behind the ears allow it to be redraped upward and backward and the excess removed. Someone with fat and bands but tight skin needs only the first two; someone with hanging skin needs all three.
What a neck lift does not do: it does not lift jowls or the cheeks — if the jawline is the problem as much as the neck, a face and neck lift is the honest recommendation, and the neck lift is included in it. It does not treat the horizontal lines across the neck, which are skin creases, and it does not tighten crepey skin texture.
Scars: A 3–4 cm line in the crease under the chin; and, when skin is removed, a line behind each ear into the hairline
Who it suits — and who it does not
Good candidates
- ✓A double chin, neck bands or loose neck skin with a jawline that is still reasonably defined
- ✓A blunted angle between jaw and neck that makes the profile look heavy
- ✓Good general health, controlled blood pressure, stable weight
- ✓Non-smokers
- ✓Realistic that the neck will be lifted and defined but the skin texture and horizontal lines remain
Usually advised against
- –Jowls and cheek descent as significant as the neck — a face and neck lift is the right operation
- –A double chin from fat alone with tight skin and no bands — liposuction alone may be enough
- –Smokers unwilling to stop; the flap behind the ears depends on blood supply
- –Very low-set hyoid bone or a large submandibular gland, which limit how sharp the angle can be made — the surgeon will explain
- –Uncontrolled blood pressure
Techniques and options
Submental liposuction
Through a small port under the chin, fat above the platysma is removed to reveal the muscle and jawline. In younger patients with tight skin this may be the whole operation.
Platysmaplasty (corset)
Through a 3–4 cm incision in the crease under the chin, the two edges of the platysma are found, any fat beneath the muscle is trimmed, the bands are divided, and the edges are stitched together in the midline down to the level of the Adam’s apple. This corset creates the firm sling that gives a defined angle and stops bands from reappearing.
Lateral tightening and skin removal
Through incisions behind the ears extending into the hairline, the platysma is also tightened from the sides and the loose skin is redraped upward and backward, with the excess removed. This is added when there is skin laxity, which is most patients over 50.
Deep neck work
In selected patients, fat beneath the platysma, the front of the digastric muscles or a prominent submandibular gland is reduced to sharpen the angle further. Discussed when the anatomy calls for it.
Combined with a facelift
When the jawline and cheeks have also descended, the neck lift is done as part of a face and neck lift through continuous incisions. See the Face and Neck Lift page.
What happens on surgery day
- 1
Assessment before travel: photos from the front and both profiles in neutral position and with the teeth clenched (which shows the bands), and a view from below. The surgeon confirms which components are needed.
- 2
Admission on the morning of surgery after fasting. Blood tests, ECG and anaesthetic review; blood pressure optimised.
- 3
Markings sitting up. Under general anaesthesia, local anaesthetic with adrenaline is infiltrated; liposuction, then the submental incision and platysmaplasty; then, if planned, the incisions behind the ears, lateral tightening and skin removal. Small drains are sometimes used for 24 hours.
- 4
A soft chin-and-neck support garment is applied. One night in hospital with the head elevated and blood-pressure monitoring.
- 5
Discharge to the hotel the next morning. Clinic visits for wound checks and suture removal at days 5–7; fit-to-fly report before you travel.
Recovery timeline
Days 1–3
Tightness under the chin and along the neck, swelling and some bruising; discomfort rather than pain. Head elevated, support garment at all times, soft food, no bending or turning the neck sharply.
Days 5–7
Sutures removed. Bruising fading. Fit-to-fly check. Gentle hair washing from day 3.
Weeks 2–3
Desk work resumes; garment at night. Numbness under the chin and behind the ears is normal. Firmness under the chin as tissue heals.
Weeks 4–6
Swelling largely gone; the angle is visible. Light exercise from week 3–4. Scars pink.
Months 3–12
Final result by 3 months; residual firmness softens; scars mature to pale lines over 12 months.
Results — and their limits
A defined angle between jaw and neck, no bands, no double chin, and a profile that looks years younger. The change is visible immediately in profile and settles into a natural result by 3 months.
The corset platysmaplasty is durable; the neck ages on from a much better position and bands rarely recur.
Skin texture and horizontal neck lines are unchanged and are treated separately if wanted.
Scars under the chin and behind the ears are hidden in creases and hair and are difficult to find after a year.
When it is final: Swelling settles over 6–8 weeks; result lasts many years
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
Blood-pressure control, stopping blood thinners, drains where used, one night of observation. A sudden painful swelling is drained promptly.
Skin loss behind the ears
Related to smoking and tension; non-smoking and tension-free closure.
Nerve injury
Temporary weakness of the lower lip from the marginal mandibular nerve occurs in a small proportion and recovers over weeks; permanent injury is rare with careful dissection.
Numbness of the earlobe or under the chin
Common for months; usually resolves.
Contour irregularity, over-resection or a "cobra" deformity
Balanced fat removal that leaves a layer under the skin; the corset restores support. Corrected with fat grafting if it occurs.
Visible scars or hairline shift
Incision placement in the crease and along the hairline; scar care.
Infection
Uncommon; antibiotic cover.
Salivary collection (sialocele) after gland reduction
Rare; managed with drainage and time; discussed if deep neck work is planned.
Package and cost
€1,200
One fixed price for the operation and a 5-night stay: 1 hospital night and 4 hotel nights. No deposit surprises, no add-ons for anaesthesia or medication.
Included
- ✓Consultation with the operating plastic surgeon and assessment of the neck components needed
- ✓Pre-operative blood tests, ECG and anaesthetic assessment
- ✓Neck lift — liposuction, platysmaplasty and skin removal where planned — under general anaesthesia in a hospital operating theatre
- ✓1 night in hospital with nursing care, medication and blood-pressure monitoring
- ✓4 nights in a 4- or 5-star hotel in Kuşadası
- ✓Private transfers between airport, hospital, clinic and hotel
- ✓Support garment, dressings, 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
- –Facelift if the jawline and cheeks also need lifting — see the combined package
- –Skin resurfacing for texture or horizontal lines
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 profiles, with the teeth clenched, and from below; note whether the neck or the jowls bother you more.
- 2.Stop smoking and nicotine 4 weeks before and after. Stop aspirin, ibuprofen, fish oil, vitamin E and herbal supplements 14 days before.
- 3.Ensure blood pressure is controlled; take your medication on the morning of surgery unless told otherwise.
- 4.Bring front-opening tops, a soft scarf and sunglasses; arrange 6 nights in Turkey and 10–14 days off work.
Aftercare at home
- •Sleep with the head raised for 2 weeks; avoid bending forward, lifting, or sharp neck turns.
- •Wear the chin-and-neck support garment day and night for the first week, then at night for 2–3 weeks.
- •Cold compresses in the first 48 hours; soft food for a week; no wide yawning or chewing gum.
- •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 sudden one-sided swelling, increasing pain, fever or new weakness of the lip immediately. Photos at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3, 6 and 12 months.
Frequently asked questions
Neck lift or face and neck lift?
Can I just have liposuction under the chin?
What are neck bands?
Where are the scars?
Will it fix the horizontal lines across my neck?
How long does it last?
How painful is recovery?
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.