Neck Liftin Dallas
Tightens the neck muscles and removes loose skin and fat to define the jawline.
A Clean Jawline
and a Smooth Neck.
The neck often shows age early. Fat collects under the chin and makes a double chin, the platysma muscle separates into vertical bands or cords, and the skin loosens into what people call a turkey neck. You notice it most in profile, when you turn to the side and the jawline you used to have is gone. Exercise and non-surgical treatments don't reverse these changes, because they are structural.
A neck lift treats all three together. When needed, Dr. Schwartz first removes the extra fat with liposuction. Then he performs a platysmaplasty: he stitches the edges of the neck muscle together so it holds the neck firmly. Through incisions hidden behind the ears and under the chin, he removes the extra skin and lays the rest back smoothly. This restores a sharp angle between the jaw and neck, without an over-tightened look.
The Procedure
A neck lift starts with the platysma, the thin sheet of muscle covering the front of the neck. Dr. Schwartz performs a platysmaplasty, stitching the muscle edges together to make a smooth, firm base for the new profile. This repair matters: without it, the skin eventually sags again over muscle bands that re-form.
To sharpen the angle between the chin and neck (the cervicomental angle), Dr. Schwartz often uses liposuction under the chin. He removes the fat through the same small incision used for the muscle repair. Younger patients may do well with liposuction alone, but Dr. Schwartz typically recommends combining it with a full platysmaplasty for the best result.
Incisions go in the natural creases around the ear and under the chin, as in a facelift. Dr. Schwartz closes them without tension, which helps them heal as fine lines, so you can wear your hair up or short.
Dr. Schwartz usually uses general anesthesia for a neck lift. When less surgery is needed, it can be done under local anesthesia with sedation. He will go through the safest option for your health at your consultation.
Most patients return to office work in 4 to 7 days and look recovered enough for most casual purposes by 10 to 14 days; allow 3 to 4 weeks before an important social or business event. The improvement in contour is visible almost immediately, but Dr. Schwartz advises waiting three to four weeks before strenuous exercise or heavy lifting, so the internal repair has time to heal.
A neck lift treats the area beneath the jawline. A facelift treats the midface, the nasolabial folds and the jowls. Many patients combine the two. At your consultation, Dr. Schwartz will look at your face and neck together and tell you whether a neck lift alone will do what you want.
The best candidates are at a stable weight and are bothered by neck bands, a 'double chin,' or loose skin from aging or weight loss.
Neck Lift Portfolio
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Non-clinical details in patient stories have been changed to protect privacy.
All photographs are of actual Edition Plastic Surgery patients. Individual results may vary.
Neck Lift Stories
What to Expect
The recovery from a neck lift is manageable, and the improvement in the neck is visible almost immediately.
Your Consultation
Dr. Schwartz examines your neck: how prominent the muscle bands are, how much fat sits under the chin and where, how loose the skin is, and how much the lower face contributes. He will tell you whether a neck lift alone or combined with a facelift will give the best result for you.
Surgery Day
A neck lift is performed under general anesthesia as an outpatient procedure, typically taking two to three hours on its own. When combined with a facelift, both are done in one session. You go home the same day with a compression chin strap, incision care instructions, and a follow-up visit, usually the next day.
Early Recovery
Swelling and bruising in the neck and chin area are expected. The compression chin strap is worn continuously for the first one to two weeks to support healing and reduce swelling. Tightness in the neck is more common than pain, and it eases over the following weeks.
Presentable in Public
Desk work resumes at 4 to 7 days. Most patients look recovered enough for most casual purposes by 10 to 14 days, with makeup covering any remaining bruising; allow 3 to 4 weeks before an important social or business event. Strenuous exercise is restricted for three to four weeks. The improvement in the neck is visible right away beneath the early swelling.
Final Results
The final result appears as swelling resolves over three to six months. The muscle repair is permanent, and the skin result lasts a long time if your weight stays stable.
Why Choose
Dr. Schwartz
A clean angle between the jaw and neck and a smooth neck take three things done in the right proportion: a thorough repair of the platysma muscle, careful removal of fat, and skin laid back without tension. Dr. Schwartz performs neck lifts on their own and together with a facelift.
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Is This Right for Me?
A neck lift suits people whose main concern is the neck (a double chin, muscle bands, loose skin, or all three) and who want a defined jawline again.
Common Reasons
Patients Choose This
- You have fullness under the chin, a "double chin," that stays even though your weight is stable and healthy.
- You are bothered by vertical bands or "cords" in your neck that have become more prominent.
- Your neck skin has loosened into a "turkey neck," and your jawline has lost its definition.
- You are in good general health, and non-surgical treatments such as lasers are no longer enough.
- Your face has kept good tone compared with your neck, and you have realistic expectations.
- You can take the time to recover: about 4 to 7 days before office work, and 3 to 4 weeks before an important social or business event.
Things to Consider
Before Proceeding
- You have significant jowls or a sagging midface. Dr. Schwartz may suggest combining the neck lift with a facelift.
- Your only concern is fat under the chin and your skin is still very elastic. Liposuction alone is often the better choice.
- You smoke or use nicotine. Smoking significantly impairs healing, so Dr. Schwartz requires you to stop all nicotine products before surgery.
- You are planning to lose a lot of weight. Finish first, so the result holds.
- You have had neck surgery before. It changes the anatomy and makes the operation more complex, and Dr. Schwartz will evaluate it carefully.
- You have medical conditions that are not under control. They need to be treated first.
Dr. Schwartz will look at your face and neck together and tell you candidly whether a neck lift alone, or combined with a facelift, will give you the best and longest-lasting result.
Frequently Asked
Answers to the questions Dr. Schwartz hears most often from neck lift patients.
A neck lift treats the neck and the area under the chin: the platysma muscle, the fat under the chin, and loose neck skin often called a 'turkey neck.' A facelift treats the lower face and jawline as well as the neck. Good candidates have good facial tone but significant loose skin, surface lines, or a double chin that blurs their profile. At your consultation, Dr. Schwartz examines your anatomy and tells you whether a neck lift alone will do what you want or whether combining procedures is better.
Yes. Fat under the chin is removed with liposuction, and the muscle bands are corrected with a platysmaplasty: Dr. Schwartz stitches the separated edges of the platysma muscle together in the midline, which removes the bands and restores a smooth, sharp contour. Non-surgical treatments can't do this. Neurotoxins only soften the bands for a while; they don't correct the muscle separation underneath.
Dr. Schwartz places the incisions behind the ears and, when needed, a small incision under the chin, where they are hidden in the natural folds of the skin. Over time these fine lines usually fade and become very hard to see.
For a full neck lift, Dr. Schwartz usually uses general anesthesia. Afterward, tightness is the main sensation rather than sharp pain, and it eases gradually. He will go through the best anesthesia for you at your consultation.
You wear a compression chin strap for the first one to two weeks to support the new contour. Most patients can go back to office work in 4 to 7 days and look recovered enough for most casual purposes by 10 to 14 days. Allow 3 to 4 weeks before an important social or business event. Bruising and swelling fade quickly, but Dr. Schwartz restricts strenuous exercise and heavy lifting for three to four weeks to protect the muscle repair.
A neck lift typically lasts eight to twelve years. The muscle repair is permanent, but your skin keeps aging naturally, from a much younger starting point. Keeping your weight stable helps the result last, and most patients do not need a revision for a decade or more.
The fee depends on how loose the skin is and whether liposuction or a facelift is added. After your consultation you receive an all-inclusive fee quote for your surgical plan, so you know exactly what to expect.
Recovery & Concierge Care
You go home the same day. Dr. Schwartz sees you the next day, then typically at one week, three weeks, two months, four months and six months, adjusted to how you are healing. He does almost all follow-up visits himself, and at each one he gives you a specific plan for the weeks ahead. You wear a compression chin strap for one to two weeks to protect the muscle repair, and during that time you should avoid clothing that rubs against the incisions.
The office can be reached 24 hours a day. After-hours calls from patients recovering from surgery go directly to Dr. Schwartz, so an important question never waits until morning. The recovery is planned so that any responsible adult can look after you at home. If you would rather have a nurse caring for you at home or in a hotel, we can arrange it.