Why the face and neck belong together
The jawline is where the face meets the neck. When only the face is lifted and the neck is left loose, or the reverse, the contrast can make the untreated area look older. A combined face and neck lift restores a clear angle between jaw and neck.
At New City Clinic, the face and neck lift package costs €4,500, including surgery, hospital, hotel, transfers, interpreter, tests, garments and complication insurance.
Patients often describe the problem as a “turkey neck” or as losing the line of the jaw in photographs. Both usually point to the same thing: the lower face and neck have descended together and need to be lifted together.
What is done on the face
The cheeks and jowls are repositioned by lifting the SMAS layer, or by a deep plane approach when the mid-face has descended markedly. The skin is then redraped and trimmed without tension, with incisions in the hairline and around the ear.
A deep plane technique is often chosen for patients with marked sagging of the mid-face, because it lifts the skin, fat and muscle layer as a single unit. An SMAS facelift suits many moderate cases. Either way, the skin is not pulled tight, which is what keeps the result natural.
What is done on the neck
Depending on your anatomy, the surgeon tightens the platysma muscle through a small incision under the chin, removes excess fat and redrapes the neck skin behind the ear.
The decision about the neck is made on the basis of what is causing the change. Fat alone, loose skin alone and muscle bands each need a different approach, and many patients have a combination. The surgeon examines the neck from several angles, which is why a photo with the chin slightly lowered is so useful.
- Platysmaplasty for visible neck bands
- Removal of fat under the chin
- Redraping of loose neck skin
- A short scar hidden in the crease under the chin
Is it the right operation for you?
It suits people with sagging cheeks and jowls together with loose neck skin, bands or a soft jaw-to-neck angle, usually from their fifties onwards. If the neck is still firm, a facelift alone at €3,000 may be enough.
If only the neck has changed while the cheeks are firm, a neck lift on its own is an option, priced in a free personal quote. The surgeon decides from your photos and examination.
It is also worth thinking about the chin. A weak or receding chin can make the neck look fuller, and chin augmentation is sometimes added to a face and neck lift to sharpen the profile. That addition is priced in a free personal quote.
Surgery and recovery
The operation takes four to six hours under general anaesthesia, with one night in hospital. A compression strap may be worn for the first days. Plan about ten days in Istanbul.
The neck feels tight for a few weeks, which is normal. Bruising and swelling largely settle in two weeks, and stitches are removed between days seven and ten. The final result appears over about six months.
Wear a scarf or a high collar for the journey home if you prefer to cover the area. Gentle movement of the neck is encouraged, but avoid heavy lifting and strenuous exercise until the surgeon says otherwise, usually around six weeks.
Swelling under the chin can take a little longer to settle than on the cheeks. This is normal and does not affect the final result.
Next step
Send photos of your face from the front, both sides, at 45° and of your neck with the chin slightly lowered. New City Clinic replies with a written plan, usually within 24 hours. Treatment details are also available on newcityclinic.com.
If you are unsure whether you need the neck treated as well, ask the surgeon to explain the difference between the two plans for your face. You will receive both options and their prices in writing if both are reasonable.
This portal belongs to New City Clinic: Complete facelift guide on newcityclinic.com
