Neck lift at Spire Edinburgh Hospitals Murrayfield and Shawfair Park

The neck is often where the effects of ageing first begin to show. If you feel unhappy about the way your neck looks – either because of ageing or sudden weight loss – we may be able to help.

A neck lift is a form of cosmetic surgery which aims to reshape the skin around the neck and jaw, reducing the appearance of sagging and other visible signs of ageing. A neck lift can improve the appearance of the skin, resulting in a more youthful and refreshed look.

A neck lift is generally made up of these procedures:

• Loose skin that bunches around your throat – sometimes called ‘turkey wattle’ – is usually addressed through surgery to tighten skin and muscles.
• As skin loses elasticity it can begin to sag, resulting in the appearance of vertical bands, lines and wrinkles. We can remove the excess skin to tighten neck muscles or use liposuction to remove excess fat or anti-wrinkle injection to get rid of the 'banding'.

A neck lift is also sometimes performed in conjunction with a facelift. Neck lift surgery, rather than a full facelift, may be sufficient to achieve the results you desire.

If you decide to have your treatment with us, you will be looked after by an experienced multi-disciplinary care team.

Our patients are at the heart of what we do and we want you to be in control of your care. To us, that means you can choose the consultant you want to see and when you want. They’ll be with you every step of the way: from giving advice at your first consultation, through to offering ongoing support after your surgery.

All of our consultant surgeons are of the highest calibre and benefit from working in our modern, well equipped hospitals. 

A consultant surgeon’s reputation, qualifications and experience are vitally important, so we only work with consultant grade specialists. These are highly experienced consultants who have completed years of medical training.

All our consultants are on the specialist register of the General Medical Council (GMC), and many are also members of the UK’s leading cosmetic and plastic surgery associations.

You will have a formal consultation with a healthcare professional. During this time you will be able to explain your medical history, symptoms and raise any concerns that you might have.

We will also discuss with you whether any further diagnostic tests, such as scans or blood tests, are needed. Any additional costs will be discussed before further tests are carried out.

We've tried to make your experience with us as easy and relaxed as possible.

For more information on visiting hours, our food, what to pack if you're staying with us, parking and all those other important practicalities, please visit our patient information pages.

Our dedicated team will also give you tailored advice to follow in the run up to your visit.

If you’re having the full neck lift procedure you will be given the option of going under a general anaesthetic, so you’ll be asleep throughout.

Your surgeon will make a series of incisions under your chin and behind your ears to access a neck muscle called the platysma. He or she will use small surgical instruments to make adjustments to the muscle before tightening the skin across the whole neck area. Liposuction may also be used to remove excess fat. The whole procedure usually takes around three to four hours.

If you’re just having liposuction your surgeon will make a small cut beneath your chin to remove any excess fat. This will usually take around an hour.

Where liposuction is performed in conjunction with any other cosmetic procedure, our policy is that we will remove no more than a maximum of 2000ml of aspirate (fat and fluid) from all areas combined. It would be very unusual to need this removed from your neck but may apply if you are having liposuction from somewhere else at the same time.

Anti-wrinkle injections - which can relax the parts of the platysma that are responsible for banding – can be given in 15 minutes and will be done on an outpatient basis.

Afterwards your neck will be wrapped in compression bandages that you will need to wear for about a week.

After this, you will be taken to your room or comfortable area where you can rest and recuperate until we feel you’re ready to go home.

If you’ve been under a general anaesthetic you’ll need to stay in hospital for a night or two. 

Pain relief

You will probably experience some pain, swelling and bruising immediately after the operation. This is normal and your symptoms will start to improve over the next few weeks. 

We will provide you with a supply of all the medicines your consultant feels you need to take home with you after you've left hospital, up to 14 days. This may be at an additional cost to some patients.

At home you can apply regular ice packs to the affected area to help with swelling. Suffering from pain could slow down your recovery, so please discuss any discomfort with your doctors or nurses

Recovery time

When you get home you’ll need to take things easy at first and it's a good idea to spend the first few days in bed so you can avoid moving your neck too much.

Make sure you wear loose comfortable clothing and avoid anything that needs to be pulled down over your head.

Arrange two weeks off work and you'll gradually be able to return to normal activity within four to six weeks.

End results

The full benefits of your neck lift will take around three to six months to be fully visible.

How your loved ones can help

Once you’re ready to be discharged from hospital, you’ll need to arrange a taxi, friend or family member to take you home as you won’t be able to drive. For the first week or two you should also ask them if they can run some light errands, such as shopping and cleaning, as you won’t feel up to it at first.

Looking after you

Even after you’ve left hospital, we’re still looking after you every step of the way. We will arrange a date for your next appointment to see how you're doing before you leave the hospital.

As with any medical procedure, complications can occur after a neck lift but most people are unaffected. Possible complications include bleeding and infection. Your consultant will talk to you about the risks and benefits of this procedure so please ask how they apply to you. You will also be given a contact number for the hospital to call.

If you have any questions or concerns we’re ready to help.

We are committed to delivering excellent individual care and customer service across our network of hospitals, clinics and specialist care centres around the UK. Our dedicated and highly trained team aim to achieve consistently excellent results. For us it's more than just treating patients, it's about looking after people.

Important to note

The treatment described on this page may be adapted to meet your individual needs, so it's important to follow your healthcare professional's advice and raise any questions that you may have with them.