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Private neck lift in the UK, by a BAAPS or BAPRAS plastic surgeon.

A proper neck lift - cervicoplasty, platysmaplasty or submentoplasty - done by a registered plastic surgeon in a CQC-registered theatre, with a statutory cooling-off period and an honest word about whether a combined face and neck lift is the better answer.

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A radiographer guides a patient onto the bed of an advanced 3 Tesla MRI scanner in a London imaging suite

Indicative pricing

What a private neck lift costs in the UK.

Indicative ranges across UK private providers.

In short

£5,500–£10,000, day-case or one night in the clinic.

Procedure Indicative range
Cervicoplasty (neck lift alone) £5,500–£10,000
Platysmaplasty ± submentoplasty £6,000–£11,000
Combined face and neck lift £10,000–£18,000
Neck liposuction (isolated submental fat) £2,000–£4,500
Deoxycholic acid injection (course of 4–6) £600–£2,700
Radiofrequency or HIFU skin tightening £400–£1,500

Prices vary by surgeon, by clinic, by the anaesthetic chosen, and by whether platysmaplasty, liposuction or a combined face lift is added.

The problem

The right surgeon, the right procedure, the right expectations.

Neck lift is one of the most oversold cosmetic procedures in the UK - booked in spas that shouldn’t offer it, and often chosen when a combined face and neck lift is the honest answer. We fix all three before you commit.

  • Is surgery the right step?

    For isolated submental fat, liposuction or injectable fat dissolving may do the job. We say so before you agree to a full neck lift.

  • Neck lift, or face and neck lift?

    If the jowls and midface are the real issue, an isolated neck lift underdelivers. We refer for a combined lift where it fits.

  • Done properly, done safely

    A named BAAPS or BAPRAS plastic surgeon, a CQC-registered theatre, a consultant anaesthetist and a statutory cooling-off period.

When it helps

What a neck lift actually addresses.

The concerns a neck lift is designed for - plus the one red flag that means postponing surgery, not booking it.

  • Platysmal banding

    Visible vertical neck bands - the “turkey neck” from age-related laxity of the platysma muscle.

  • Submental fullness

    A double chin from subcutaneous and submental fat, often combined with skin laxity.

  • Jowls and jaw margin

    Jowls sitting over the jaw line from midface descent - often needs a combined face and neck lift.

  • Post-weight-loss skin laxity

    Sagging, crepey skin after significant or sustained weight loss - a common reason to consider surgery.

  • Poor cervicomental angle

    A blunted angle between chin and neck (ideally 90–105°) - the single line that reads most as an aged neck.

  • Cosmetic dissatisfaction

    A neck you are no longer comfortable with on video calls or in photos - a personal choice, made with realistic expectations.

  • Age 40+ with stable weight

    Typical selection: 40+, non-smoker, weight within 5–10% of ideal, no severe systemic disease - the safest and most durable outcomes.

  • Red flag: still smoking

    Smoking dramatically increases skin necrosis and wound-healing failure. Most surgeons refuse to operate - quit at least 6 weeks before surgery.

Procedure options

A full neck lift is not the only option.

What each option on the table actually involves - surgical, minimally invasive and non-surgical - and which fits which problem.

  • Cervicoplasty (neck lift alone)

    Submental incision plus retro-auricular and mastoid incisions. Skin undermining and tightening, platysma sutured, drain 24h, compression garment 24–72h.

  • Corset platysmaplasty

    Plication of the platysma muscle in the midline via a submental incision - the definitive answer to visible platysmal bands.

  • Submentoplasty

    A combined submental-only approach: fat excision, platysma plication, skin redraping - no retro-auricular incisions. For younger patients with fat plus a moderate band.

  • Neck liposuction

    Isolated submental fat with good skin elasticity. Office-based or theatre under LA and sedation. No skin tightening - elasticity does the work.

  • Deoxycholic acid injection

    Non-surgical fat dissolving (Belkyra / Kybella) for submental fat only. A course of 4–6 sessions. Limited UK availability since 2019.

  • RF or HIFU skin tightening

    Non-surgical tightening (Ultherapy, Fotona 4D) for mild-to-moderate laxity. Real effect, but modest compared with surgery.

  • Combined face and neck lift

    A single-stage face-and-neck lift where jowls and midface descent need addressing too. See /treatments/face-and-neck-lift.

  • Buccal fat removal

    Removal of the buccal fat pad for lower-midface fullness (the cheek–jowl area). Sometimes combined for a sharper lower face.

Safety and recovery

What to expect afterwards - honestly.

Neck lift is a real cosmetic operation with real risks and a real recovery. The things worth planning are your surgeon choice, smoking cessation, the compression garment and the timeline.

  • Haematoma is the main early risk

    A collection of blood under the skin - 1–3% of cases, needs urgent evacuation in theatre. Any sudden swelling or tightness in the first 24 hours is a same-day call.

  • Great auricular nerve

    The nerve that supplies sensation to the earlobe runs through the operative field. Numbness is common short-term and usually recovers over months.

  • Marginal mandibular nerve

    A branch of the facial nerve near the jaw - bruising or stretch can weaken the lower-lip depressor. Usually recovers, occasionally lasting.

  • Skin necrosis in smokers

    The single most avoidable serious complication. Nicotine constricts the small vessels that feed the undermined skin flap. Stop at least six weeks before surgery.

  • Scars - well-hidden, but real

    Under the chin and behind the ear. They fade over 12–18 months. Thick, dark or keloid scars are possible and worse in some skin types.

  • Compression garment 1–4 weeks

    24 hours a day for the first 3 days, then most of the day for 1–4 weeks. Uncomfortable, hot, and the single biggest driver of a good contour.

  • Bruising and swelling 2–4 weeks

    Worst in the first week, most of it gone by 2–3 weeks. Final contour and scar maturation at 3–6 months.

  • Revision surgery in 5–15%

    Small touch-ups - a scar revision, a dog-ear, residual asymmetry. A well-run private clinic includes this in the original quote or is explicit about the extra cost.

  • Isolated neck lift may not be enough

    If jowls and midface descent are the real issue, an isolated neck lift often underdelivers. A staged or combined face-and-neck lift is the honest answer.

Reading your operation note

Your operation note in four parts. Read the last one first.

Whichever technique was used, the note the plastic surgeon sends you keeps to the same shape.

A UK consultant plastic surgeon reviewing a patient’s operation notes

A quiet reminder

Surgical language is precise and can read coldly - we translate it for you.

If you would like us to talk you through the note before your review, just ask.

  1. 01 Header

    Indication and procedure chosen

    What was addressed - banding, submental fullness, jowls - and which technique was agreed with you at consultation.

  2. 02 Technique

    Anaesthetic and surgical technique

    GA or sedation, incisions used (submental ± retro-auricular ± mastoid), platysmaplasty performed, liposuction, drain placement.

  3. 03 Findings

    Intra-operative findings

    Skin excess removed, platysmal band pattern, submental fat volume, any nerve visualised or protected, blood loss.

  4. 04 Impression

    Recovery, garment, review timing

    Read this first: garment schedule, drain removal, suture removal, when you can drive, exercise, and the follow-up plan.

Recognised by major UK insurers

BupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealix

Cosmetic neck lift is almost always self-pay - insurers do not cover cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive neck surgery after trauma or cancer may be covered case-by-case.

Frequently asked

Everything we get asked about a neck lift.

Quick answers on cost, recovery, alternatives, and whether an isolated neck lift is enough.

  • What is a neck lift and how is it different from a face lift?

    A neck lift (cervicoplasty ± platysmaplasty) rejuvenates the neck itself - banding, double chin, cervicomental angle. A face lift addresses jowls and midface descent. Many patients need both, done as a single combined face and neck lift.

  • Am I a good candidate for a neck lift?

    Typical selection is 40+, a non-smoker, weight stable within 5–10% of ideal, without severe systemic disease, and with realistic expectations. A BAAPS or BAPRAS surgeon assesses this properly at consultation, with a statutory two-week cooling-off period before any date.

  • How much does a private neck lift cost in the UK?

    Roughly £5,500–£10,000 for a cervicoplasty, £6,000–£11,000 for platysmaplasty with submentoplasty, and £10,000–£18,000 for a combined face and neck lift. Neck liposuction alone is £2,000–£4,500.

  • Do I really need surgery - what about Kybella, HIFU or Ultherapy?

    For isolated submental fat with good skin, injectable fat dissolving (£600–£2,700 for a course) or liposuction may be enough. For mild skin laxity, RF or HIFU (£400–£1,500) gives a modest effect. For visible platysmal bands and jowls, only surgery reliably delivers.

  • How long is recovery after a neck lift?

    Bruising and swelling 2–4 weeks, compression garment 1–4 weeks, sutures out 5–14 days, back to office work 2–3 weeks, driving 1–2 weeks, no strenuous exercise for 4–6 weeks. Final result at 3–6 months, scars fade over 12–18 months.

  • How long does a neck lift last?

    Typical durability is 8–12 years with realistic expectations - ageing continues after surgery, and the result is a “younger version of you,” not a permanent freeze. Weight stability, sun protection and not smoking all extend the result.

  • What are the main risks?

    Haematoma (1–3%, needs urgent evacuation), infection, seroma, nerve injury (great auricular - earlobe numbness; marginal mandibular - lip depressor weakness), skin necrosis (much worse in smokers), scar problems, asymmetry, and the need for revision in 5–15%. A full risk conversation is part of consultation.

  • Where are the scars and how visible are they?

    Under the chin (submental) and behind the ears (retro-auricular, sometimes into the hairline). They are typically well-hidden once mature, pink and firm at first, softening and fading over 12–18 months.

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