Neck liposuction takes close to an hour. A neck lift takes about two. The difference in operating time reflects a difference in scope, and the scope depends on which tissue under the jaw has changed.
A Houston practice’s guide to neck lift surgery lays out the distinction in practical terms. Leo Lapuerta, MD, FACS, a triple board-certified plastic surgeon with more than 30 years of experience, performs both procedures, and his practice’s guidance on each one forms the basis of the comparison below.
Three tissues, three fixes
The practice describes a neck lift as two procedures with an optional third. Liposuction removes fat pockets. Platysmaplasty tightens the platysma, the thin sheet of muscle at the front of the neck. Cervicoplasty removes excess skin.
Neck liposuction on its own handles the first of those. It removes fat through a small incision below the chin, using a thin tube called a cannula. It leaves the muscle as it is and cuts away no skin, so the condition of the skin decides a great deal.
The case for liposuction alone
The practice says neck liposuction removes both small and large amounts of fat, and that patients with a small but distinct bulge under the chin can benefit a great deal. If the skin above that bulge still has good fit, removing the fat may be enough to sharpen the angle between neck and jaw.
The technique is modest. Most surgeons, the practice notes, prefer the tumescent or “superwet” method, in which a fluid made of saline, a numbing agent and a substance that controls bleeding goes in before the fat comes out. The incisions range from keyhole punch marks to very small lines. Dr. Lapuerta performs the procedure under general anesthesia at his accredited on-site surgical facility.
Recovery is brief. Patients wear a compression garment, a head sleeve or chin strap, through the first week. The practice says most return to work two to three days after the procedure and wait a few weeks before going back to the gym.
Loose skin and the case for a lift
The practice states that people with loose and sagging skin may want to combine liposuction with a neck lift. It adds that while neck lipo can stand alone, in most cases the practice uses it together with the neck lift.
On skin, the practice is direct: excess skin in the neck has to be removed surgically. In a lift, any liposuction happens first. The surgeon then tightens the platysma, stretches and redrapes the overlying skin, and trims what hangs.
Incisions sit under the chin and, in some cases, behind or in front of the ears. A drain may be placed.
The recovery is longer. The practice says most neck lift patients return to work within seven to 10 days, avoid clothing pulled over the head, and keep the head elevated, even in sleep, for the first few days. It notes that combined neck lipo and lift patients have a longer recovery than those who have liposuction alone.
Side by side
- Treats: neck liposuction treats excess fat; a neck lift treats loose skin and loose muscle, with liposuction added for fat.
- Incisions: liposuction uses a small incision below the chin; a lift uses one under the chin and sometimes others near the ears.
- Operating time: close to an hour for liposuction; about two hours for a neck lift, varying by case.
- Back to work: two to three days after liposuction for most patients; seven to 10 days after a neck lift for most patients.
- Non-surgical option: the practice offers Kybella as a non-surgical alternative to neck liposuction. For removing loose skin, the practice lists no non-surgical substitute.
The chin in the equation
The practice raises a third possibility for both procedures. Patients born with limited bone support may want to consider a chin implant or genioplasty, and it notes that a weak chin can leave the neck without a defined contour. A neck lift may still be needed after the chin is corrected.
Weight also matters after either surgery. The practice says removed fat cells do not return, but the cells left behind can expand with weight gain. Both operations carry surgical risks, and the practice frames the consultation as the place to assess whether liposuction will be enough. For the neck, that assessment comes down to the skin.
This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Results vary from patient to patient. Consult a board-certified plastic surgeon or your physician about your own situation. Written in partnership with Joseph Lambert, a publicist working with Leo Lapuerta, MD Plastic Surgery.