Neck Lift in Bangkok, Thailand
Dr. Rushapol Sdawat, M.D. — Thai Board-Certified Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon
Platysmaplasty and deep neck contouring | Intrarat Hospital, Bangkok | Most often combined with deep plane facelift
A neck lift corrects jowls, platysmal bands and the "turkey neck" by tightening the platysma muscle and removing deep fat, not by removing skin alone. This is the treatment page for neck lift surgery with Dr. Rushapol Sdawat in Bangkok. For the full educational guide, read Neck Lift in Bangkok: fixing jowls, bands and the turkey neck.
What causes an ageing neck?
"Turkey neck" is one phrase covering at least six separate anatomical problems, and each needs a different operation. Platysmal bands are muscle: the two halves of the platysma separate in the midline and show as vertical cords, and no amount of skin tightening removes them. Subplatysmal fat sits beneath the muscle where liposuction cannot reach. Loose skin, a low-set hyoid, prominent digastric muscles and drooping submandibular glands each add to the picture. Treating the wrong one, or one and not the rest, produces a neck that is different but not better.
Why liposuction alone rarely works after 45
Submental liposuction is a good operation for a patient in their twenties to early forties with a full neck, strong skin elasticity, no banding and fat above the muscle. Beyond about 45, skin elasticity falls, the platysma has usually separated, and much of the fullness sits beneath the muscle. Removing the superficial fat then makes the bands more visible and leaves loose skin over a thinner neck. Removing fat is not the same as building a contour.
Corset and lateral platysmaplasty
Platysmaplasty means surgically tightening the platysma, and good necks usually need both techniques. The anterior corset platysmaplasty is performed through a 3 to 4 cm incision in the crease under the chin: the medial borders of the platysma are sutured together in the midline to re-create a sling and abolish the vertical bands. It is the only reliable treatment for true anterior banding and the access route for all deep neck work. The lateral platysmaplasty is performed through the facelift incisions around the ear: the lateral border of the platysma is elevated and fixed to the mastoid fascia, which produces the upward pull along the jawline and the redraping of neck skin.
Deep neck contouring
Deep neck work is everything performed after the platysma has been opened in the midline: removal of subplatysmal fat, partial reduction of the anterior digastric muscles and, in carefully selected cases, partial reduction of a drooping submandibular gland. It is the difference between a neck that is tighter and a neck with a sculpted angle, and it is where the operation becomes technically demanding, because the facial artery, the marginal mandibular nerve and the hypoglossal nerve all sit in this territory. Not everyone needs it; whether your neck does is an examination finding.
Neck lift, submentoplasty or facelift?
| Your anatomy | Usually the right operation |
|---|---|
| Full neck, good skin recoil, no bands, under about 45 | Submental liposuction alone |
| Visible bands, modest fullness, crisp jawline, good skin | Submentoplasty (liposuction plus corset platysmaplasty) |
| Bands plus loose neck skin, jawline still reasonable | Full neck lift: corset plus lateral platysmaplasty plus skin redraping |
| Blunt angle despite being slim; deep fullness | Deep neck contouring |
| Jowls breaking the mandibular border | Facelift with neck lift, not a neck lift alone |
The honest point most clinics skip: an isolated neck lift in a patient with jowls will disappoint. Jowls are facial fat and SMAS descending over the jawline; they sit above the mandible, not in the neck. If jowls are your main concern, the face must be addressed as well.
Am I a candidate?
Beyond the anatomy above, you need to be medically suitable: reasonable general health, controlled blood pressure, stable weight, and no nicotine for at least six weeks before and after surgery. Smoking is the strongest modifiable risk factor for skin-flap healing problems. Read: smoking, nicotine, vaping and surgery.
How the surgery is performed
Under general anaesthesia at Intrarat Hospital, an isolated neck lift takes two to three hours; combined with a deep plane facelift, five to seven. Dr. Rushapol performs every operation personally. One night in hospital follows, sometimes two if combined.
Recovery
| Days 0–2 | One night in hospital. Compression garment, sometimes a small drain removed the next morning. Swelling peaks on days two and three; swallowing and turning the head feel restricted. |
|---|---|
| Days 3–7 | Bruising migrates down onto the chest, which is normal. Garment worn continuously except for showering; sleep propped at 30 to 45 degrees. |
| Days 7–14 | Stitches out between day 7 and day 10. The submental area feels firm, lumpy and numb, which is healing tissue, not a bad result. Surgical review before flying, generally day 10 to 14 for an isolated neck lift. |
| Weeks 3–6 | Garment reduced to nights. Most patients are socially presentable by week three and comfortable at work by weeks three to four. Light exercise from around week three to four. |
Plan 10 to 14 days in Thailand for an isolated neck lift and 14 to 21 days if combined with a facelift. Time off desk-based work is two to three weeks. Read: how long to stay in Bangkok and when it is safe to fly.
Risks and honest limits
All surgery carries risk, and a neck lift is a real operation under general anaesthesia. The marginal mandibular nerve, which supplies the muscles that pull the lower lip down, runs close to the surgical field; injury produces an asymmetric lower lip on smiling. Most cases are temporary stretch or swelling and recover over weeks to months; permanent injury is uncommon but recognised. Contour irregularity is the most common aesthetic complication: over-resection of deep fat without adequate platysmal repair can produce a hollowed, over-skeletonised submental area. Bleeding, infection, salivary collection after gland reduction, scarring and recurrence of bands with continued ageing are all possible. Results typically give eight to twelve years of visible benefit; ageing continues.
Cost
Indicative ranges published in the practice's neck lift guide: submentoplasty roughly A$3,500 to A$7,000; full neck lift A$5,500 to A$11,000 (NZ$6,000 to NZ$12,000); deep plane facelift with neck lift A$15,000 to A$24,000. An Australian neck lift is commonly published at A$10,000 to A$25,000. A Thai quotation usually includes the surgeon's fee, anaesthetist, hospital theatre and one night's care, medication, garment and in-country follow-up; flights and accommodation beyond the hospital stay are separate. Your itemised quotation follows consultation.
Before and after
Photographs above show combined deep plane facelift and neck lift; the neck result is part of a combined operation, not an isolated neck lift.
Look at profile photographs at six to twelve months, not six weeks, and with the chin in a neutral position; elevated-chin photographs flatter every neck. Photographs on this site are of consenting patients and are not retouched. Individual results vary. View before and after results.
Frequently asked questions
Can a neck lift fix jowls?
Only partly. Jowls are facial fat and SMAS descending over the jawline, so they sit above the mandible, not in the neck. Genuine jowl correction needs a facelift.
Will liposuction alone fix my turkey neck?
Rarely after about 45. Liposuction only reaches fat above the platysma; if you have bands, subplatysmal fat or reduced skin elasticity, removing superficial fat can make bands more visible and leave loose skin.
How long do I need to stay in Thailand for a neck lift?
Plan 10 to 14 days for an isolated neck lift and 14 to 21 days if combined with a facelift. Stitches typically come out between day 7 and day 10, and a surgical review before flying is standard.
What is a corset platysmaplasty?
Suturing the two medial edges of the platysma together in the midline through an incision under the chin, re-creating a sling that supports the deep structures and removes vertical bands.
Can I have a neck lift under local anaesthetic?
A limited submentoplasty is occasionally performed under sedation. A full neck lift, and any deep neck work, is performed under general anaesthesia in a hospital theatre with an anaesthetist present.
Request a consultation
Send standardised photographs, a relaxed front view, both profiles and a profile with the chin elevated, and you will be told plainly whether an isolated neck procedure will give you what you want or whether your anatomy needs the face addressed as well. Consultations are in person in Bangkok or by video; you receive a written treatment plan and an itemised quotation.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Rushapol Sdawat, M.D., Medical Council of Thailand licence No. 17689. Last reviewed: 7 September 2026. This page is general information, not medical advice. All surgery carries risk; individual results vary and are not guaranteed. Suitability can only be determined after consultation, examination and photographic assessment.
