Have you grown tired of the extra neck skin that makes you feel more like a turkey than a confident person, or noticed your neck skin appears saggy with more pronounced rings? These are just some of the reasons people like you consider neck lift procedures each year.
Neck lifts are often performed alone or in combination with a facelift and/or cheek lift to help you achieve a more youthful appearance. A consultation appointment with your surgeon can help you identify the neck lift surgery approach that may be most appropriate for your goals. Examples of neck lift techniques include:
- Liposuction to remove excess neck fat.
- Cervicoplasty, a surgical approach that involves making incisions in the skin folds underneath the chin and behind your ears, removing excess skin, tightening the skin and placing sutures or permanent adhesive to hold the skin in place.
- Platysmaplasty, a surgical procedure designed to reduce the neck’s banded or “turkey wattle” appearance. Instead of removing neck skin, your surgeon focuses on aligning and/or repositioning your neck muscles. By adjusting these, the neck skin is tightened and the jawline is more defined.
The more invasive and extensive a neck lift surgery procedure is, the more costly the surgery is likely to be.
How Much Will Neck Lift Surgery Cost?
A number of factors go into estimated neck lift costs. Examples include:
- Surgeon time
- Medical support personnel time
- Surgery center and recovery suite
- Surgical tools
- Anesthesia costs
These costs will vary based on surgeon expertise, anesthesia needed and surgery center costs. Health insurance companies do not typically cover neck lift procedures because they are considered cosmetic. If a neck lift surgery is to correct a medical condition, notify your surgeon and insurance company, who can determine prior to your surgery if the procedure is covered.
The price for neck lift surgery with intravenous sedation, which puts you in a twilight sleep, can cost between $3,500 and $10,000, according to NewBeauty magazine. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery considers a neck lift as part of a facelift and lists the 2011 average national price as $6,408 for physician/surgeon fees. DocShop lists the price of a neck lift performed with a facelift between $4,000 and $7,500.
Remember there are additional costs outside of the surgical suite. This includes medications, any blood work prior to the procedure and any days you may need to miss from work. When your surgeon or office manager quotes a particular price for the surgery, ask what is included in the fee. The office can likely provide a cost breakdown to ensure the quote is not just for the surgeon’s fee alone. You can ask if there are potential additional costs that can arise through throughout the surgical process.
What If I Don’t Have Thousands Lying Around?
You have a few options for financing neck lift surgery, and it is important you speak openly with your surgeon and surgeon’s billing staff to determine how you can meet these costs.
Ask your physician about when payments are expected for surgery. For example, some surgeons request a down payment of one-half to one-third the fee in the weeks prior to your surgery. The remainder may be billed the day of surgery or in the weeks post-surgery. This can allow you to space out your payments, meaning you will not be responsible for a lump sum at one time.
Many surgeons also offer financing options that allow you to pay an agreed-upon sum for a designated time period. Independent medical financing companies also exist. Ensure you discuss expected payments and interest owed to gain a realistic understanding of when you will fully pay off your surgery.