Male Neck Lift

Pain is a common concern for many patients considering a surgical procedure, but rest assured that most men report a neck lift to be very tolerable in terms of discomfort. During the procedure, you’ll be under anesthesia so that you won’t feel anything at all. In the first few days after surgery, you may experience moderate soreness, tightness, or a pulling sensation as your neck heals, especially when turning your head. However, this discomfort is usually well-managed with prescribed pain medication and resolves significantly within the first week. 

At our Fairfax office, located less than half an hour from Washington, D.C., we provide thorough postoperative care instructions and follow-ups to keep you as comfortable as possible throughout your recovery. Most patients are pleasantly surprised by how manageable the recovery is and often return to work or social activities within 10 to 14 days.

Consistent follow-up is key to successful results. After your male neck lift, you’ll return to our office for several scheduled visits to monitor healing and ensure everything is progressing smoothly. Typically, this includes your first post-op appointment within 24 hours, followed by check-ins at one week, one month, three months, six months, and a final visit around the one-year mark. Patients from Washington D.C. and surrounding areas often appreciate this high-touch approach, as it reinforces a strong sense of safety, care, and accessibility throughout the healing journey.

While some initial improvements—like a slimmer neck profile and reduced sagging—are noticeable within the first few weeks, the most refined and natural-looking results of a male neck lift develop gradually over time. Swelling and bruising can take several weeks to resolve fully, and the underlying tissues continue to settle and heal over the course of several months. Most patients begin seeing their true results around the three-month mark, with full, final results typically visible by 12 months post-surgery. 

Yes, in fact, combining procedures is often the most efficient way to achieve comprehensive facial rejuvenation with just one recovery period. Many men choose to pair their neck lift with procedures such as chin liposuction, rhinoplasty, or eyelid surgery to sharpen their profile and enhance their overall facial balance. If you’re experiencing sagging in multiple areas—such as the jawline, jowls, or upper face—we can design a customized plan that addresses all your concerns in a single surgical session. 

At the Bitar Cosmetic Surgery Institute, we take pride in ensuring that we provide our patients with the best possible surgical experience, anticipating potential problems or setbacks and addressing them before they occur. This process encompasses preoperative preparation, the actual surgery, and postoperative care.

• General Complications
  General complications can occur with any surgery. Cosmetic surgery is typically a safe procedure performed on healthy patients and, like all surgeries, carries a low risk. To further reduce the risk of complications, we operate at a first-class surgery center with board-certified anesthesiologists and nurses. To avoid postoperative complications, we advocate for early mobilization – patients seen in our office one or two days after surgery- and active participation in their own postoperative care. When we create a partnership, the results invariably improve.

• Bleeding
  Bleeding after a neck lift is rare. Before surgery, our patients are tested to make sure they don’t have any common bleeding disorders by their own physicians and by lab tests. The use of a tumescent solution before liposuction of the neck during a neck lift minimizes bleeding. In my practice, the rate of significant bleeding is less than 1%. The treatment of a hematoma or blood clot under the skin involves opening the incision and removing the blood clot. Typically, this is a straightforward procedure.

• Infection
  The most important step in avoiding infections is to undergo surgery at a first-rate surgical facility with board-certified anesthesiologists and nurses. Patients are given the appropriate intravenous antibiotic coverage throughout the surgery. During the surgery, the patient’s skin surface is cleaned thoroughly. After the procedure, my patients are prescribed antibiotics to minimize infection. As a result of these extra precautions, my rate of infection after a neck lift is extremely rare.

• Open Wounds
  In a neck lift, a relatively large amount of skin is manipulated, and the skin is closed under mild tension. Because the incisions are under tension, there can be either a loss of some skin or a small opening of the wound behind the ears. This is treated with dressing changes and wound cleaning in the office as needed. This occurs in approximately 1% of patients. Usually, the wounds heal very well, and nothing further needs to be done with nicely hidden scars. Very rarely, we may need to do a scar revision to improve the appearance of that scar.

• Nerve Injury
  One advantage of a neck lift over a face lift is that there are fewer nerves in the neck that may be affected by surgery. The result is a minimal rate of nerve injury. In rare instances, temporary loss of sensation from a “stunned” nerve or a bruised nerve may occur in the time period after surgery. This may result in a temporarily uneven smile, but full nerve function usually returns within a few days to a few weeks.

• Smoking
  Smoking is an absolute contraindication in a neck lift. The carbon monoxide and nicotine in cigarette smoke cause a severe reduction in blood supply to the skin and breast tissue during healing. This results in delayed wound healing, wound separation, death, and a higher risk of infection. Cotinine testing is performed in patients with a smoking history to ensure that they are safe when having this procedure.