Surgery · Signature Lifting

Deep Neck Lift

The compartment a cannula cannot reach

Apgujeong, Seoul | Board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Jonghwan Choi
Subplatysmal fat, taken out by hand · KHIDI-registered for international patients

Deep Neck Lift Deep Neck Lift Deep Neck Lift Deep Neck Lift Deep Neck Lift Deep Neck Lift 
Define

Deep neck lift

What is a deep neck lift, and what does it not include?

The operation in one paragraph

Rewind's deep neck lift works through a short line under the chin. The surgeon first loosens the surplus fat above the muscle and suctions it, then removes the fat that clings in clusters to the platysma, the muscle sheet across the front of the neck. That deposit sits under the muscle and will not travel through a suction cannula, so it is separated and lifted out granule by granule. With the compartment emptied, the slackened platysma is tied back, so the muscle carries the tension that holds the new chin-to-neck angle. Nothing is opened at the ear, and no skin is cut away.

Source: Rewind's Korean-language surgical page for grape-cluster fat removal, which names the three operative steps, the submental scar of about two centimetres, the week of compression dressing and the durability the clinic records.

The last sentence of that paragraph is worth reading twice, because English uses one phrase for two operations. A deep neck lift can also mean a large procedure that opens in front of and behind the ear and redrapes neck skin over the jaw. What Rewind publishes is the submental half of the idea: the deep fat and the muscle, reached through one line under the chin. Where loose skin is the finding instead, the clinic's answer is a separate listed operation.

Deep-neck surgery under magnification in the operating room at Rewind Plastic Surgery
Fig. 01 — Under the chin, at magnification: the deep compartment is worked by hand
Result

Case record

Rewind's own deep-neck cases, and what each session actually included

All three were photographed at the clinic from the side, because the deep compartment shows in profile and almost nowhere else. Read the captions before the pictures: in none of these cases was the deep fat the only thing done. Each neck also had the layer above the muscle suctioned and the platysma tightened in the same session, and one patient had forehead surgery at the same time.

Rewind patients — profile, chin to neck

Before: subplatysmal fat removal with jaw line and double-chin liposuction and platysma tightening, male profile After: subplatysmal fat removal with jaw line and double-chin liposuction and platysma tightening, male profile BEFOREAFTER
case 01
Subplatysmal fat removal + jaw line and double-chin liposuction + platysma tightening
Individual results may vary.
Before: subplatysmal fat removal with double-chin liposuction and deep platysma tightening, profile After: subplatysmal fat removal with double-chin liposuction and deep platysma tightening, profile BEFOREAFTER
case 02
Subplatysmal fat removal + double-chin liposuction + platysma tightening, deep
Individual results may vary.
Before: subplatysmal fat removal with double-chin liposuction, platysma tightening and forehead lift with hairline reduction, profile After: subplatysmal fat removal with double-chin liposuction, platysma tightening and forehead lift with hairline reduction, profile BEFOREAFTER
case 03
Subplatysmal fat removal + double-chin liposuction + platysma tightening + forehead lift and reduction
Individual results may vary.

These are Rewind's own patients, photographed by the clinic from the same angle and under the same light, shown uncropped and unretouched, and published only with the patient's consent. Individual results may vary, and no case here predicts what your own profile would do. Bleeding, infection, prolonged swelling, bruising, asymmetry, altered sensation under the chin, injury to nerves near the jaw line and scarring at the incision are all possible after this operation. An examination with the surgeon comes before any decision.

Depth

Anatomy of a full neck

Which deposits does a deep neck lift take, from skin down to muscle?

A profile that stays heavy after fat has been suctioned is usually a profile whose fullness was never all in the layer a cannula reaches. Rewind describes what sits between the skin under your chin and the muscle beneath it, and treats those things in order. The fourth column below is the boundary of the operation, and it matters as much as the first three.

layer 01
Fat above the muscle
The subcutaneous layer. Rewind's first step loosens it and suctions it, and for some necks that single step finishes the job. It is also the only layer suction can take, which is where the limit of a liposuction-only plan begins.
layer 02
Grape-cluster fat
Rewind's own name for granules of fat stuck to the neck muscle like fruit on a stem. Because the deposit lies under the platysma, a cannula passes it by; the clinic states plainly that it has to be taken out one piece at a time.
layer 03
The platysma itself
The muscle sheet that slackens with age and lets the border between jaw and neck blur. Rewind's third step ties it back so it carries tension again, which is what stops a newly emptied neck from simply hanging where the fat used to be.
boundary 04
What this operation leaves alone
No skin is excised and nothing is opened at the ear. Loose neck skin, an enlarged gland under the jaw and descent that has travelled up into the cheek are separate findings, each with its own listing and its own consultation.
Steps

In sequence

How does the deep fat come out, and how is the platysma closed?

Rewind publishes three surgical steps for this operation and one dressing instruction alongside them. Put in order they read as a single argument: take what suction can take, extract by hand what it cannot, then rebuild the tension that has to hold the result.

01Soften

Surplus fat above the muscle is loosened, then suctioned

The clinic's first step dissolves the excess subcutaneous fat gently before drawing it out. This is the part of a deep neck lift that a chin liposuction also performs, and it is done first so the layer underneath can be seen properly.

02Extract

The fat clinging to the neck muscle is removed granule by granule

Rewind's second step addresses the grape-cluster deposit directly: each piece is separated from the platysma and lifted out under vision. Suction cannot do this, and that single fact is why the clinic treats a deep neck lift as a different operation and not a bigger version of the same one.

03Tie

The slackened platysma is tied back with its tension restored

After the fat has been extracted, the stretched muscle is bound so that it sits taut again. The clinic describes the effect as a lifting of sagging skin and muscle together, and it is the step that gives the angle under the chin somewhere to hold.

04Close

One line under the chin, closed, then a week of compression

Rewind records a scar of about two centimetres beneath the chin and asks for the compression dressing to stay on for a week. The clinic describes the line as difficult to notice once healed; how a scar settles still varies from person to person.

05Unstated

Two figures this page will not invent

The clinic does not publish which anaesthesia it uses for this operation, or how long it takes in theatre. Both are confirmed by the surgeon at the examination, and neither is estimated here.

Operating team at work during surgery at Rewind Plastic Surgery
Fig. 02 — One operating surgeon, and the team that stays with the case
Rewind

Why here

Why the depth of a neck operation belongs to the surgeon who operates

Two necks can look identical from the outside and need different operations. The question is whether the fullness you can see sits above the muscle, below it, or in skin that has stopped retracting, and the answer decides how deep the incision goes. At Rewind the person who settles that question is the person holding the instruments afterwards.

01Reading

Above the muscle or beneath it, decided by hand

Rewind's own entry line for this operation is written for the patient whose chin liposuction felt unfinished, and the clinic lists sagging after contouring surgery and a structurally short chin among the reasons a neck stays full. Which of those applies is a finding, not a preference. The literature at the foot of this page includes work on measuring the deep layer before surgery, which is the research context around that judgement.

02Scope

The deep work, the suction and the gland are priced apart

Suction of the layer above the muscle, removal of the deep fat, tightening of the platysma and reduction of an enlarged gland under the jaw appear as separate lines on the clinic's price sheet. Because none of them is folded into another by default, a plan only grows if the examination says it should.

03Continuity

One surgeon, from the examination to the last review

A single board-certified plastic surgeon examines, operates and holds every follow-up at Rewind; no case changes hands. Patients travelling from abroad are supported in their own language, and the clinic holds KHIDI registration as an institution for foreign patients.

Dr. Jonghwan Choi examining a patient's jaw line and neck at consultation
Fig. 03 — Whether the fullness lies above or below the muscle is decided at the chair
Theatre

On the day

Which room is a deep neck lift done in, and what goes on before you leave?

Operating room at Rewind Plastic Surgery, Apgujeong

Fig. 04 — The theatre, on the fifth floor in Apgujeong

Recovery room at Rewind Plastic Surgery where the compression dressing is applied

Fig. 05 — Recovery, where the compression dressing goes on

Rewind occupies the fourth and fifth floors of the Richro Building in Apgujeong, Gangnam. The medical director takes the consultation, performs the operation and sees you at every review afterwards. Surgical consultations are held Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:00 to 19:00 and on Saturday from 10:00 to 16:00, entirely by appointment. You leave with the compression dressing already fitted, so plan how you get home with that in mind.

Incision: one line under the chin, about 2 cm
Fat above the muscle: loosened, then suctioned
Subplatysmal fat: extracted piece by piece
Platysma: tied back to restore tension
Compression dressing: worn for one week
No skin excised; nothing opened at the ear
Dr. Jonghwan Choi, board-certified plastic surgeon

Board-certified plastic surgeon

Korean specialist certification in Plastic Surgery, ten peer-reviewed papers, and the only operating surgeon at this clinic. Rewind is registered with KHIDI to treat international patients, Reg. M-2025-01-08-09288.

Cost

Pricing

How is a deep neck lift quoted when it is rarely performed alone?

On Rewind's price sheet the deep work appears as an addition to a chin and jaw line plan, which matches how the cases above were actually operated. One caution belongs here: the wording of that line on the clinic's own sheet leaves open exactly which compartments it covers, so what it includes for you is confirmed at the examination, and this page does not assume it from a list.

Subplatysmal fat removal, as an additionThe deep compartment, extracted by hand; the sheet's own wording on the compartments covered is confirmed at consultation
₩1,500,000
Liposuction with platysma tighteningFat above the muscle suctioned and the neck muscle tied back, as one listed operation
₩5,390,000
Chin and jaw line liposuctionThe base plan, where the deep compartment is quiet and suction finishes the profile
₩1,760,000
Salivary gland reductionAdded only where an enlarged gland under the jaw is what holds the fullness
₩1,600,000
Revision: liposuction with platysma tighteningWhere a neck operated elsewhere is being corrected rather than treated for the first time
₩7,500,000

Every figure above is a list price with VAT charged separately; anaesthetic fees are already inside it. Because the deep fat, the suction, the muscle and the gland are listed apart, you can see what each part of a neck plan costs before agreeing to any of it, and nothing joins your plan without the surgeon saying at the examination why it belongs there.

Fit

Suitability

Which necks need the deep compartment opened, and which do not?

Where Rewind lists this operation

  • Skin loosened and muscle stretched with age, so the border between jaw and neck has gone soft
  • A chin liposuction that produced little change, with the fullness still sitting there in profile
  • Sagging skin or a returning double chin after previous facial contouring surgery
  • A structurally short chin, where the shape of the jaw itself pushes soft tissue into the profile
  • A patient prepared for a week of compression and a month of restrictions on how the neck moves

Where the examination changes the plan

  • Fullness confined to the layer above the muscle: suction on its own is the smaller and sufficient answer
  • Loose skin doing most of the visible work, where tightening the muscle answers only part of it
  • An enlarged gland under the jaw, which has its own listing and is discussed on its own terms
  • Bleeding, clotting or wound-healing conditions, and any medication affecting them
  • Pregnancy, breastfeeding, or an active infection along the planned line under the chin
After

Recovery

What does a deep neck lift ask of you for the first month?

Two of Rewind's post-operative sheets apply to this operation, one for facial liposuction and one for the muscle work, and where their windows differ the longer one governs. The clinic records bruising and swelling as possible with an early return to ordinary activity, and asks for the compression dressing to be kept on for a week. It records durability of more than five years, varying between individuals.

Week one
Compression, left alone
The dressing stays on for a week and the area underneath is not pressed or massaged. Rewind asks for the wound to be kept clean, and treats severe pain or a fever as a reason to come straight back in.
Two weeks
Muscle at rest
The sheet for the muscle work asks for at least two weeks without alcohol, smoking, sauna or steam rooms, no massage of the operated area, and enough rest for the tightened muscle to settle. Swelling and a feeling of tightness are recorded as part of that.
One month
The neck moves gently
For a month the chin is not dropped sharply and the head is not turned forcefully to either side. The liposuction sheet extends strenuous exercise, sauna and alcohol to the same month, and cold compresses are used early for swelling.
Beyond
Scar, sun, and time
The line under the chin is cared for as a healing scar, with sun protection while it matures. Rewind records more than five years of durability with individual variation; ageing continues on top of the repair, and the muscle can slacken again with it.

Surgery on the neck carries risk, and the ones worth naming here are bleeding, infection, prolonged swelling and bruising, asymmetry between the two sides, altered sensation under the chin, injury to nerves that run near the jaw line, and a scar that heals differently from the one you imagined. An outcome cannot be promised, and results vary by individual. Tell the surgeon about every previous operation on your face or neck, and about any medication you take, before a date is agreed.

Doctor

Professional

At Rewind, one board-certified plastic surgeon carries every case — from the first consultation to the final follow-up. Because a face is a story, and a story deserves a single author.

Dr. Jonghwan Choi, board-certified plastic surgeonRewind,
Dr. Jonghwan Choi presenting at an academic session
Fig. 06 — Academic presentation, lifting session

Rewind's Doctor

Dr. Jonghwan Choi Medical Director

One surgeon, from the first
consultation to the last follow-up.

A board-certified plastic surgeon devoted to anti-aging lifting — with the precision and restraint built through years of craniofacial practice.

Board-certified plastic surgeon (Plastic Surgery)
10 peer-reviewed publications
Medical Director, Rewind Plastic Surgery
Korean Society of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeons
Former chief director, Apgujeong Y&T Plastic Surgery
Korean Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
J Craniofac Surg · JKMS · Arch Craniofac Surg
Korean Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association
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Ask

Questions

Deep neck lift in Seoul — the questions that come before a date

Where exactly does subplatysmal fat sit?
The compartment beneath the platysma, the muscle sheet across the front of the neck. Rewind calls the deposit grape-cluster fat because the granules cling to that muscle, and suction reaches only the layer above it. Whatever sits below has to be lifted out by hand.
What separates Rewind's operation from the deep-plane version performed overseas?
Scope. Rewind publishes one short incision under the chin, direct removal of the deep fat and suture of the platysma, with no skin excised and nothing opened at the ear. The larger operation that redrapes neck skin through incisions around the ear is a separate procedure with a separate listing.
How does it differ from having chin liposuction a second time?
Liposuction thins fat above the muscle, and repeating it cannot reach what lies below. Rewind's own entry line for this operation is written for the patient whose suction result felt unfinished: the compartment that was never emptied is the one addressed here, and the muscle is tightened in the same session.
My chin stayed full after liposuction. Is the deep compartment the reason?
It is one of the reasons Rewind lists for this operation, alongside sagging after contouring surgery, age-related muscle laxity and a structurally short chin. Which of them explains your own profile is settled by examination, because each points to a different operation and one of them is not surgery at all.
What size of scar does the submental line leave?
Rewind records a scar of about two centimetres in the shadow beneath the chin, and describes it as difficult to notice once healed. It remains a surgical scar: how it settles varies between individuals, and the clinic asks for sun protection and scar care while the line matures.
Why is the deep fat taken out one piece at a time?
Because it is attached. The clinic describes granules of fat stuck to the neck muscle, which a cannula cannot draw through, so each cluster is separated and lifted out under direct vision. That makes the deep step slower work than suction, and it is listed and priced as its own item.
Can the deep fat come back once it has been removed?
Rewind puts the durability of this operation at more than five years, varying from person to person. The fat taken from beneath the muscle is gone from that site, while ageing carries on around it: skin loosens, the platysma can slacken again, and weight change still shows in a profile. The clinic gives that figure as a working life for the result.
Does the compression week decide when I can travel?
A compression dressing stays on for a week, with bruising and swelling recorded as possible and an early return to ordinary activity. Rewind publishes no flying interval for this operation, so travel dates are set by the surgeon once the scope and the timing of your first review are agreed.
My chin is short and creases run across my neck. Is fat still the target?
Rewind lists a structurally short chin among the reasons a double chin forms, and states that removing the deep fat and tightening the muscle improves neck creases in some patients. How much of your profile is bone, fat, muscle or skin is exactly what the examination is for.
Does this operation also cover the muscle work and the gland?
Tightening the muscle is the third published step of this operation, so it belongs to it. Reduction of an enlarged salivary gland under the jaw is a separate listed item and is added only where the examination calls for it. Nothing is bundled in by default at Rewind.
What decides the quote for a deep-neck plan?
Scope decides it. The deep fat appears on the clinic's price sheet as an addition to a liposuction plan, and the wording of that line leaves the compartments it covers open, so its contents are confirmed at the examination. List prices exclude VAT and already include anaesthetic fees.
When can a surgical consultation be booked?
Rewind consults Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:00 to 19:00 and on Saturday from 10:00 to 16:00, entirely by appointment, and a surgical consultation can be taken in any of those slots. Interpreter-assisted consultation is arranged for patients travelling from abroad, and the clinic holds KHIDI registration as an institution treating foreign patients.
Booking

Reservation

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Scientific evidence

Published research on subplatysmal fat, platysma management and neck contouring

Reading upward from the deep layer: how much fat lies beneath the platysma and whether it can be measured before an operation, how the neck is reduced across two planes, how skin behaves once fat has been taken from an older neck, outcomes reported after submental fat removal, and the safety of instrument-assisted extraction. The techniques, settings and anaesthetic choices in these papers are the authors' own and describe neither this clinic nor your case; Rewind does not publish its anaesthetic protocol, and that is confirmed at the examination. None of this research predicts an individual outcome.