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Surgical procedure · Melbourne, VIC

Neck lift in Melbourne.

A neck lift (cervicoplasty / platysmaplasty) is surgery to address sagging skin, vertical platysmal bands, and the loss of jaw-neck definition associated with ageing. It is most commonly performed in combination with facelift, but can be done in isolation in patients whose primary concern is neck-only ageing. Performed under general anaesthetic in an accredited hospital and regulated under the AHPRA July 2023 cosmetic-advertising guidelines.

Browse 45 clinics All clinics in Melbourne
Neck lift in Melbourne, VIC — editorial illustration introducing AHPRA-registered cosmetic surgery clinics. Decorative; not a depiction of patients or results.

By the numbers — Melbourne

Neck lift in Melbourne — at a glance

Neck lift — Melbourne infographic Programmatic infographic showing the typical cost, recovery, clinic count and risk profile for neck lift in Melbourne. Data only; not a depiction of any patient or outcome. SURGICAL PROCEDURE · MELBOURNE Neck lift · Melbourne TYPICAL AUSTRALIAN COST $12,000 – $25,000 Range scaled to $50k ceiling RECOVERY (FIRST 4 WEEKS) 21 days AHPRA-LISTED CLINICS 45 DOCUMENTED RISKS 8 covered in our editorial guide AHPRA-compliant directory C cosmeticsurgeryclinics.com.au

Numbers reflect this directory's coverage of Melbourne, VIC at build time. AHPRA-compliant illustration only — no patient depiction.

Clinics offering neck lift

45 clinics in Melbourne

Premium and verified clinics appear first, then everything else. Each card links to the clinic's full profile.

Procedure guide

What is neck lift?

Neck lift addresses three distinct issues that often coexist: skin redundancy in the neck and along the jaw; vertical platysmal bands (the two strap-like muscles that descend from the chin); and submental fat (under the chin). A modern neck lift typically combines submental incision for platysmal repair (platysmaplasty) with retroauricular skin redraping (cervicoplasty), often supplemented by submental liposuction.

How neck lift works

Performed under general anaesthetic over 2–3.5 hours. A small horizontal incision in the submental crease accesses the platysma, which is plicated in the midline (and sometimes resected and re-tensioned laterally). Submental liposuction is performed if appropriate. Retroauricular incisions allow the skin of the neck to be lifted and redraped. Drains may be used. A compression garment is worn for 1–2 weeks.

Who is neck lift for?

Healthy non-smokers with established neck laxity, platysmal bands, or submental fullness. Patients with significant midface ageing usually benefit more from combined facelift–neck lift. Smokers must abstain at least six weeks before surgery. The seven-day AHPRA cooling-off period is mandatory.

Melbourne context

Neck lift in Melbourne: market context

Melbourne's cosmetic and plastic surgery market is the second largest in Australia by both practitioner count and procedure volume. The market is anchored by long-established FRACS plastic surgery practices around East Melbourne, Collins Street, and Richmond, many of which have a strong reconstructive caseload alongside aesthetic work. South Yarra, Toorak and the inner-east are the main concentration of cosmetic-only and combined surgical-and-non-surgical clinics. Non-surgical injectable clinics are well distributed across the inner suburbs and major shopping districts. Victoria's Department of Health has historically taken a stricter approach to private day-hospital licensing than most other states, which has the side-effect of making Melbourne's day-surgery facilities particularly well-credentialed.

Where surgery is performed in Melbourne

Common surgical venues in Melbourne include Epworth Eastern in Box Hill, Epworth Freemasons in East Melbourne, Cabrini Hospital in Malvern, St Vincent's Private Fitzroy, and The Avenue Hospital in Windsor. Several specialist plastic surgery groups operate purpose-built day-surgery suites — typically ACHS- or QPS-accredited — in Richmond, Hawthorn, and Toorak. Public-private affiliations matter for revision and complex cases: ask whether your surgeon has appointments at one of the major teaching hospitals (The Alfred, The Royal Melbourne) so you have continuity of care if you need hospital-grade follow-up.

Travel and access

Melbourne attracts patients from Adelaide, Hobart, regional Victoria, and Tasmania more broadly. Pricing is roughly comparable to Sydney for surgical work but tends to be slightly lower for non-surgical injectables. Several Melbourne plastic surgeons run a dedicated 'interstate care' coordinator who will book post-operative reviews, organise overnight short-stay accommodation if your insurance does not cover hospital nights, and provide written discharge plans for sharing with a GP back home. As with any interstate cosmetic travel, confirm what the surgeon will charge for video reviews vs in-person at week 6 and beyond.

Practical notes for recovery in Melbourne

Tullamarine Airport is 30 minutes from the inner-city clinic clusters in light traffic. The CBD, East Melbourne and South Yarra are walkable from each other and well served by Melbourne's tram network and the Cranbourne–Pakenham railway lines. Box Hill and Doncaster practices are best reached by tram or vehicle. Parking in inner-east Melbourne can be limited — check whether the clinic has on-site bays or validated commercial parking. For overnight stays after surgery, the area immediately around East Melbourne and Richmond has multiple medical-stay accommodation options.

Cost factors

What drives the cost of neck lift

Isolated neck lift: $12,000–$20,000. Combined with facelift: $20,000–$35,000+ but the marginal cost of adding a neck lift to a facelift is usually $3,000–$6,000. Quotes should be itemised.

What neck lift costs in Melbourne

Itemised view of where the $12,000 – $25,000 typically goes. Quoted prices vary by surgeon experience, hospital, and case complexity — these shares are indicative.

Component Typical share Indicative range
Surgeon fee 50% $6,000 – $12,500
Anaesthetist fee 12% $1,450 – $3,000
Hospital or day-surgery fee 25% $3,000 – $6,250
Garments and supplies 3% $350 – $750
Follow-up and reviews 5% $600 – $1,250
Pathology, imaging, and other 5% $600 – $1,250
Total 100% $12,000 – $25,000

Source: editorial estimates based on Australian Medical Association advisory notes and publicly disclosed clinic schedules. Actual quotes will vary; ask your surgeon for an itemised written quote before paying any deposit.

Neck lift recovery timeline (Melbourne)

A typical recovery curve. Individual recovery varies — confirm specific milestones with your surgeon's post-operative plan.

Day 0 Day 5 Day 11 Day 21 Day 42

  1. Day 0

    Procedure day.

    No work No exercise

  2. Day 5

    Early recovery.

    No work No exercise

  3. Day 11

    Halfway point.

    Desk work OK Light only

  4. Day 21

    End of standard recovery window.

    Work OK Light only

  5. Day 42

    Final result and return to all activities.

    Work OK Normal

Recovery + practitioner

Recovery and downtime

Hospital stay typically 1 night. Compression garment 1–2 weeks. Most patients return to desk work after 2–3 weeks. Strenuous exercise restricted 4–6 weeks. Final scar maturation 12 months. Numbness may persist for several months.

Choosing a surgeon in Melbourne

Specialist Plastic Surgeon (FRACS) with AHPRA registration and facial aesthetic experience. Ask about technique (specifically whether platysmaplasty is performed routinely), revision rates, and where surgery is performed.

Before you book

Red flags

Risk profile for neck lift

How the most-discussed risks for neck lift sit on a frequency-by-severity grid. All cosmetic procedures carry risk; the goal of this view is to help you ask better consent questions, not to dismiss any single complication as unlikely.

Frequency \\ Severity MildModerateSerious
Common — — —
Uncommon —
  • Visible scarring under the chin and behind the ears
  • Asymmetry between the two sides
  • Nerve injury — most commonly the marginal mandibular branch (smile asymmetry) or the great auricular nerve (numbness)
  • Recurrence of platysmal bands
  • Need for revision surgery
 —
Rare — —
  • Bleeding and haematoma
  • Infection
  • Skin necrosis (especially in smokers)

Frequency and severity classifications are editorial summaries based on Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons consent literature and TGA / AHPRA guidance. Your surgeon should explain each risk individually as part of the formal informed-consent process — this matrix is a starting point for the conversation, not a substitute.

How to verify any cosmetic surgeon on AHPRA

AHPRA registration is the baseline credential check for any cosmetic procedure in Australia. The five steps below take roughly two minutes and are the single most important due-diligence step before paying a deposit.

  1. 1

    Open the AHPRA register

    AHPRA publishes a free public register of every registered medical practitioner in Australia. Open the official register — never rely on a third-party "verification" site.

  2. 2

    Search by name and "Medical Practitioner"

    Search by the practitioner's full name and select Profession: Medical Practitioner. The register returns active registrations only — if the name does not appear, do not proceed.

  3. 3

    Confirm the specialty (or its absence)

    Look at the "Specialty" field. A FRACS specialist plastic surgeon will list "Specialist Surgery — Plastic Surgery". Anyone who calls themselves a "cosmetic surgeon" without a recognised specialty is a general medical practitioner under AHPRA — that is a meaningful difference for surgical work.

  4. 4

    Check for conditions, undertakings, or restrictions

    The register flags any conditions on a practitioner's registration, including AHPRA undertakings or restrictions. Treat any flag as a reason to ask the practitioner directly what it relates to before booking.

  5. 5

    Verify hospital privileges separately

    Hospital privileges are issued by the hospital, not AHPRA. For surgical procedures, ask which accredited hospital or licensed day-procedure centre the operation will take place in, and verify the surgeon has admitting rights there.

Open the AHPRA register → How we verify our listings

FAQ

Common questions about neck lift in Melbourne

Neck lift alone, or with facelift?

If your primary concern is neck-only with a relatively youthful midface, an isolated neck lift can produce excellent results. If midface descent is also present, addressing the neck without addressing the face often produces an unbalanced result. Most surgeons assess both areas at consultation and recommend the appropriate combination.

What about non-surgical alternatives?

HIFU, RF and submental cryolipolysis can produce modest improvement in early neck laxity. None match surgery for established laxity, vertical platysmal bands, or significant submental fat with skin redundancy. Be wary of clinics presenting non-surgical treatments as equivalent to neck lift.

How long does it last?

A well-executed neck lift with platysmaplasty typically holds for 7–10+ years. The underlying ageing process continues, but the patient continues to look better than they would have without surgery for far longer than the immediate result.

Will I have a scar under my chin?

Yes — a small horizontal scar in the natural submental crease is needed to access the platysma muscle for repair. It is well-concealed in the natural shadow under the chin and matures to be very inconspicuous over 12 months.

Who should perform a neck lift?

Specialist Plastic Surgeon (FRACS) registered with AHPRA, ideally with subspecialty interest in facial aesthetic surgery. Ask about annual neck-lift volume and whether they perform platysmaplasty (muscle repair) routinely as part of the procedure.

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