Rid Yourself of a Turkey Neck: Neck Lift vs Kybella


Looking in the mirror should be a reflection of how you feel inside, confident and self-assured. However, that isn’t always the case. Instead of looking at your natural beauty, you may instead be focused on an imperfection, a little tweak, or change you’d like to make. One of the more conspicuous areas of discontent may be what many describe as the “turkey neck.” Especially after the zoom-boom! All those socially distant meetings staring at yourself on screen up close. Or the long hours spent looking down at your cell phone or Ipad. Others, ‘more mature people’ deal with this very common issue as they age. With time, the skin begins to lose elasticity causing it to sag or droop. Of course, just because it’s a natural occurrence doesn’t mean you need to accept it. 

Luckily, you do have options, including a neck lift or a non-surgical treatment known as Kybella. What’s the difference between the two? And which one is right for you? Let us shed some light on both, Neck lift vs Kybella. 

What is a Neck Lift?

Lift” operations and procedures have become rather commonplace in the world of plastic surgery and aesthetic procedures. As the name suggests, a lift is about the lifting and tightening of the skin that may be drooping or sagging, no longer having that firm, spring back, elasticity it once had. The neck is one of the most common target areas for a lift. There are other areas, such as the stomach and under the arms that along with tightening may also require the removal of excess skin. (usually following sudden or extreme weight loss, or the inability to spring back after pregnancy). Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, we can review those issues later. For now let’s talk turkey, Turkey Neck!!

During a neck lift, excess skin may be removed. The remaining skin is then tightened and repositioned for a smoother more youthful appearance. Often this can be done with little to no long-term scarring. During a neck lift, there may also be a chin tuck, as is often the case, where there is excess skin around the neck, there may also be excess skin under the chin.

What is Kybella?

Where a neck lift is more of an outpatient surgical procedure, Kybella is the first and only FDA-approved injection to treat submental fullness – under the chin, neck, and jawline. The injection consists of a particular acid that only targets fat cells under the chin by dissolving them. Once dissolved they are no longer able to store or accumulate fat. It is specifically designed to only address excess fat under the chin and around the neck.

Your body naturally produces deoxycholic acid, used to process and break down certain foods such as fats when ingested. Once broken down they are easily passed through your digestive system and removed. Kybella is a synthetic form of deoxycholic acid and as such breaks down fat cells that follow the same elimination procedure.

Neck Lift vs Kybella – What are the Key Differences?

For starters, the biggest difference between Neck Lift vs Kybella is that a Kybella is a non-surgical injection. It is relatively quick and can be done in less than 30 minutes. With a neck lift, the procedure will take longer, you’ll need anesthesia, and there will be a longer recovery time. However, a neck lift will produce instant results (although there will likely be some inflammation and soreness around the treatment area). With Kybella injections, it can take some time for the fatty tissue to be dissolved in the target areas and processed by the body. 

Important differences between Kybella and a neck lift? Both are extremely effective when treating the intended area.  Kybella is most highly recommended as a non-surgical alternative to liposuction. It is intended to rid the body of fat cells in a given area, however, it does not treat sagging or excess skin. So, if the cause of your turkey neck is primarily due to a collection of fat cells in the area between your neck, throat, and chin, Kybella may be the optimal treatment for you.

If, however, the issue is more comprehensive, such as; enlarged fat cells, skin laxity, drooping and sagging, or excess skin in this area, you will want to consider a neck lift.   The benefit of a neck lift is that it will remove excess skin as well as tighten the neck, ultimately providing you a firmer, more refined lower face, jawline, and profile. Of course, it is possible that you may need both. On occasion, after Kybella injections have dissolved the fat cells, skin laxity – drooping may become more apparent.

Talk With Your Skincare Professional

Both neck lifts and Kybella injections target similar areas of the body, each procedure addresses a slightly different condition. One of the best ways to determine which procedure is right for you is to have a personalized consultation with one of our skin health professionals at The Skin Center by CPS. Chances are you already have a good idea as to what is causing the appearance of a turkey neck, now let the professionals help guide you as to which will be the most effective treatment pathway to achieving your aesthetic goals.

Alternatively, there may be further treatment methods to consider for drooping skin around the neck or stubborn fat buildup. During your consultation, we are happy to review the details of additional options to ensure you make an informed decision when selecting your treatment of choice.

Schedule Your Personal Consultation Today

After reading through all the information, you probably have an idea about the difference between Neck Lift vs Kybella and which treatments are of interest to you. More than likely, you still have several questions. Our expert skin health providers here at The Skin Center by CPS, are happy to address any additional concerns you may have. This is best accomplished with a comprehensive consultation. Together we can discuss your skin concerns while also reviewing the best treatment options for your specific condition.

Whether your goal is to treat your turkey neck, address sun spots, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, target stubborn body fat, or any other common skin issues, we look forward to helping you achieve a new level of confidence by addressing your skin health concerns. Take the first step to becoming a better you, by giving us a call.