Facial plastic surgery in Salt Lake City, Utah
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ConsultationsSubmental liposuction is a procedure that removes subcutaneous fat — the fat that sits directly beneath the skin of the neck and chin, above the platysma muscle (the broad sheet of muscle covering the front of the neck) — through a small incision under the chin. It refines the jawline and reduces submental fullness (fullness under the chin), but it does not reach the deeper tissue layers that contribute to a blunted neck angle. Dr. James Manning performs the procedure in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Submental liposuction works in one layer: the subcutaneous fat that sits directly under the skin, above the platysma. Through a small incision under the chin, that fat is suctioned away to reduce fullness and let the underlying jawline show through.
What it does not do is reach the structures beneath the platysma. The subplatysmal fat, the digastric muscles, and the submandibular glands all sit deeper, and liposuction passes above them. In a cadaver study of the submental region, the fat above the platysma averaged 8.4 grams and the fat below it averaged 3.7 grams — and in 15% of cases, more than half of the total fat sat beneath the muscle, out of liposuction’s reach. (Larrabee et al., 1994)
For the right neck, removing the subcutaneous layer is enough to show a meaningful change. For necks where the fullness lives deeper, it is not.
Submental liposuction works best for a specific kind of neck: localized fat directly beneath the skin, good skin elasticity, minimal skin laxity, and no significant deep or structural fullness. Patients who fit this profile are often younger, at or near their ideal weight, and bothered by a pocket of submental fullness rather than a deeply blunted neck angle.
Skin quality matters as much as the fat. Liposuction removes volume but does not tighten or remove skin, so it relies on the skin’s own elasticity to redrape over the new contour. Published neck-rejuvenation literature stratifies candidates the same way: patients with a good neck angle and good skin elasticity can be treated with liposuction alone, while patients with subplatysmal fullness, muscle laxity, or significant skin excess need a deeper procedure or a lift. (Mladick, 2005)
If your fullness is subcutaneous and your skin still has good tone, submental liposuction may be all you need. If it is not — and it is not the right procedure for significant skin laxity — a deeper procedure is the honest answer.
Submental liposuction removes fat beneath the skin and can produce a meaningful improvement in the right patient. For many patients, though, liposuction in the neck gives a significant but subtle result — and patients searching for a dramatic change should consider synergistic treatments such as a chin implant or deep neck contouring.
| Submental Liposuction | Deep Neck Contouring | |
|---|---|---|
| What it reaches | The subcutaneous fat above the platysma — one accessible layer. | Goes beneath the platysma to the subplatysmal fat, digastric muscles, and submandibular glands. |
| Best suited to | Isolated subcutaneous fullness with good skin elasticity and no deep or structural fullness. | Fullness that blunts the neck angle from beneath the muscle — the layer diet and exercise cannot change. |
| Anesthesia | Often performed awake, under local anesthesia, in the clinic. | Goes beneath the muscle, so it requires a deeper level of anesthesia. |
| The result | The right-sized procedure for isolated fullness — a meaningful, if more subtle, change. | Addresses the structures that liposuction cannot reach, for the deepest possible neck angle. |
The most common disappointment with neck liposuction comes from a mismatch between what the procedure reaches and what the patient is picturing:
For the right candidate, submental liposuction can often be performed awake, under local anesthesia, in the clinic — without general anesthesia. Because the procedure works in a single, accessible layer, it is one of the more straightforward neck procedures to do this way.
This is part of what makes it appealing for the right patient: a focused procedure, frequently done awake, with a faster and easier recovery than the deeper structural operations. The trade-off is scope — the awake, liposuction-only approach addresses subcutaneous fat and nothing deeper, so it suits patients whose fullness lives in that layer.
If avoiding general anesthesia matters to you, this is worth discussing at consultation.
Deep neck contouring with chin implant - 6 months post-op
01 / 10
Day 0
Procedure day
Often performed awake under local anesthesia, through a small incision under the chin. Home the same day.
Week 1
Expected swelling
The neckline often swells enough to look almost as full as before surgery. Normal, and not a reason to worry.
Weeks 2–4
Bruising fades
Bruising and swelling improve significantly over this stretch.
Weeks 2–3
Result comes into view
Most patients start feeling confident about their result around now.
3–4 months
Fully settled
Swelling continues to settle through this window. The contour underneath was already there.
Submental liposuction is often combined with procedures that address what it cannot reach on its own.
A chin implant adds projection to the chin, which balances the profile, elongates the jawline, and deepens the neck angle — a synergistic effect when paired with removing submental fat. For patients whose fullness is largely beneath the platysma, deep neck contouring goes beneath the muscle to address subplatysmal fat, the digastric muscles, and the submandibular glands, producing changes liposuction cannot. And for patients with skin laxity or concerns beyond the neck and jawline, a deep plane neck lift or deep plane facelift may be the more appropriate procedure.
Dr. James Manning is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon, certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. He specializes exclusively in the face, and the neck and jawline are among the areas he treats most frequently — including knowing, honestly, when liposuction alone is the right procedure and when it is not.
Medically reviewed by Dr. James Manning, MD · July 2026
Submental liposuction removes subcutaneous fat — the fat directly beneath the skin of the neck and chin, above the platysma muscle — through a small incision under the chin. It refines the jawline and reduces submental fullness, but it does not reach the deeper tissue layers beneath the platysma.
For many patients, liposuction in the neck gives a significant but subtle result. It removes the fat above the platysma but not the deeper structures that blunt the neck angle. Patients wanting a more dramatic change should consider synergistic treatments such as a chin implant or deep neck contouring.
Submental liposuction works in one layer — the subcutaneous fat above the platysma. Deep neck contouring goes beneath the platysma to address subplatysmal fat, the digastric muscles, and the submandibular glands. In a cadaver study of the submental region, fat above the platysma averaged 8.4 grams and fat below it averaged 3.7 grams, and in 15% of necks more than half the fat sat beneath the muscle, beyond liposuction's reach.
It's possible. The best candidates have localized fat beneath the skin, good skin elasticity, minimal skin laxity, and no significant deep or structural fullness. Patients with a good neck angle and good skin elasticity can be treated with liposuction alone, while subplatysmal fullness or skin excess calls for a deeper procedure or a lift.
No. Liposuction removes fat but does not tighten or remove skin — it relies on the skin's own elasticity to redrape over the new contour. Patients with significant skin laxity are usually better served by a procedure that addresses the skin, such as a neck lift.
For the right candidate, yes. Because it works in a single, accessible layer, submental liposuction can often be performed awake under local anesthesia in the clinic, without general anesthesia. The trade-off is scope — the awake, liposuction-only approach addresses subcutaneous fat and nothing deeper.
Recovery is generally faster than the deeper neck procedures. Bruising and swelling improve significantly over the first two to four weeks. Most patients start feeling confident about their result around two to three weeks, with swelling settling through three to four months. No drains are required.
The fat removed during submental liposuction does not come back. Fat cells that are suctioned away are gone, so the volume reduction is lasting.
What can still change is the neck around that result. Significant weight gain can enlarge the fat cells that remain, and the skin continues to age and lose elasticity over time. Maintaining a stable weight after surgery helps preserve the contour. Because liposuction relies on the skin redraping over the new shape, skin quality is the variable most likely to influence the long-term appearance — and medical-grade skin care and energy-based treatments can help maintain that skin quality as the tissue ages.
medical-grade skin care · laser resurfacing · microneedling
Complications from submental liposuction are uncommon. A published scoping review found that when complications do occur they are rare but can be significant, which is why anatomical knowledge and careful technique matter. As with any procedure, expect temporary swelling, bruising, and numbness; a thorough consultation — including a review of your anatomy and medical history — is the place to discuss your individual risk profile. (Pereira et al., 2022)
The cost varies from patient to patient, depending on the extent of the procedure and whether it is combined with other treatments. A $150 consultation includes a complete evaluation, and you leave with a fully transparent quote detailing every cost — surgeon's fee, facility fee, and anesthesia fee. The consultation fee is applied toward any surgery, treatment, or product.
If you have submental fullness you’d like to address, submental liposuction may be worth discussing — and at consultation we’ll be honest about whether liposuction alone or a deeper procedure best fits your anatomy. We would love to see you in consultation to determine if this procedure would best fit your needs.
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