Face contouring
Double chin surgery in Korea
Double chin surgery removes fat under the chin and can tighten the neck muscle for a clearer line between the jaw and neck. It suits people with extra fat or a loosened neck muscle under the chin. Time, anesthesia and recovery depend on the method: liposuction, muscle tightening or a thread lift. Most people plan about a week in Seoul.
Who is a good candidate for double chin surgery?
- You have a double chin from fat under the chin, including fat between or under the neck muscle
- Your neck muscle has loosened, so the area under the chin hangs, or your chin seems to run in a straight line into the neck
- Your chin is short and the line between jaw and neck looks soft
- You want a slimmer jawline without bone surgery. The clinic offers this to men as well as women
When it may not be the right choice
- Your neck skin is very loose or wrinkled. Liposuction alone will not tighten it, and a neck lift may suit you better
- The fullness comes from a small or set-back chin bone. Removing fat will not change the bone
- You smoke and cannot stop before and after surgery for as long as your surgeon advises
Which method fits you?
The clinic uses three approaches, alone or together. The surgeon chooses after checking how much fat sits above and below the neck muscle, how loose the muscle is and how long your chin is. The times and recovery days the clinic lists are for the thread method, so ask for your own figures if your plan includes liposuction or muscle tightening.
| Method | What happens | Suits | Downtime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liposuction under the chin | Fat between the skin and the neck muscle is removed through a tiny opening with a thin, rounded tube (cannula). | Mostly fat, with skin that is still firm | Swelling and bruising that ease over the first weeks |
| Neck muscle tightening | Through a short cut under the chin, fat between and under the two halves of the neck muscle is removed. The muscle edges are pulled to the middle and stitched, and the lower part of the muscle may be partly cut to sharpen the angle under the chin. | A loose neck muscle, fat under the muscle, a short chin, or a chin that runs straight into the neck | Longer swelling and firmness than liposuction alone |
| Thread lift under the jaw | An elastic thread is passed through small openings behind the ear or under the chin, fixed in place, and the openings are closed. | Mild sagging along the jaw and under the chin | Back to daily life in about a week, according to the clinic |
What happens on the day of double chin surgery?
- Consultation with the surgeon, who checks the fat, the neck muscle and your chin length and suggests one approach or a combination.
- Anesthesia depends on the method. For the thread method the clinic lists local anesthesia or sedation, so ask which you will have for liposuction or muscle tightening.
- Fat is removed through a tiny opening with a thin cannula. If the muscle is loose, a short cut under the chin lets the surgeon remove deeper fat and stitch the neck muscle together. For the thread method, the surgeon passes an elastic thread through small openings behind the ear or under the chin and fixes it in place. How long this takes depends on the method, so ask the surgeon for your own plan.
- The openings are closed. The clinic lists no hospital stay for the thread method; ask whether your plan also lets you return to your hotel that day.
What is recovery like after double chin surgery?
- Days 1 to 3
- Swelling, bruising and tightness under the chin and along the jaw. Sleeping with your upper body raised in the first days can ease swelling, and your surgeon will tell you for how long.
- Week 1
- If you had a cut, the surgeon tells you when the stitches come out. For the thread method, the clinic lists a return to daily life at about one week.
- Weeks 2 to 4
- Swelling keeps going down. The area may feel firm, lumpy or numb for a while. Ask the surgeon when you can go back to hard exercise.
- Months 3 to 6
- The skin settles, and the line between jaw and neck usually looks clearer.
How long should you stay in Seoul after double chin surgery?
Plan about a week in Seoul. That covers surgery, the first swelling and a check before you fly, when any stitches are checked or removed. For the thread method the clinic lists 2 to 3 follow-up visits, so ask how many your own plan needs. If your plan includes neck muscle tightening or other areas, confirm the number of days with the surgeon before you book. Most people fly around day 7. Avoid alcohol and smoking until your surgeon says it is safe.
What are the risks of double chin surgery?
- Swelling, bruising and tightness, which are expected and temporary
- An uneven contour, dents or lumps under the chin, or fat left behind
- Weakness or numbness of the lower lip from irritation of a nearby nerve, which is usually temporary
- Bleeding or fluid that collects under the skin (hematoma or seroma), and infection. If swelling under the chin grows quickly, or you have any trouble breathing or swallowing, get emergency care first, then tell the clinic
- A thick or tight scar under the chin when a cut is made
- With a thread lift: dimpling, a thread you can feel or see, infection, or a thread that works its way out and has to be removed
- The general risks of anesthesia or sedation
What affects the cost of double chin surgery in Korea?
Double chin surgery has no listed price yet; the clinic quotes after reviewing your photos. The quote depends on the approach, whether liposuction, neck muscle tightening, a thread lift or a combination, and on any other area treated at the same time, such as the cheeks. Ask that the written quote give the surgeon’s name and show the anesthesia, any compression garment, follow-up visits and, if a cut is made, stitch removal.
More questions
Is double chin surgery the same as liposuction?
Double chin liposuction is one part of it. If the problem is mostly fat and your skin is firm, liposuction alone may be enough. If the neck muscle is loose or fat sits under the muscle, the surgeon may also tighten the muscle through a short cut under the chin.
How long does double chin surgery take?
For the thread method under the jaw, the clinic lists about 1 to 2 hours under local anesthesia or sedation. Liposuction and muscle tightening can take a different time, so ask the surgeon for your own plan. The clinic lists no hospital stay for the thread method.
When can I fly home after double chin surgery?
Most people fly around day 7, after the check-up. You may still look a little swollen under the chin.
Can double chin surgery be combined with other procedures?
Yes. Clinic cases include it together with eye surgery, rhinoplasty, a facelift and liposuction of the cheeks. Combining changes the recovery time, so ask how many days to plan.
Related procedures
Sources
- Clinic figures as published by Urban Plastic Surgery, collected October 3, 2026. Your surgeon confirms your own plan.
- Neck Lift Procedure Steps. American Society of Plastic Surgeons
- Complications associated with submental liposuction: a scoping review. PubMed Central, US National Library of Medicine
- A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review of the Incidences of Complications Following Facial Thread-Lifting. PubMed, US National Library of Medicine
Cases and clinic figures come from our partner clinic, Urban Plastic Surgery. The partnership does not change what we publish about risks and recovery.