The Evolution of Double Chin and Jawline Surgery: The Secret of a Three-Step Combination

Hello.

I’m Director Huh Jae-won, a board-certified plastic surgeon at IPLE Plastic Surgery, where I perform anti-aging surgery.

In my previous post, I introduced the concept of a mini neck lift.

I covered in depth the possibility of performing a neck lift on its own, and today I’d like to go one step further and explain the remarkable synergy that appears when this surgery is combined with a submental lift.

In plastic surgery, we often encounter cases where a single procedure has its limits.

In particular, the double chin and neck line are anatomically connected structures, so improving only one area can actually make the result look awkward.

That is why I explain the three-stage system of jawline surgery to my patients.

The Three-Stage System of Jawline Surgery

Stage 1: Liposuction

This is the most basic step. It removes fat from the double chin area.

However, this alone cannot address deep fat or muscle laxity.

Stage 2: Liposuction + Submental Lift

This is where structural improvement truly begins.

A submental lift is not simply tying up the double chin muscle; it is a comprehensive surgery that includes removal of deep fat and resection of the digastric muscle.

Below is the deep fat and digastric muscle that I actually removed during a submental lift.

You can see that they are thicker and bulkier than expected. If this bulky volume is not removed, there is no way to resolve a double chin.

Removal of deep fat and resection of the digastric muscle

Stage 3: Liposuction + Submental Lift + Mini Neck Lift

This is currently the most powerful method I believe for improving the jawline.

To make it easier to understand, let’s think of the jawline as divided into the front half and the back half.

The submental lift mainly affects the front half of the jawline. That is, the area with the double chin, the central area just below the chin.

The mini neck lift mainly works on the back half of the jawline. It is specialized for improving the line from below the ear down to the neck, as well as neck wrinkles.

When these two surgeries are performed together, the entire jawline is improved in a balanced way.

What kind of changes actually happen?

Let me show you the case of a woman in her 20s who recently underwent surgery.

Despite her young age, she was concerned about a double chin and neck wrinkles.

From the side, a typical triangular form of sub-platysmal fat, meaning deep fat, was clearly observed.

In cases like this, it is difficult to achieve satisfactory results with liposuction alone.

Deep fat is located in a deeper layer than ordinary fat and sits beneath the muscle, so there are limits to what superficial liposuction can reach.

She also wanted improvement in the neck wrinkles that appeared layered from a semi-oblique view, but this was an area where a submental lift alone had limitations in improving the cervicomental angle and neck wrinkles.

The Key to Surgical Planning

In cases like this, the most important thing is identifying the exact problem.

It is not simply that there is a “double chin.”

• How much superficial fat is there?

• How much deep fat is there?

• How much muscle laxity is present?

• Is the skin elasticity sufficient?

• How deep are the neck wrinkles, and in what direction do they run?

All of these factors must be considered comprehensively to create an individualized treatment plan.

That is why, during consultations, I carefully observe the patient’s face from multiple angles and sometimes even examine the tissue thickness and elasticity by hand.

In the next post, I will show the actual surgical process and the remarkable changes in detail.

In particular, I will provide plenty of practical information, such as where the incision line is placed, what the recovery process is like, and when daily life becomes possible again.

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment anytime.

Thank you.