Main guideAnti-wrinkle injections — what they treat, who they suit, the risks and how Dr Sin Yong approaches them.
Published 12 November 2026 · Reviewed by Dr Sin Yong
The Nefertiti neck lift is a pattern of anti-wrinkle injections placed along the jawline and into the neck bands. It relaxes the platysma, the thin muscle that pulls the lower face down, so the muscles that lift can act against less resistance. It suits a jawline blurred by muscle pull. It does not remove fat or tighten loose skin.
Short answerA Nefertiti neck lift uses botulinum toxin along the lower border of the jaw and in the upper platysma bands to soften the downward pull on the jawline. It was described by Levy in 2007. It suits people with visible neck bands and good skin elasticity, and does little for loose skin, jowl fat or a double chin. The effect is temporary. Dr Sin Yong examines the neck at rest and on straining, on Orchard Road, Singapore, before advising it.
The Nefertiti neck lift is a way of placing botulinum toxin, the medicine used in anti-wrinkle injections, to sharpen the jawline and soften the neck. It takes its name from the bust of the Egyptian queen, known for a long neck and a defined jaw.
Dr Phillip Levy described the technique in 2007, reporting on 130 patients. Small doses are placed along and just under the lower border of the jawbone, and into the upper part of the vertical neck bands.
Botulinum toxin is a prescription-only medicine in Singapore. Whether it is suitable is a medical decision made at a consultation, not something chosen from a menu.
How does it work?
The platysma is a thin sheet of muscle running from the collarbone up over the jaw into the lower face. When it contracts, it pulls the corners of the mouth and the jawline downwards, and its edges can stand out as vertical cords.
The face has muscles that lift and muscles that pull down. Relaxing a muscle that pulls down lets the lifting muscles act against less resistance. That is the whole mechanism: nothing is tightened, removed or added.
The effect appears gradually and wears off, so it is repeated only if you want to keep it.
Nefertiti neck lift results: what changes, and what does not
What a Nefertiti neck lift can and cannot change depends on what is causing the look of the jawline and neck.
Swipe sideways to see the whole table.
What you see
Usual cause
Does a Nefertiti neck lift address it?
What is considered instead
Vertical cords that stand out when you grimace
Platysma bands
Yes, this is what it is for
Jawline pulled down at rest, mouth corners turning down
No outcome is promised. How much the jawline changes varies with the strength of the muscle, the skin and the anatomy underneath, and is assessed in person.
Who does it suit, and who should not have it?
It suits people whose neck bands are visible on straining, whose skin still springs back, and whose jawline is blurred more by muscle pull than by loose tissue.
It is not advised in pregnancy or breastfeeding, with certain nerve and muscle conditions, with an infection at the site, or after a reaction to botulinum toxin. People who rely on fine control of the mouth and throat, such as singers and wind instrument players, should weigh the risks with particular care.
Bruising and tenderness at the injection points are the common effects. The risks specific to the neck come from the medicine spreading to nearby muscles: an uneven or weakened smile, difficulty swallowing, a weaker neck when lifting the head, or a change in the voice. These are temporary, but they last until the medicine wears off.
Dose and depth are what keep the medicine in the platysma, which lies just under the skin. That is why the neck is examined on movement and the injections are placed by the doctor, not delegated.
Nefertiti neck lift cost: what decides the fee
No figure is given from a photograph or a message. The fee follows the examination, and it depends on how many bands and how much of the jawline need treating, the dose that the strength of the muscle calls for, the formulation used, and whether other areas are treated at the same visit.
He looks at the neck at rest and while you grimace, feels where the bands run, and checks the skin and the fat under the chin. If the problem is muscle, a Nefertiti pattern is considered. If it is loose skin or fat, he explains the VF Lift – Vertical Facelift and Time Freeze Laser LCLR® for the neck instead, and the two approaches are sometimes combined.
He performs every injection himself on Orchard Road, Singapore. The plan, including the option of no treatment, is given in writing.
Your next step
1. MessageWhatsApp the clinic with what is bothering you. A reply comes from the clinic, not a bot.
2. AssessmentDr Sin Yong examines you himself on Orchard Road, Singapore.
3. A plan in writingWhat he would do, what he would not, the fee factors, and the option of no treatment.
Every treatment is performed by Dr Sin Yong personally. Singapore Medical Council registered · invited to share his clinical expertise internationally for CLASSYS, DEKA, Fotona, Hironic and Ilooda.
The neck is examined at rest and on movement before anything is advised. How consultations work.
A Nefertiti neck lift is a pattern of botulinum toxin injections along the lower border of the jaw and into the upper platysma bands. It relaxes the muscle that pulls the jawline down, which can make the jawline look more defined and soften vertical neck cords. It was described by Levy in 2007.
Dr Sin Yong does not quote a figure without examining the neck. The fee depends on how many bands and how much of the jawline need treating, the dose the muscle calls for, the formulation and whether other areas are treated at the same visit. A written quote is given before treatment.
It can soften neck bands and reduce the downward pull on the jawline when muscle is the cause. It does not tighten loose skin, lift jowls or reduce fat under the chin. How much changes varies from person to person and is assessed in person; no outcome is promised.
No. A surgical neck lift removes or repositions skin, fat and muscle and is done by a plastic surgery specialist. A Nefertiti neck lift only relaxes the platysma muscle with injections, and its effect is temporary.
Bruising and tenderness are common. Less often the medicine affects nearby muscles, causing an uneven smile, difficulty swallowing, neck weakness or a voice change. These are temporary but last until the medicine wears off.
People whose main problem is loose neck skin, jowls or fat under the chin, because relaxing a muscle does not move any of these. It is also not advised in pregnancy or breastfeeding or with certain nerve and muscle conditions.
References
Levy PM. The "Nefertiti lift": a new technique for specific re-contouring of the jawline.
About this page: written and medically reviewed by Dr Sin Yong, MBBS (NUS), MRCS (Edinburgh) · Last reviewed 12 November 2026 · Illustrative images only, not patients · Editorial policy
