Nefertiti Lift London: Jawline & Neck Treatment Explained

When the lower face starts to look softer, the obvious assumption is often that the problem is loose skin.

Sometimes it is. But not always.

The platysma — a broad, thin muscle extending from the upper chest and neck towards the jaw and lower face — can also influence the appearance of the jawline. As it contracts, it can create visible vertical neck bands and contribute to downward pull through the lower face.

The Nefertiti Lift uses carefully positioned botulinum toxin injections around selected areas of the platysma and lower jaw to reduce this muscular pull.

A Nefertiti Lift is a non-surgical injectable treatment designed to relax selected platysma muscle activity. In suitable patients, this may soften visible neck bands and create a subtle improvement in the contour of the jawline and lower face. It does not remove excess skin, reduce significant neck fat or reproduce a surgical neck lift.

That distinction is essential.

At DRV Clinic in Baker Street, patients considering a Nefertiti lift London treatment are assessed to determine whether muscle activity is actually contributing to the concern. If the main issue is skin laxity, submental fat or skeletal structure, another treatment may be more appropriate.

What Is a Nefertiti Lift?

The Nefertiti Lift is a botulinum toxin treatment focused on the lower face and neck.

The name refers to Queen Nefertiti, whose profile is traditionally associated with an elongated neck and defined mandibular contour.

In aesthetic medicine, the technique generally involves treating selected areas of the platysma muscle, including visible platysmal bands and areas beneath the lower border of the jaw.

The aim is to reduce the downward muscular pull exerted by the platysma.

This can potentially create:

A smoother appearance to visible platysmal bands.

A more relaxed-looking neck.

Subtle improvement in jawline definition.

A mild lifting effect through the lower face in carefully selected patients.

It is fundamentally a muscle-modulating treatment.

It does not physically pull loose skin upwards.

DRV Clinic offers the Nefertiti Lift as part of its wider anti-wrinkle injection treatments in London.

What Is the Platysma Muscle?

Understanding the platysma explains why the treatment works.

The platysma is a thin superficial muscle that covers much of the front and sides of the neck.

It extends upwards towards the lower face and mandible.

When the platysma contracts, it can pull parts of the lower face downwards while also creating visible vertical bands through the neck.

Those vertical cords become increasingly noticeable in some people with age.

However, visible neck ageing is not caused by the platysma alone.

Other factors include:

Loss of skin elasticity.

Reduced collagen.

Submental fat.

Jowling.

Changes in facial fat compartments.

Loss of bone support.

Skin excess.

Changes to the deeper structures of the neck.

A Nefertiti Lift only addresses the muscular component.

That is why identifying the cause of the concern matters more than simply choosing the treatment name.

How Does the Nefertiti Lift Work?

Botulinum toxin temporarily reduces signalling between nerves and the muscles being treated.

When carefully injected into selected regions of the platysma, muscular contraction becomes weaker.

This can reduce prominent neck bands and decrease some of the downward muscular force acting around the mandibular border.

The visual effect may be a smoother neck and slightly cleaner lower-face contour.

A clinical study specifically investigating the Nefertiti Lift found statistically significant improvement in platysmal bands, while other aspects of lower-face ageing showed less consistent improvement.

That finding is useful because it highlights what the procedure does best.

It is particularly relevant for dynamic platysma activity.

It is much less predictable for problems caused primarily by loose skin, jowls or substantial structural ageing.

Does the Nefertiti Lift Actually Lift the Jawline?

It can create a subtle visual lifting effect in appropriate patients.

It does not mechanically lift the tissues in the same way as surgery or a thread lift.

The effect comes from changing muscular balance.

If strong platysma contraction is pulling the tissues around the lower jaw downwards, reducing that contraction can allow the opposing forces to dominate slightly more.

The resulting change is usually measured in subtle improvements rather than dramatic repositioning.

The original description of the Nefertiti technique reported high patient satisfaction following botulinum toxin treatment along the mandibular border.

Later clinical research suggested that the strongest candidates tended to have less severe baseline ageing and retained skin elasticity.

This makes patient selection particularly important.

Who Is Most Suitable for a Nefertiti Lift?

A Nefertiti neck lift may be worth considering when the concern involves muscle activity rather than substantial excess skin.

Potentially suitable patients may have:

Visible vertical platysmal bands.

Strong platysma contraction.

Early lower-face heaviness related partly to muscular pull.

Mild reduction in jawline definition.

Reasonably good skin elasticity.

A preference for a non-surgical, temporary treatment.

One clinical study concluded that the technique was particularly helpful in younger patients with platysma hyperactivity and retained skin elasticity.

Age itself is not the deciding factor.

The more important question is what is producing the appearance.

Who May Not Get a Good Result?

A Nefertiti Lift has clear limitations.

Significant Loose Neck Skin

Botulinum toxin does not remove excess skin.

Someone with substantial skin laxity may require a skin-tightening or surgical approach if they want a meaningful change.

Significant Jowling

Advanced jowls involve more than muscular contraction.

Changes in fat compartments, ligaments, skin and skeletal support can all contribute.

Relaxing the platysma alone may therefore provide limited improvement.

A Double Chin Caused by Fat

A Nefertiti Lift does not dissolve submental fat.

Patients whose main concern is fullness beneath the chin may need a different approach.

DRV Clinic provides a dedicated double chin treatment in London for patients whose concern is primarily localised under-chin fat.

Weak Chin or Jaw Projection

Someone with a poorly defined jawline because of limited skeletal projection may require structural enhancement rather than muscle relaxation.

Depending on anatomy, dermal filler or facial harmonisation may be more relevant.

Advanced Neck Ageing

When skin excess, fat, muscle separation and deeper structural ageing are all significant, a non-surgical injection may simply not be powerful enough.

Being honest about that limitation is better than trying to make every patient suitable for the procedure.

Nefertiti Lift vs Jawline Filler

These treatments can both improve the appearance of the lower face, but their mechanisms are completely different.

If the jawline is already structurally strong but muscular activity is affecting its definition, Nefertiti Botox may be considered.

If the mandible or chin lacks projection, dermal filler treatment may offer greater structural control.

Some patients have both issues.

That does not automatically mean both treatments should be performed.

The face should be assessed as a whole first.

Nefertiti Lift vs Thread Lift

The difference here is even more significant.

A PDO thread lift involves introducing threads beneath the skin to provide mechanical support and lifting.

A Nefertiti Lift does not place a physical support structure into the face.

Instead:

Nefertiti Lift: reduces selected muscle activity.

Thread lift: mechanically repositions or supports soft tissue.

Threads are therefore more invasive and involve different risks and recovery.

A patient with mild muscular downward pull may not need threads.

Someone with actual tissue descent may obtain little benefit from muscle relaxation alone.

Nefertiti Lift vs HIFU

HIFU targets a completely different component of the ageing process.

High-intensity focused ultrasound delivers controlled ultrasound energy below the skin to stimulate tissue remodelling.

A Nefertiti Lift works on muscle.

This makes the comparison relatively straightforward:

HIFU: primarily targets tissue laxity and collagen remodelling.

Nefertiti Lift: primarily targets platysma muscle activity.

A patient whose neck appears soft because of mild skin laxity may be better suited to an energy-based tightening treatment.

Someone with visible dynamic platysmal bands may benefit more from botulinum toxin.

In some patients, both factors coexist.

Nefertiti Lift vs Surgical Neck Lift

These treatments should not be presented as equivalent.

A surgical neck lift can physically address anatomical structures that injections cannot.

Depending on the surgical technique, this may include:

Excess skin.

Platysma position.

Deeper neck tissues.

Fat.

Jowling.

A Nefertiti Lift cannot reproduce that degree of correction.

Its appeal lies elsewhere.

There are no surgical incisions, the treatment is temporary and recovery is substantially lighter.

For someone with early muscular neck ageing, that may be entirely appropriate.

For significant structural ageing, it may not be.

Does a Nefertiti Lift Help Platysmal Bands?

This is where the evidence is strongest.

A systematic review examining botulinum toxin treatment for mild to moderate platysmal bands found improvement in platysma scores, with high response rates in the included studies.

More recent randomised controlled trials have substantially expanded the evidence base.

A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis involving 912 patients found that onabotulinumtoxinA significantly improved platysma prominence compared with placebo and produced higher patient satisfaction, with most reported treatment-related adverse effects being mild and temporary.

This newer evidence provides stronger support for treating visible platysma prominence than was available when the Nefertiti Lift was first described.

However, improving platysma bands and creating a full lower-face lift are not the same outcome.

Can a Nefertiti Lift Tighten Loose Neck Skin?

Not directly.

Botulinum toxin acts on muscle.

It does not stimulate enough collagen to function as a primary skin-tightening treatment and does not remove redundant skin.

Reducing platysma activity may make the neck appear smoother in appropriate patients, which can sometimes be interpreted visually as “tighter”.

But if the problem is genuinely loose skin, the treatment needs to address skin laxity.

A review of non-surgical neck rejuvenation suggests that patients with minimal skin laxity but dynamic platysmal bands may benefit from botulinum toxin, whereas mild to moderate skin laxity may be more appropriately considered for treatments such as focused ultrasound or radiofrequency microneedling.

That distinction is clinically useful.

Does the Nefertiti Lift Help Jowls?

Potentially, but expectations need to remain modest.

The platysma contributes to downward pull around the lower face.

Reducing this activity may improve the appearance of early lower-face heaviness in selected patients.

However, research specifically assessing the Nefertiti technique found the most convincing improvement in platysmal bands, while changes in jowls and several other ageing features were less statistically convincing.

Jowling is complex.

It can involve:

Skin laxity.

Changes in facial fat.

Loss of structural support.

Ligament changes.

Skeletal ageing.

Platysma activity.

Muscle relaxation only addresses one part of that process.

When Do Nefertiti Lift Results Appear?

Results are not immediate.

Botulinum toxin begins changing muscle activity gradually after injection.

Patients may start noticing a difference during the first several days, with the result becoming more established over approximately one to two weeks.

Clinical studies examining platysma treatment commonly assess early effectiveness at around day 14.

DRV Clinic’s general anti-wrinkle injection guidance similarly explains that botulinum toxin results develop progressively rather than appearing immediately after the appointment.

What Do Nefertiti Lift Results Look Like?

The desired result is subtle.

Depending on the patient’s anatomy and treatment plan, improvement may include:

Less visible platysmal banding.

A smoother-looking neck during contraction.

Reduced downward pull around the mandibular border.

Slight improvement in lower-face definition.

A cleaner-looking transition between jawline and neck.

The treatment should not radically alter the face.

A dramatically different jaw shape would suggest that another mechanism — such as filler, fat reduction or surgery — would be required.

How Long Does a Nefertiti Lift Last?

The treatment is temporary.

Botulinum toxin activity gradually diminishes as nerve-to-muscle signalling recovers.

Recent randomised trials examining onabotulinumtoxinA for platysma prominence have demonstrated treatment effects across assessments extending to approximately four months.

Individual duration nevertheless varies according to:

The product used.

Dose.

Muscle strength.

Individual metabolism.

Treatment pattern.

Previous treatment history.

The exact anatomy being treated.

Maintenance should therefore be based on clinical review rather than assuming every patient needs treatment at precisely the same interval.

What Is the Downtime After a Nefertiti Lift?

Downtime is generally limited.

Possible temporary injection-site effects include:

Redness.

Minor swelling.

Tenderness.

Bruising.

Small injection marks.

Most patients do not require surgical-style recovery.

However, lower-face and neck botulinum toxin treatment requires considerably more anatomical precision than simply treating an isolated forehead line.

The region contains muscles involved in facial expression, speech and swallowing.

Technique matters.

What Are the Risks?

Potential adverse effects of botulinum toxin treatment can include:

Bruising.

Tenderness.

Headache.

Temporary weakness in unintended muscles.

Facial asymmetry.

Altered smile or lower-face movement.

Neck weakness.

Difficulty swallowing.

Botulinum toxin injection around the lower face and neck requires particular attention to placement and depth.

Current UK prescribing information for BOTOX includes specific precautions for platysma treatment, including avoiding injection into structures deep to the platysma and maintaining appropriate distance beneath the mandibular border to reduce complications such as facial weakness and dysphagia.

This is one reason a Nefertiti lift should be treated as a medical injectable procedure, not simply a beauty appointment.

Is the Nefertiti Lift the Same as Neck Botox?

The terms overlap but are not always used identically.

Neck Botox can refer broadly to botulinum toxin injections used for visible platysmal bands or other selected muscular concerns in the neck.

The Nefertiti Lift traditionally describes a specific lower-face and neck contouring concept involving treatment along the mandibular border and platysma.

In practice, terminology varies between clinics.

What matters more than the label is:

Which product is being used.

Which muscles are being treated.

Why they are being treated.

Whether that pattern is appropriate for the patient’s anatomy.

Patients should also understand that regulatory indications vary between botulinum toxin products and treatment patterns. The prescribing clinician should explain the medicine being used and whether the proposed use falls within its authorised indications.

Is the Nefertiti Lift Painful?

Most patients experience only brief injection-related discomfort.

The treatment uses multiple small injections rather than surgery.

Patients may feel:

A small pinching sensation.

Brief stinging.

Local tenderness afterwards.

Pain tolerance varies.

If discomfort becomes severe or progressively worsens after treatment, the clinic should be contacted for advice.

Can a Nefertiti Lift Be Combined with Other Treatments?

Yes, in appropriately selected patients.

The reason combination treatments sometimes make sense is that neck ageing is rarely caused by one tissue alone.

For example:

Platysma activity may respond to botulinum toxin.

Mild skin laxity may require an energy-based treatment.

Structural jaw deficiency may respond to filler.

Localised submental fat may require double chin treatment.

More significant tissue descent may require thread lifting or surgical assessment.

The principle should be to identify each problem first and treat only what is necessary.

Combination treatment should never simply mean adding several procedures to the same appointment.

How Much Does a Nefertiti Lift Cost in London?

DRV Clinic currently lists the Nefertiti Lift at £350.

Current treatment prices can be checked on the DRV Clinic price list.

When comparing treatment costs, patients should also consider who performs the assessment, who prescribes the medication, the product being used, anatomical experience and what follow-up is available if an unwanted effect occurs.

The cheapest treatment is not good value if it is inappropriate for the anatomy being treated.

Nefertiti Lift at DRV Clinic in Baker Street

DRV Clinic provides Nefertiti Lift and other anti-wrinkle treatments from 1st Floor, 136 Baker Street, London W1U 6UD, in Marylebone.

Before treatment, the lower face and neck should be assessed both at rest and during muscle contraction.

Dr Razvan Vasilas and the DRV Clinic team consider:

Platysma activity.

Visible neck bands.

Jawline anatomy.

Skin elasticity.

Jowling.

Submental fullness.

Chin projection.

Existing facial proportions.

The patient’s desired degree of change.

Where muscular downward pull is the main concern, a Nefertiti Lift may be considered.

If the concern is primarily skin laxity, fat or inadequate structural support, another treatment may make more sense.

Patients can learn more about anti-wrinkle injections in London, review current DRV Clinic treatment prices or contact DRV Clinic in Baker Street to arrange an individual consultation.