Best Digastric Muscle Reduction in Turkey | 2025 Cost, Reviews and Before & After Results

Digastric muscle reduction is a specialized deep neck contouring procedure that permanently sharpens the jawline by reshaping the bulky muscles beneath the chin. Unlike standard liposuction that only targets surface fat, this surgical technique directly addresses the anterior belly of the digastric muscle to reconstruct the floor of the mouth. By reducing this deep structural volume and tightening the internal architecture, we create a crisp cervicomental angle that superficial treatments simply cannot achieve. This method is the definitive solution for correcting a heavy neck profile caused by muscle hypertrophy, offering a sculpted and enduring aesthetic result.

Why does the digastric muscle shape the neck?

To understand your profile, you have to visualize what lies beneath the skin. The digastric muscle is a unique structure that essentially acts as a sling or hammock under your jaw. It has two distinct sections, or “bellies,” but for the purpose of neck aesthetics, we are primarily concerned with the anterior belly. These muscles run from the tip of your chin back toward the hyoid bone in the neck.

In a genetically ideal neck, these muscles are thin and lie flat against the floor of the mouth, allowing the skin to hug the jawline tightly. However, in many of my patients, these muscles are naturally bulky, rounded, or hang loosely. When this happens, they push outward, creating a persistent fullness or convex curve that ruins the sharp angle between the chin and the neck. This is structural bulk, not weight gain. Because this fullness is muscular, it creates a heavy appearance that no amount of surface-level treatment can resolve.

Why does liposuction fail to fix digastric muscle fullness?

This is the most common grievance I hear in consultations. Patients often undergo aggressive liposuction, expecting a chiseled look, but end up with a neck that still looks round or heavy. The reason is simple anatomy. The neck has distinct layers. Liposuction is designed to remove subcutaneous fat, which sits just under the skin but above the muscle layers.

The digastric muscle sits in the “deep plane,” protected beneath a sheet of muscle called the platysma. Standard liposuction cannulas cannot and should not touch this area. If you remove all the fat on top of a bulky digastric muscle, you actually make the problem more visible. The skin adheres directly to the round muscle, creating a “skeletonized” or unnatural appearance where the bulge is even more obvious than before. True correction requires us to go deeper and reshape the muscle itself.

What are the signs of digastric muscle hypertrophy?

Identifying whether your neck fullness is caused by muscle rather than fat is a critical part of the diagnosis. While an in-person examination is necessary for a final plan, there are several indicators that suggest the muscle is the primary issue. We look for specific physical characteristics that differentiate deep structural fullness from simple soft tissue redundancy.

Common indicators include:

• A sausage-shaped bulge on either side of the midline
• Hardness under the chin when swallowing
• Persistent fullness despite low body fat
• A rounded profile when tilting the head down
• Lack of pinchable soft fat in the central neck

How is digastric muscle reduction performed?

When we confirm that the muscle is the barrier to a sharp neckline, we use a technique known as tangential excision. The goal here is not to remove the muscle entirely, as it plays a role in stabilizing the jaw and swallowing. Instead, we treat the muscle like a sculptor treating a block of stone. We want to reduce its volume to create a more pleasing shape.

We access the area through a discreet incision under the chin. Once the muscle is exposed, we carefully shave down the outer, convex layer of the anterior belly. We typically remove the bulk that is protruding downward while leaving a healthy, continuous cuff of muscle attached to the bone. This significantly thins the “hammock,” creating a concave space. This new space allows the skin and overlying tissues to sweep upward and inward, creating that elusive 90-degree angle.

In cases where the muscles are not just thick but also separated, we use a “corset” technique. We suture the left and right borders of the muscles together in the middle. This tightens the entire floor of the mouth, much like lacing up a corset, and lifts the deep tissues upward to support the new jawline.

What other structures accompany digastric muscle surgery?

It is rare for the digastric muscle to be the sole cause of a heavy neck. The deep plane of the neck is a crowded space, and successful contouring usually requires addressing several neighboring structures simultaneously. If we only reduce the muscle, we might leave other protruding elements behind, leading to an irregular or “lumpy” contour. We must view the deep neck as a composite unit where every element affects the final silhouette.

Key structures addressed include:

• Submandibular salivary glands
• Interdigastric fat pads
• The hyoid bone
• Subplatysmal fat
• The platysma muscle

The submandibular glands are particularly important. These sit to the side of the digastric muscles. If we flatten the center of the neck by reducing the muscles but leave large glands bulging on the sides, the patient can develop a “cobra neck” deformity. To prevent this, we often perform a partial reduction of the glands, ensuring the entire jawline is smooth and uniform from ear to ear. Similarly, deep fat pads trapped between the muscles must be removed to ensure the corset sutures can close tightly.

What are the risks of digastric muscle contouring?

Because we are working in the deep compartments of the neck, the safety profile is different from superficial cosmetic surgery. This is a safe procedure when performed by a specialist who understands the complex anatomy of the submental triangle, but it does carry specific risks that patients must be aware of. We prioritize nerve protection and rigorous bleeding control throughout the operation to minimize these potential issues.

Potential complications include:

• Temporary lower lip weakness
• Hematoma
• Seroma
• Salivary leakage
• Prolonged swelling
• Sensory changes

The most discussed risk is weakness of the marginal mandibular nerve, which creates a temporary asymmetry in the smile. This occurs due to traction or swelling near the nerve and typically resolves on its own within a few weeks. We also place a high emphasis on preventing hematomas (blood collection) by keeping blood pressure strictly controlled and using drains for the first night to ensure the skin heals flush against the deep layers.

How long do digastric muscle reduction results last?

One of the most compelling reasons to undergo deep neck contouring is the durability of the outcome. Traditional face and neck lifts rely heavily on stretching the skin and tightening the superficial platysma muscle. While effective, these tissues are elastic and prone to relaxation over time, which can lead to a recurrence of the “turkey gobbler” look.

Digastric muscle reduction changes the physical infrastructure of the neck. The muscle tissue we remove does not grow back. The portion of the salivary gland we resect does not regenerate. We are essentially resetting the anatomy to a younger, more streamlined state. While the aging process continues and skin will eventually lose elasticity, the heavy, bulky volume under the chin will not return. Long-term observations of these patients show that the contour remains stable for many years, often looking better five years post-surgery than it did at the one-year mark as the skin continues to contract around the new, slimmer foundation.