Nefertiti Lift Melbourne
Softening Neck Bands at Rest and in MotionA Nefertiti Lift treats the platysma, the thin sheet of muscle that runs from the collarbones up over the jaw. When it contracts, its front edges stand out as vertical cords in the neck, and its upper fibres drag the jaw’s outline downward. Muscle activity treatment along the bands and the jaw edge are designed to ease that pull, so the cords can soften and the neck appears smoother. The name comes from the bust of the Egyptian queen, known for its long, clean neckline. Where thin or crepey skin makes the bands look deeper, skin treatments may firm it.
Your AHPRA-registered nurse asks you to clench your teeth and pull the corners of your mouth down, which tightens the platysma and shows every band. They then look again with your neck relaxed to see which bands remain. Treatment is available at our Moonee Ponds, Brighton and Camberwell clinics.
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Understanding Platysmal Neck Bands
The platysma is a thin sheet of muscle on each side of the neck, lying just under the skin with almost no fat between them. As we age, it weakens and separates down the middle (midline), causing the inner edges to bunch or ridge, that most people recognise immediately. Usually because of one or more of:
SKIN SUPPORT
skin that thins and loosens over the muscle
MUSCLE MOVEMENT
repetitive activity of the platysma muscle
INDIVIDUAL ANATOMY
how far the two halves cross under the chin
WEIGHT & FAT
weight loss thinning the fat over the muscle
The quickest way to tell whether muscle, skin or anatomy is driving the bands is to watch the neck relax. Bands that fade come from the muscle pulling, while bands that remain visible at rest mean the skin or the muscle edge has changed as well, and that decides where treatment starts.
Nefertiti Lift by Band Type
The muscle is usually treated first, because once it stops pulling, any band still visible shows how much of the problem sits in the skin or the separated muscle edge. Firming is then planned at the review appointment, aimed only at what remains.
Dynamic bands are vertical muscle cords that appear only during active movement or muscle contraction. They completely disappear or flatten out when your neck is fully relaxed. They are caused by muscle hyperactivity and repeated straining. When you speak, clench your jaw, grimace, express emotion, or lift heavy weights, the platysma muscle contracts and pulls outward, creating these temporary taut cords.
Muscle activity treatments are placed along each visible band and the jaw edge to help ease that pull. The bands may soften when you move, and the jawline may sit cleaner. The effect tends to build over the first couple of weeks and fades over a few months, so it is often repeated to help maintain results.
How many bands show when you grimace, and where each starts Whether every band disappears once the neck relaxes How strongly each side pulls, and whether one leads Any history of swallowing difficulty or neck weakness Whether the jaw edge drops as the bands tighten - “Will it affect my swallowing or voice?” Placement stays on the bands you can see, clear of the muscles used to swallow. Temporary swallowing difficulty is a rare risk, and it is screened for at consultation.
- “Will my neck look loose once the muscle relaxes?” Firm skin tends to sit smoother once the pull eases. If the skin is already loose, it can show more, which is checked before treatment.
- “Can I still turn and lift my head normally?” Larger neck muscles do that work, so head movement should feel normal.
- “Why are my bands worse at the gym?” Heavy lifts and straining make the platysma brace hard, and those are the bands treatment targets.
- Improve the appearance of bands (especially on movement)
- May help the neck appear less tense in photos and video
- The jaw edge may sit slightly cleaner
- The effect tends to fade over a few months
- Placement is planned around swallowing and voice
- Uneven bands may need a different plan per side
- Mild bruising along the bands is possible
- Heavy lifting or clenching may shorten the effect
- People who can clearly activate visible bands on demand
- Those whose jaw edge softens each time the bands tighten
- Patients comfortable with maintenance-based aesthetic care
Static bands are vertical ridges that remain permanently visible even when your neck is completely relaxed and at rest. They are the result of structural breakdown and tissue separation. Over time, repeated dynamic folding from muscle movement eventually “etches” lines permanently into the skin canvas. As we age the body stops producing as much collagen and elastin, skin thins out, and the left and right edges of the platysma muscle naturally separate and sag down the midline.
Because static lines represent structural damage and skin laxity, muscle activity treatments alone are not enough. They require treatments that help rebuild the skin canvas. Morpheus8 heats the skin in conjunction with microneedling, aiming to tighten it gradually over a course, and PDO threads lift and support the tissue along the neck while collagen tends to form around them. Where the bands are heavy and the skin is excessively loose, surgery to tighten the muscle edges (platysmaplasty) may suit better, and a referral is discussed.
Which bands stay visible with the neck fully relaxed How quickly the skin recoils when gently pinched Any loose fold or fullness beneath the chin How much the bands flatten when you tip your head back Whether the band pattern points to a surgical referral - “Can static bands be removed without surgery?” They may soften and sit flatter, though a band that has set over years usually doesn’t disappear completely. That’s discussed at your first visit.
- “When is surgery the better option?” Heavy bands with very loose skin often respond better to platysmaplasty, which tightens the muscle edges directly, and a referral may be offered.
- “Will threads show through my neck skin?” Skin thickness is checked first, and threads are only used where the skin can cover them without showing.
- “How many Morpheus8 sessions does the neck need?” Most neck plans use a short course spaced a few weeks apart, and the number is set at consultation.
- Bands at rest may sit flatter and softer
- Firming tends to build over several months
- Redness and swelling after each session
- A plan that may run over a course
- Thin neck skin limits where threads can go
- Very loose skin may need a surgical opinion
- Daily sunscreen protects the neck between sessions
- Recent weight loss may change the plan
- Bands still visible with the neck relaxed
- Mild to moderate looseness in neck skin
- Anyone wanting a non-surgical option first
Neck skin is thinner than facial skin, has fewer oil glands and is often missed with sunscreen. As it thins and creases, it drapes over every ridge in the muscle, so even a mild band can look deep and the neck appears older than the face.
Skin quality treatments aim to thicken and smooth the skin so it covers the muscle more evenly. Rejuran uses salmon DNA to support skin repair, PRF and PRP concentrate the platelets from a small sample of your own blood, exosomes are applied after microneedling, and Fotona laser refines the surface. Change tends to build gradually over a course.
Crepey texture and fine lines over the bands Sun damage and pigment across the neck and chest How much the skin texture exaggerates each band Fitzpatrick skin type and pigment risk before any laser How your neck skin compares with your face - “Will skin treatment get rid of my bands?” It works on the skin, so the bands may look shallower as the skin thickens, but the band itself remains.
- “Will Rejuran leave bumps on my neck?” Small raised bumps are common and usually settle within a couple of days.
- “Why are the sides of my neck red and blotchy?” Sun damage collects on the sides, while the shaded strip under the chin stays clear.
- “Can I have laser on my neck before summer?” Freshly treated skin is more sun-sensitive, so neck laser is often planned for the cooler months.
- Texture may change gradually over a course
- The neck may look smoother and less crepey
- Redness or small bumps after some sessions
- Results that tend to build over months
- Neck skin may heal more slowly than the face
- Darker skin types need careful laser settings
- Sunscreen on the neck matters between sessions
- PRF and PRP need a blood draw on the day
- Crepey or sun-damaged neck skin
- Mild bands made worse by skin texture
- Necks that look older than the face
Photographing the Neck in Three Positions
Bands change with every pose, so your neck is photographed relaxed, mid-grimace and with your head tipped back. Each review repeats the same three photos, so any change can be measured against where you started. There’s no obligation to go ahead.
From Neck Band Assessment to Review
Your nurse watches the platysma working and at rest, and checks the jaw edge at the same time, because the muscle’s upper fibres pull it down. Neuromuscular conditions such as myasthenia gravis, and some antibiotics, can change how the neck muscles respond, so your medical history is screened before any plan is set.
What we cover in your consultation
MEDICAL HISTORY SCREENING
swallowing, neck strength and medication history
BANDS IN MOTION
each band traced while you clench and grimace
BANDS AT REST
which bands remain once the neck fully relaxes
JAW EDGE AND CHIN
how far the jaw outline drops as the bands pull
NECK SKIN QUALITY
skin recoil, crepiness and sun damage checked
A STAGED PLAN
muscle first, then firming or referral at review
Muscle activity treatment for the bands is a single appointment, while skin firming and threads are usually planned as a course after your review.
Before Your Appointment
WHAT TO BRING & KNOWBands are easiest to read on a bare neck in good light, with nothing pulling at the skin. If you have an event where your neck will be on show, book a few weeks ahead, because the effect tends to build gradually and mild bruising along the bands is possible.
Wear an open neckline and tie long hair back
Leave make-up and self-tan off the neck and chest
Bring a list of medications, including antibiotics
Mention any trouble swallowing or neck weakness
Allow around 30 minutes for the consultation
During Treatment
WHAT TO EXPECTYour nurse asks you to grimace again and marks each band while the neck is tensed, because the cords flatten as soon as you relax. Treatment follows those marks and the jaw edge.
Bands are marked while you clench and grimace
You sit upright with your chin slightly lifted
Numbing cream is used before needling or laser
A cool pack may settle tenderness along the bands
Aftercare & Follow-Up
WHAT HAPPENS NEXTYour neck moves all day as you talk, swallow and turn, so aftercare keeps pressure, heat and strain off the treated bands for the rest of the day.
Avoid tight collars, scarves and neck massage
Stay upright for a few hours after muscle treatment
Hold off heavy lifting and gym sessions for a day
Use sunscreen on the neck daily after skin treatments
Treatment Is a Process, Not a Single Decision
Platysmal bands tend to appear in the same places every time you clench or strain, because the muscle is anchored to the surrounding tissue at certain points along its length. With years of the same movement, and as the skin over it thins, a band that once showed only in motion can start to stay visible at rest.
A 2024 ultrasound study of 80 platysma muscles measured what happens at those points. Outside a band, the muscle glided an average of 2.76 mm as it contracted. Inside a band, it didn’t glide at all. It stayed fixed, grew about 38% thicker and pushed against the skin above it, which is the cord that shows on the surface. The researchers linked this to adhesions holding the muscle in place.
That’s why each band is mapped in motion before anything is planned. Muscle activity treatment aims to ease the tension at those fixed points, while skin that has been pulled on for years may need firming as well. Your consultation shows which of these applies to your neck.
CLIENT REVIEWS
What our clients say
Explore More Treatment Options
The platysma’s upper fibres cross the jawline and blend into the muscles at the corners of the mouth, so as the bands tighten they can drag the jaw edge, the groove in front of the jowl and the chin-to-neck angle down with them. These three areas are read alongside the neck for that reason.
Jawline Contouring & Definition
The platysma pulls along the lower jaw border, softening its outline
learn morePrejowl Sulcus Treatment
The groove ahead of the jowl, where the jaw line dips before the chin
learn moreChin Reshaping & Balancing
Chin projection sets the angle where the jaw meets the neck in profile
learn more
Wrinkle Treatments
Aims to ease the muscle pull that creases frown, forehead and eye lines
Fotona Luxe Rejuv
Fractional laser that heats the skin to refine texture and support firmness
Lumecca IPL
Intense pulsed light aimed at redness and sun spots on the sides of the neck
PRP Treatment
Platelets from your own blood, used to support skin repair over a course
Exosome Treatment
Applied after microneedling to help skin renewal over the neck and chest
3 accessible clinic locations across Melbourne
All locations
Camberwell
1172 Toorak Rd, Camberwell VIC 3124, Australia
+61 477 441 340 Book an in-clinic consultationMoonee Ponds
30-32 Holmes Rd, Moonee Ponds VIC 3039, Australia
+61 477 441 340 Book an in-clinic consultationHave Questions? Your Consultation Is a Good Place to Start.
Frequently Asked Questions about Nefertiti Lift Treatments
SAFETY & SUITABILITY
Can I have a Nefertiti Lift if I’ve had thyroid surgery? 
Can neck treatment affect my breathing?
Is it safe to repeat neck treatment long term?
RESULTS & TIMELINE
Does a Nefertiti Lift actually lift anything?
Why might a band still show at my review?
Can a Nefertiti Lift make my neck look longer?
AFTERCARE & LOGISTICS
Can I have my neck and forehead treated in the same appointment?
How long should I wait between neck muscle treatment and Morpheus8 or laser?
Is a price listed for a Nefertiti Lift?
WHERE TO START
Should I book before or after losing weight?
Can I start with skin treatment if I’m nervous about muscle treatment?
MYTHS, WORRIES & 'WHAT IF'
Can neck creams get rid of platysmal bands?
Do neck bands mean the muscle has torn?
What if my lower lip moves unevenly afterwards?
COMPARISON
Platysmal bands vs a double chin: what’s the difference?
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