Facelift

A facelift addresses age-related changes in the lower face and often the neck. The aim is not to give you somebody else’s face, but to assess how tissue descent, skin laxity and changes along the jawline relate to your own concerns. Tightening the skin alone does not describe the whole operation: planning also considers the supporting tissues beneath the skin and the proportions of the face.

Facelift techniques reposition deeper facial tissues and may remove a measured amount of excess skin. The exact plan depends on anatomy, priorities, previous treatment, and health. A consultation is needed to decide whether surgery—or a non-surgical alternative—is appropriate.

Before your appointment, you can write down what troubles you most and when you notice it. Describe in your own words what you would like to change and what you would prefer to keep. A photograph may help explain a question without becoming a target. Consultation is a place to clarify wishes together, not a situation in which you must already know the right technique or decide on surgery immediately.

Bring practical questions into the discussion too. How much time can you arrange away from work? Who could help at home if needed? Are there trips, celebrations or particular work commitments planned for the coming months? Sharing these circumstances helps make the plan compatible with your life. Ask for clarification whenever something remains unclear, and ask how to reach your treating team before and after surgery. General website content is not a personal decision or treatment plan.

Before-and-after photographs show individual patient situations. When looking at them, consider what interests you and what you would like to ask during your own consultation. Another person’s photographs do not promise the same change for you. Say if the examples raise concerns or suggest a change that feels too extensive. Your own goal need not match a gallery example, and there is no need to rush a surgical decision. You can request the proposed plan in writing and return to your questions later.

Surgical techniques can address different tissue layers. The appropriate method, anaesthesia and any treatment of the neck are selected after examination. Incisions are usually planned around the ears and hairline, although their precise course varies. An estimate of operating time is given once the extent and any combined procedures are defined; this page does not promise one duration that applies to everyone.

• Review your health, medicines, previous procedures, and reasons for considering surgery
• Examine facial proportions, skin quality, and areas of laxity
• Discuss technique, anaesthesia, scars, limitations, alternatives, and individual risks
• Agree on a preparation and follow-up plan before making a decision

Procedure-specific discussion includes skin circulation, facial nerve function and asymmetry. Sensation may change, and weakness related to nerve function can be temporary or persistent. A collection of blood may require further treatment. Risk assessment considers factors such as nicotine use, previous operations and medicines. Before-and-after photographs cannot establish your individual risk level or predict how your own tissues will heal.

• Bleeding, infection, fluid collection, and anaesthesia-related complications
• Visible or widened scars, delayed healing, or skin loss
• Temporary or persistent numbness, weakness, pain, or asymmetry
• An unsatisfactory result or need for further treatment