Facelift, also known as rhytidectomy, improves signs of aging in the face and neck by repositioning and reshaping loose or sagging skin to a natural, more youthful appearance.

Facelift procedures are performed to restore a natural, more youthful appearance without looking tight or unnatural.  Moreover because incisions are inconspicuously placed the proceudre is now essentially scarless.

There are four levels of facelift, dependent on the individual patient needs and preferences.

Mini Facelift

This is a procedure  with limited or short scar that can address early signs of skin laxity in the lower face and upper neck. The procedure still addresses both the deep tissue and skin of the face but given the short scar the deep tissue maneuvers are limited and therefore, the downtime can be reduced to just a few days or so. This procedure is not suitable for people with heavy necks.

Deep Plane Facelift

This is a much more involved procedure with the term deep plane meaning we lift, mobilise and reorganise the deep tissue of the face and use it as different slings leading to impressive correction of the jawline and the upper neck youthful angles. Deep plane procedures give longevity of results but they are associated with 2-3 weeks of downtime of mainly bruising and swelling.

Extended Facelift

For heavy necks that extends all the way down to the chest and heavy deep jowls extending to the smile lines and corners of the mouth an extended version of facelift is employed. Due to the extent of tissue handling, it is often necessary to aid the redraping of the skin by literally quilting it to deep tissue. Quilting the skin would also help reducing the chance of bleeding and thus increase the safety of this procedure. 

Total Face Lift

In this comprehensive treatment, one of the facelift procedures described above is combined with several procedures to address the issues of the aging upper and middle face. Commonly, the brows are lifted, excess skin and fat bags of the upper lid and or lower lid are removed and the the cheeks contours are restored or optimized along with any necessary additional optimisation of the nose, lip or chin. The face is addressed in its totality. Please see our dedicated page for the Total Face Refresh.

In discussing your options and the result you would like to achieve, it is helpful to bring in a photograph of yourself from 10-15 years past.

A facelift can be performed under under general anaesthesia or sedation and may require an overnight stay when combined with other procedures.

Recovery depends on the extent of your facelift, and any accompanying procedures. You may engage in light activity the day after your surgery; a return to more normal activity may take 1-2 weeks. Your appearance will gradually refine over the following 6-8 weeks.

Proper skincare and sun protection are essential during healing and to maintain your results.

Results can be long-term, turning back the clock on your appearance often lasting up to 10 years. While natural aging will continue after your facelift, skin care and non-surgical treatments can be used to maintain a youthful appearance after surgery.