A facelift is a surgical procedure to repair sagging, drooping, and wrinkled skin of the face and neck.

A facelift can be done alone or with nose reshaping, a forehead lift, or eyelid surgery.

While you are sleepy (sedated) and pain-free (local anesthesia), or deep asleep and pain-free (general anesthesia), the plastic surgeon will make surgical cuts above the hairline at the temples, behind the earlobe, to the lower scalp. Often, this is a continuous cut.

Many different techniques exist, and the outcomes are similar.

During a facelift, the surgeon may:

• Remove and "lift" some of the fat tissue underneath the skin (called the SMAS layer; this is the main lifting part of the facelift)
• Remove or move loose skin
• Tighten muscles
• Perform liposuction of the neck and jowls
• Use stitches (sutures) to close the cuts

Sagging or wrinkled skin occurs naturally with increasing age. Folds and fat deposits appear around the neck, and deep creases form between the nose and mouth. The jawline grows "jowly" and slack. Heredity, poor diet, smoking, or obesity can contribute to early or severe skin problems.

A facelift can help repair some of the visible signs of aging. Fixing damage to skin, fat, and muscles can restore a "younger" look.

People who have a facelift are not satisfied with the signs of aging on their face, but are in otherwise good health.