Over 35 years of expert care

Best Clinic Group UK & Trustpilot 5 star

Nationwide Clinics

Award winning treatment plans

Over 35 years of expert care

Best Clinic Group UK & Trustpilot 5 star

Nationwide Clinics

Award winning treatment plans

Face Lift

Experts in mini, one stitch, temporal and full facelifts

See our before and after photos

As seen in Harpers Bazaar: Secret facelift

Experts in mini, one stitch, temporal and full facelifts

See our before and after photos

As seen in Harpers Bazaar: Secret facelift

Home » Cosmetic Surgery » Face & Eye » Face Lift

What's on this page

Medically reviewed by Lorcan Sheppard BSc MBBS FRCA, Chief Medical Officer and the Medical Advisory Committee for The Private Clinic.
Last Reviewed October 19th 2021

Related Cosmetic Surgery

Ageing, weight loss, smoking and genetics may cause skin to lose volume, sag or pull away from the face and neck. People seek facelifts to remove this extra skin, creating a firm, youthful appearance.

As we age, our faces show the signs of ageing. A surgical face/neck lift, also known as rhytidoplasty, tightens skin around your face, jawline and neck, resulting in a youthful, rejuvenated appearance.

With age comes loss of elasticity to the skin and loss of collagen or fat deposits. This creates loose looking skin on the face and neck.

Areas a facelift can change:

A Sagging look in the cheeks
Jowls from excess sagging skin in the lower jaw
Deep nose to mouth lines
Sagging skin in the neck and in some cases more fat

Depending on your facial structure and skin quality you will be assessed by our Consultant Reconstructive and Plastic Surgeons who will work with you to establish the best course of treatment and type of facelift procedure.

Procedure Time

1 - 3 hours

Support Garments

Compression garment

Up & Mobile

1 day

Exercise

4 - 6 weeks

Sleeping

Elevated on back for 2 weeks

Anaesthetic Type

Local with sedation

Washing

1 week

Sexual Activity

4 - 6 weeks

Travel

6 weeks

Final Results

6 - 12 months

Hospital Stay

Overnight

Driving

2 weeks

Back to Work

1 - 2 weeks

Recovery Time

6 weeks

What is the best type of Face lifts/neck lift procedure?

At The Private Clinic, our Cosmetic Surgeons will discuss the best options to suit your face and neck. They could be:

Full Facelift – lifts the upper and lower face for total rejuvenation, removes excess skin and removes deep lines and folds.
Mini Facelift – lifts sagging jowls and the neck, removes excess skin, resulting in a better-defined jaw and neckline.
Forehead Lift (browplasty) – lifts the forehead, to remove deep lines and elevate the brows. This will help to improve the overall look of the face as well.
Temporal and One Stitch Facelift – Minimal downtime, performed under local anaesthetic with minimal hidden scarring within the hairline and a low risk of swelling and bruising. As featured in Harper’s Bazaar’s Cosmetic Tweakment Trends of 2019
Mid-Face Lift (Cheek Lifting/ Malar Lift) – restores the deep nasolabial folds, sagging cheeks, the lower eyelid area and hollowing between the lower eyelid and cheeks. Tired and sagging cheeks are lifted as are the downward slanted corners of the mouth making the face look rejuvenated and creates a more youthful contour.
Facelift and Blepharoplasty (Eyelid Surgery) – a combination procedure to completely rejuvenate the face and eyelids.
Neck lift (lower rhytidectomy) – removes fat and tightens the sagging skin along the jaw and neck area. It results in a youthful, defined neck and jawline.

as seen in

Before & After

Our excellent reputation for patient safety and satisfaction, honest advice and outstanding care means your journey with The Private Clinic will be an exciting experience to your desired goals. Take a look at some of the results below

What to Expect

The Private Clinic has been treating patients for over 35 years with thousands of people placing their trust in us each year. We pride ourselves on being able to offer a personalised service. We have a team of friendly nurses and expert surgeons who understand the importance of this decision and will support you throughout your journey with us.

Consultation
Pre-Operation
The Procedure
Aftercare

The Consultation

The first stage of your facelift treatment journey will be a consultation with one of our expert surgeons. There are a number of techniques commonly used and it is very important to have a full consultation in order to assess each patient’s unique situation.
As each face is different, the procedures are tailor-made to each patient so the exact procedure differs from patient to patient. A consultation will be able to determine what is appropriate and effective in your situation.
At your consultation, your surgeon will go through the facelift procedure in detail and examine the areas that you are concerned about.

Your surgeon will then discuss:

Your medical history
Your expectations from surgery
Risks and Complications of facelift surgery
Aftercare

Following your consultation, you will be introduced to your dedicated patient coordinator who will be your point of contact should you wish to proceed with facelift surgery.

Pre-Operative Advice

In the interests of patient safety all our patients are assessed against our patient selection criteria. Following your facelift consultation your medical history will be reviewed and the pre-operative nurse will choose which pre-operative tests to carry out which are going to be most appropriate to you. Most pre-operative assessments include a blood test, MRSA swabs, urine test and a blood pressure test.

Facelift Surgery

The procedures typically take 1-3 hours. The more complicated and extensive procedures can take longer.

For many of our facelift procedures, you will only need local anaesthesia. It is possible to have sedation along with it to help calm patients. Most patients will require general anaesthesia for the full facelift. Incisions are typically made behind and in front of the ears, carefully designed to minimise and conceal scarring. In some cases, the incisions extend onto the scalp.

From there the surgeon will reach the deeper layers of the face which will be repositioned and ‘lifted’. Depending on the procedure, muscle tightening and liposuction to the neck may be performed to enhance the effect of the facelift.

Depending on the procedure, you may require an overnight stay in hospital. Tubes may be attached to the incision sites to collect fluid – a natural response to invasive surgery of this kind. Some facelifts will not require such extensive care and hospital stays and this will be discussed fully at your initial consultation.

It is important to choose a qualified and experienced surgeon to perform your procedure in order to ensure you achieve the best possible results and minimise scarring and downtime.

Alternative Treatments for those unsuitable for a facelift:

Upper and/or Lower Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)
Fat Grafting
Laser Resurfacing
CoolSculpting to the chin/neck

The Results

The soft tissue of the face will be tightened, resulting in a tightened, more youthful appearance. However, the ageing process doesn’t stop after a facelift, so you may wish to maintain your ‘new’ appearance with aesthetic and rejuvenating treatments.

After your face lift procedure

It is recommended that you take 1-2 weeks off work. You may need more downtime for more extensive procedures. Exercise and carrying heavy loads are unsuitable during the initial healing period. You will be prescribed painkiller medication to help with any discomfort experienced. Swelling is significantly reduced within a few days, whilst bruising will subside within a few weeks.

Elevation of the head is recommended to reduce the amount of swelling. It is important to avoid smoking to help the full healing process. We will always aim to see you back in clinic in the days following your procedure to ensure that you are recovering well and then again at around 6 weeks.

Consultation

The Consultation

Your surgeon will then discuss:

Your medical history
Your expectations from surgery
Risks and Complications of facelift surgery
Aftercare

Following your consultation, you will be introduced to your dedicated patient coordinator who will be your point of contact should you wish to proceed with facelift surgery.

Pre Op

Pre-Operative Advice

The Procedure

Facelift Surgery

The procedures typically take 1-3 hours. The more complicated and extensive procedures can take longer.

It is important to choose a qualified and experienced surgeon to perform your procedure in order to ensure you achieve the best possible results and minimise scarring and downtime.

Alternative Treatments for those unsuitable for a facelift:

Upper and/or Lower Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)
Fat Grafting
Laser Resurfacing
CoolSculpting to the chin/neck

The Results

Aftercare

After your face lift procedure

0% finance available

FAQs

A full facelift targets the area from your eye area to the jaw and a mini facelift is more focused to the lower half of your face. The incisions used with a mini facelift are also smaller so the recovery time is often reduced slightly.

A Mini Face lift is bested suited for patients who have moderate skin laxity with the appearance of some jowls. If you have significant skin laxity with cheek sagging then your surgeon will most likely suggest you have a full Face Lift procedure.

You can expect the results to last for many years. The ageing process is continuous and the facelift aims to tackle the hardest signs of visible ageing. A healthy lifestyle and good skincare routine will help you maintain the effects of the facelift for as long as possible. It is difficult to establish just how long the results will last as each patient present a unique situation. There are a range of aesthetic and cosmetic treatments to assist in maintaining results.

During your consultation with one of our Consultant Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeons, you will always be offered the most suitable procedure for your facial structure and desired results. We have a range of face and neck lifting procedures. The average prices paid by our Facelift patients start from £6,900 for a mini-facelift (SMAS) and £9,185 for a full facelift. We don’t follow a one-price-fits-all policy and prices are quoted on a case by case basis. You will be given an accurate quote for your requirements following your consultation. Consultations with our plastic surgeons are £100 at our clinics in London Harley Street, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester and Northampton. All consultations with Mr Dario Rochira are now £175 which includes a Covid-19 test. We also offer consultations with our highly experienced Patient Coordinators which require a £25 refundable deposit to secure your place. These are available in Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester and Northampton. Patient coordinators are able to offer you all the information you require prior to meeting a surgeon. Please note all consultations available at our Harley Street clinic are with a surgeon.

Our one stitch facelift and temporal facelift is only available in London. Consultations will take place at; London – 98 Harley street, W1G7HZ and the surgery will take place at London Hospital, 1 Fitzroy Square, W1T 5HE To find out more about booking a consultation contact us here.

Facelift surgery is Available in these Clinics

London Harley Street

Manchester

Leeds

London Hospital

Things to Consider

Our advice on what to consider when deciding to have a facelift procedure:

1. When choosing a clinic, you should always do your research, and only go to an established, reputable clinic.

The Private Clinic has been in the cosmetic surgery industry for over 35 years. We are here to answer all of your questions and give you peace of mind.

2. When choosing a surgeon, make sure you know who you’ll be seeing. Their expertise, qualifications and patient satisfaction rate are important factors to take into consideration.

At The Private Clinic, we only source the most experienced and specialised surgeons. Find out more about our plastic surgeons here.

3. Price should never be the deciding factor when choosing where to have your treatment. Safety should be your number one priority and feeling confident that they will look after you – not only before, but also after your procedure

4. When it sounds too good to be true, it often is. Always find out what your clinic’s reputation is.

Our excellent reputation for patient safety and satisfaction, honest advice and outstanding care means your journey with The Private Clinic will be an exciting experience to a newfound shape.

Patient Stories

Outstanding care, patient satisfaction and results mean everything to The Private Clinic Team

Read about our patients’ experiences to see what you can expect from our award-winning procedures.

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Why Choose The Private Clinic

Meet our Surgeons

We have a dedicated Plastic Surgeon and medical team who will be with you throughout your journey. At The Private Clinic facelift surgery is performed by some of the UK’s top consultant plastic surgeons who have decades of experience.