What Is A Face Lift?

A face lift is a plastic surgery procedure that can remove excess fat, tighten muscles, and redrape the skin of the face, resulting in a more youthful appearance.

As people age, their skin becomes less elastic, particularly on their face. Sometimes, sagging skin around the jaw line or loose skin on the neck becomes particularly noticeable and unflattering. In such circumstances, a face lift, also called a rhytidectomy, can dramatically smooth the skin and improve a person's appearance.

While other procedures can smooth surface wrinkles, only a face lift can tighten sagging facial skin, jowls, double chins, and loose skin. A facelift reshapes the lower one-third of the face, while eyelid surgery and a brow lift address the eyes and forehead.

Face lifts are becoming more popular. Both men and women (usually aged 40 or older) are having face lifts in record numbers. While such procedures will improve appearances, it's important for people considering a face lift to have realistic expectations about the surgery, what's involved, the recovery process, and how they will look afterward.