Face lift surgery is usually performed under general anaesthesia but can also be done under local anaesthesia and sedation, depending on the extent of the surgical intervention.

You can expect some discomfort post-surgery, especially as the original anaesthesia wears off, but you will be prescribed pain medication or advised on over-the-counter options that you can take to ease any pain.

A surgical face lift operation usually takes 2 to 3 hours depending on the extent of the surgery required.

As this is a surgical procedure, you will need to plan for time to recover from the operation. Generally, it can take 2 to 4 weeks to fully recover from the face lift surgery, during which time you will usually be off work and not engaging in your normal activities. Although you will not usually need to stay overnight after your operation, it is important that you make arrangements for someone to take you home and look after you initially as you will not be able to drive.

Post-surgery you can expect pain, tenderness, swelling (especially around the eyes and cheeks) and bruising, which may move down the face and develop further over several days. Some people also report a feeling of stiffness, tightness or having a numb face which is related to the swelling. Your head and sides of your face will be bandaged due to the incisions and stitches in place. Most pain can be managed with over-the-counter pain medication, and full aftercare advice will be given.

This will include not showering for 48 hours to avoid getting the area wet and sleeping in an upright position with your head propped up on pillows to aid healing and reduce swelling in the first few days. If you have non-dissolving sutures or stitches, these are usually removed after a week during a follow-up appointment.

Bruising is likely to last up to a fortnight, with redness at the incision points and scars fading after several weeks or months. Usually, these can be effectively hidden by your hair at the ears and should eventually disappear completely.

The full and final effects of face lift surgery can take up to 6 months to be visible as the body heals and adjusts to the lifting and tightening carried out during the procedure.
As with all surgical procedures, there are some possible risks with a rhytidectomy which may need further revision or cause additional pain. These side effects include a haematoma or build-up of blood under the skin which will require draining, as well as excessive bleeding or blood clot formation. Other notifiable risks include infection or an allergic reaction to the anaesthesia. In rare cases, there have been reports of nerve damage following surgery which results in a loss of sensation in the face or difficulties with facial movement.

Results from a face lift procedure are generally expected to last for approximately ten years, before further revision is needed. This varies by individual and is depending on your age at time of the operation, your lifestyle, including whether you smoke, and the rate of your natural ageing. You can expect to have a smoother, tighter skin appearance to your face and a more youthful restoration of your facial contours with loose skin and wrinkles removed.
Rarely patients may experience an asymmetry, most often in the positioning of the earlobe after the facial skin has been tightened back to the ear. This can be adjusted with further surgery.