A facelift in Mexico, in Tijuana or another city, can be a reasonable option to weigh, provided four things are in place before you pay a deposit: the type of lift matches what you want changed; your health, blood pressure and medicines have been reviewed with surgery in mind; the surgeon’s licenses, certificate and facelift record check out; and your stay covers the first checkups. You can look into each of them in advance.
A facelift, or rhytidectomy, is surgery to improve sagging, drooping and wrinkled skin of the face and neck (MedlinePlus). Its results last for years without stopping the aging process, and the full effect can take months to show (AAFPRS; NHS). The decision on whether it suits you rests with your surgeon, and it’s worth talking the plan over with your doctor at home too.
At a glance
- Price
- Tijuana’s range starts and ends below the U.S. range; see the price table
- What it lifts
- The lower two-thirds of the face, such as the cheeks, jawline and neck; brows and eyelids need procedures of their own
- Types
- Full, limited-incision or “mini”, and deeper-layer lifts such as the deep plane; surgeons often combine techniques
- Looking presentable
- Most people within 10 to 14 days; the face takes 2 to 3 months to feel back to normal
- Flying home
- The published wait after cosmetic procedures on the face is 7 to 10 days; your surgeon sets your date
- Check first
- Your surgeon’s licenses and certificate, how many facelifts they do, and their results on faces like yours
Key takeaways
- Ask which type of facelift your surgeon recommends and why, and whether your neck, brows or eyelids would need separate work.
- Have your blood pressure checked by your doctor at home before the trip, and tell your surgeon about smoking and every medicine and supplement you take.
- Before you pay a deposit, look up your surgeon’s licenses and certificate, and ask how many facelifts they do and to see results on faces like yours.
- Ask for a written quote naming the type of lift, with any neck or eyelid work, the anesthesia, nights in the facility, follow-up visits and revision terms on their own lines.
- Spend the first night near your surgeon, stay through your first checkups, and wait for your surgeon’s go-ahead before booking the flight home.
In this guide
- What a facelift can and can’t change
- Types of facelift, and the anesthesia
- Who a facelift suits: your health, blood pressure and medicines
- Risks of a facelift, and what you can do about each
- Checking your surgeon: credentials and facelifts like yours
- Recovery: dressings, drains, swelling and stitches
- How much does a facelift in Mexico cost?
- How long to stay, flying home and crossing the border
- Questions to ask your surgeon about a facelift
- Before you go: checklist
- Warning signs after a facelift
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources
What a facelift can and can’t change
A facelift works on the lower two-thirds of the face, such as the cheeks, jawline and neck, and can improve loose skin, deep creases and folds, drooping cheeks, displaced fat, jowls and a double chin (American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, AAFPRS, a U.S. professional society). The surgeon repositions the underlying tissue, commonly lifting the deeper layers and muscles, may sculpt or redistribute fat, then redrapes the skin and trims the excess (American Society of Plastic Surgeons, ASPS, also a U.S. professional society).
What it can’t do:
- Lift brows or eyelids. A facelift can’t (AAFPRS); those need procedures of their own, such as a forehead lift or eyelid surgery, which can be done at the same time (MedlinePlus).
- Change the skin itself. It can’t correct skin texture or discoloration, or soften the wrinkles that come from moving your face (AAFPRS). Skin treatments such as peels, dermabrasion or laser may be offered for the skin’s quality and texture, and fat transfer or fillers for lost volume (ASPS).
- Stop aging or change who you are. It won’t alter your bone structure or your fundamental appearance (AAFPRS).
The results are long-lasting, often 10 years or more, as the face goes on aging naturally (AAFPRS); daily sun protection and a healthy lifestyle help them last (ASPS).
There’s no true non-surgical equivalent. Injectables, thread lifts and ultrasound or radiofrequency skin tightening can give temporary lifting and can be effective for mild to moderate signs of aging, without the extent or longevity of surgery (AAFPRS). Less invasive treatments may help delay the point at which a facelift becomes appropriate, though some, such as stem cell facelifts, are of unproven benefit (ASPS). For lines and volume, Botox and fillers in Tijuana covers that route, starting with what Botox and dermal fillers are.
Types of facelift, and the anesthesia
Why it matters: the type of lift decides where the incisions run and how much the surgeon can change, so it helps to know which one is planned for your face, and why (AAFPRS; ASPS).
| Type | What it involves |
|---|---|
| Traditional (full) | An incision that often runs from the hairline at the temples, around the ear, to the lower scalp; the deeper layers are commonly lifted, fat may be sculpted and excess skin is trimmed. A second incision under the chin may treat an aging neck |
| Limited-incision (“mini”) | Shorter incisions at the temples and around the ear; usually for patients with less loose skin, as the results are less rejuvenating than a full facelift’s |
| Neck lift | Treats sagging jowls, loose neck skin and fat under the chin, through an incision that often starts in front of the earlobe and ends in the hair behind the ear |
| SMAS facelift | Lifts and tightens the SMAS (superficial musculoaponeurotic system), a layer of tissue beneath the skin |
| Deep plane | Repositions the muscle and fat beneath the SMAS, through incisions like a traditional facelift’s |
Sources: ASPS for the first three rows and AAFPRS for the last two. The AAFPRS categories can overlap, and surgeons often combine elements of different techniques.
Lifting the SMAS layer is the main lifting part of a facelift; outcomes are similar across techniques, though how long the improvement lasts may vary (MedlinePlus). For men, the incisions follow the natural beard lines (AAFPRS).
The anesthesia may be intravenous sedation, sometimes called twilight sleep, with local anesthesia, or general anesthesia, depending on the operation’s complexity and your preference (AAFPRS). In UK practice, a facelift usually takes 2 to 3 hours under general anesthesia, with a night in the hospital for most people (England’s National Health Service, NHS). The British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS), a UK professional society also describing UK practice, gives 2 to 5 hours (BAPRAS).
How to check: ask which type your surgeon recommends and why, where the incisions will run, and whether your neck, brows or eyelids need separate work. Ask too how long your operation will take and who gives the anesthesia; their licenses are checked like the surgeon’s, in checking your surgeon.
Who a facelift suits: your health, blood pressure and medicines
Why it matters: your health, habits and medicines affect bleeding and healing after a facelift, so your full history helps the surgeon judge whether you’re a good candidate and spot any risk factors (AAFPRS).
Good candidates have visible signs of aging, are in good overall health without conditions that could impair healing, understand what the operation can and can’t do, and have realistic expectations. Most patients are 40 to 70, but skin elasticity, health and goals count for more than age (AAFPRS). Older patients can have one with relatively low risk when properly screened, according to a 2021 review of facelift complications in a U.S. plastic surgery journal (2021 review). Expect a medical history, a physical exam and a psychological evaluation at your consultation, and tell your surgeon if you have more than 1 or 2 drinks a day or could be pregnant (MedlinePlus).
| If this applies to you | What the sources say | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | It’s the most common changeable risk factor for a hematoma, a pocket of blood under the skin. Strict control around the operation has been shown to lower the rate, and a rise in blood pressure may be related to pain, agitation or nausea (2021 review) | Have it checked, and treated if needed, by your doctor at home before the trip; ask your surgeon which medicines to take on the day of surgery (MedlinePlus) |
| Smoking | Smoking can slow healing and make blood clots more likely (MedlinePlus). It’s the most common risk factor for skin loss: in one series of 1,186 facelifts, active smokers were 12.46 times as likely as nonsmokers to lose some skin. The best time to stop is unknown, but longer before surgery is better, and the review advises a urine test for a nicotine by-product in smokers (2021 review) | Quit well ahead of surgery, and agree on a smoke-free period before and after it with your surgeon |
| Aspirin, ibuprofen, blood thinners or supplements | Medicines that reduce clotting, including aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen and vitamin E, may need stopping in the week before surgery (MedlinePlus) | List everything you take, herbs included, and agree any change with both your surgeon and your doctor at home (AAFPRS) |
| Diabetes, heart disease or another condition | Your surgeon may ask you to see the doctor who treats it (MedlinePlus) | See that doctor before you book |
| Being a man | Studies have found higher hematoma rates in men than in women, even with blood pressure control (2021 review) | Ask how your surgeon lowers that risk |
| An illness just before surgery | A cold, flu, fever, herpes outbreak, COVID-19 or another illness may mean postponing (MedlinePlus) | Tell your surgeon, and book travel you can change |
How to check: before your first consultation, write down what you’d like changed and each item above that applies to you, then ask your doctor at home to check your blood pressure and medicines. Why to meet your surgeon twice, and when to see your own doctor, is in before you book.
Risks of a facelift, and what you can do about each
Why it matters: several facelift complications have risk factors you can act on, and your surgeon should explain how likely each one is and how it would be treated (NHS).
For a sense of scale, a U.S. database of 11,300 facelifts from 2008 to 2013 found major complications, meaning those that needed an emergency room visit, a hospital admission or another operation within 30 days, in 1.8% of patients: 1.5% after a facelift alone and up to 3.7% when it was combined with other procedures. Hematoma (1.1%) and infection (0.3%) were the most common (Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 2016). These are averages across thousands of patients rather than a forecast for you; your surgeon can say what they mean in your case. If you’re adding procedures, combining procedures covers time under anesthesia and splitting the plan.
Like any operation under anesthesia, a facelift can bring reactions to medicines, breathing problems, bleeding, blood clots or infection (MedlinePlus). Some effects are expected rather than complications: in UK practice, a swollen or numb face for weeks or months, facial stiffness that usually goes within 6 weeks, bruising, a raised hairline or sideburns and thinner hair growth at the temples are common (NHS).
| Risk | What it is | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Hematoma | A pocket of blood under the skin that may need surgical drainage (MedlinePlus), and the most common facelift complication needing another operation. About 9 in 10 appear within 24 hours, and for a large one the safest approach is a prompt return to the operating room (2021 review) | Control your blood pressure beforehand, change blood thinners only as your doctors agree, ask how blood pressure, pain and nausea will be managed afterward, avoid straining, bending and lifting at first (MedlinePlus), and spend the first night near your surgeon |
| Nerve injury | Damage to the nerves that move the face, usually temporary but possibly permanent (MedlinePlus). Weakness that persists past the first weeks should resolve within 3 to 4 months, and permanent injury is rare in published studies, though likely underreported (2021 review). In a 2025 review of 67 studies, the pooled rate of any injury to these nerves, mostly temporary, was 0.66%, and 0.047% for permanent injury (Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2025) | Ask how often your surgeon sees facial weakness, and who would follow it up once you’re home |
| Numbness or lasting pain | Numbness of the face and ears for up to several months, and pain that doesn’t go away (MedlinePlus). A sensory nerve near the ear, the great auricular nerve, is the nerve most often injured in facelift surgery, with a reported rate as high as 7% (2021 review) | Ask how long numbness usually lasts, and raise any that isn’t improving at your checkups |
| Scarring and hair | Scars should fade but won’t completely disappear, thick scars occasionally form, and so can a small but permanent loss of hair growth around them (NHS). The incisions sit in natural creases and the hair (AAFPRS) | Ask where each incision will run, see healed scars on earlier patients, and limit sun on your face (MedlinePlus) |
| Skin loss and slow healing | Major skin loss is rare; minor skin loss and delayed healing are less rare, with smoking, tension on the skin and an undrained hematoma among the causes, and most heal with wound care (2021 review) | Stop smoking well ahead, and keep every checkup |
| An uneven or unwanted result | Unevenness, irregular contours, color changes and visible stitches may need more surgery (MedlinePlus); the earlobes can end up in different positions (NHS), and one operation can’t always give the best result (ASPS) | Agree on realistic goals, judge the result once the swelling has settled, and check how a second operation would be paid for (NHS) |
| Fluid under the skin | Fluid collecting under the skin (a seroma) or, rarely, a collection from the parotid gland near the ear (a sialocele) (MedlinePlus; 2021 review) | Ask how a collection would be drained, and by whom once you’re home |
| Infection | Uncommon after a facelift (a major infection in 0.3% of patients in the database above), though infection-related problems top the list of complications among people who travel for care (CDC Yellow Book) | Follow your wound and drain instructions, and ask which changes to report (ASPS) |
| Blood clots | Rare after a facelift: a 2006 survey covering 9,937 facelifts reported a clot in a deep vein after 0.35% of them and a clot in the lungs after 0.14%, and identified general anesthesia and not using intermittent compression devices as risk factors (2021 review). Surgery and flying each add to clot risk independently (CDC Yellow Book) | Ask how your surgeon prevents clots, and tell them every clot risk factor you have |
How to check: ask which of these your surgeon sees most in their own facelift patients and how each would be handled, including once you’re home, then agree the plan for complications with your doctor at home too (CDC Yellow Book).
Checking your surgeon: credentials and facelifts like yours
Why it matters: plastic surgeons and facial plastic surgeons trained in ear, nose and throat surgery both perform facelifts, so which certificate you check will depend on your surgeon’s specialty training (AAFPRS).
AAFPRS members, for example, are certified by a specialty board, such as the one for otolaryngology–head and neck surgery, the ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialty, or the one for plastic surgery (AAFPRS). In Mexico, the credentials the education ministry lists for aesthetic procedures, with the free lookups, are in how to check a plastic surgeon’s credentials; for an ENT-trained surgeon, the certifying council and the question to ask about cosmetic work are in checking your surgeon’s specialty and certificate.
Licenses you’ve looked up and a current certificate give you solid footing. For a facelift they’re one part of a sound plan, next to the surgeon’s own record and clear arrangements for your checkups. Ask:
- How many facelifts they’ve done and their complication rates (AAFPRS), and what follow-up you’d get if something went wrong (NHS).
- To see before-and-after photos, which show the possible results and the surgeon’s style, of patients who started out like you, since what’s achievable depends on your facial structure and how your face has aged (AAFPRS). Men can ask for results on men.
- Which technique they’d use, and its benefits and limitations for you (AAFPRS).
How to check:
- Write down the surgeon’s full name, the council that certifies them, and their two cédula profesional (professional license) numbers, one for medicine and one for the specialty.
- Look up those licenses, and your anesthesia provider’s, with checking a doctor’s license in Mexico.
- Ask to see the facility’s health license; checking a clinic’s health license explains what it should show.
- Ask whether the surgeon who operates will also see you at your checkups.
Recovery: dressings, drains, swelling and stitches
Why it matters: the dressing, drain and stitch visits fall in the first two weeks, so they set your time near the surgeon, while the face goes on settling for months.
| When | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Right after surgery | A bandage may be placed to limit swelling and bruising, and small tubes (drains) may draw off excess blood or fluid (ASPS); discomfort is usually mild and eased by the pain medicine your surgeon prescribes (MedlinePlus) |
| First 2 days | Head raised on 2 to 3 pillows (MedlinePlus). A drain usually comes out on day 1 or 2, and a dressing within 1 to 2 days (AAFPRS). Bandages are usually removed after 1 to 5 days (MedlinePlus). In UK practice, low mood for a few days is common (NHS) |
| Days 5 to 10 | Stitches and staples usually come out (AAFPRS), hairline ones sometimes a few days later (MedlinePlus). In UK practice, stitches come out after about 7 to 14 days (NHS) |
| 10 to 14 days | Most people are presentable (ASPS), though swelling, bruising and numbness can last this long or longer (MedlinePlus) |
| 2 to 3 weeks | Recovery usually takes this long, and many feel ready to go back to work at 2 weeks (AAFPRS). In UK practice, plan 2 to 4 weeks off, with no strenuous activity, saunas or massages for at least 2 weeks (NHS) |
| 4 to 6 weeks | The face should look normal (MedlinePlus) |
| 2 to 3 months | The face feels back to normal in texture, sensation and tightness (ASPS) |
| 6 to 9 months | In UK practice, you should see the final result by now (NHS; BAPRAS) |
Timings cited to the NHS or BAPRAS describe UK practice. The sources’ timings differ, so the timeline your surgeon gives you comes first.
Until your surgeon says otherwise, avoid aspirin, ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatory painkillers for the first few days, and smoking and secondhand smoke; mild swelling can continue for several weeks (MedlinePlus).
How to check: ask for your recovery plan in writing: when the dressings, any drain and the stitches come out, when you can wash your face, wear makeup, color or cut your hair and exercise, and when your follow-up visits are (ASPS).
How much does a facelift in Mexico cost?
Why it matters: a facelift quote can price anything from a limited-incision lift to a deep plane lift with neck work, so the type of lift and the extras matter as much as the total.
| Procedure | Tijuana (USD) | United States (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Facelift | $5,000 – $10,000 | $8,000 – $40,000 |
Uriym’s indicative ranges from its treatment costs page, reviewed September 7, 2026. They are not quotes and cover the listed treatment only, without taxes, travel or third-party charges.
Prices vary widely with the surgeon’s experience, the complexity of the procedure and the location, and cost alone isn’t a sound basis for choosing a surgeon (AAFPRS). Most health insurance plans don’t cover a facelift or its complications (ASPS). Treating a complication such as an infection, or revising a result you’re unhappy with, can add to the original price, and some overseas facilities bill substantial follow-up fees in addition to the base price (CDC Yellow Book).
How to check: work through the general list in what a plastic surgery quote should include, then ask about these facelift lines:
| Line | What to ask |
|---|---|
| The lift | Which technique is priced, and does it include the neck? |
| Neck, eyelids and brow | Is a neck lift, eyelid surgery or a brow lift included, each on its own line? |
| Anesthesia | Sedation or general anesthesia, and who gives it? |
| Facility | Which one, and how many nights after surgery? |
| Removal visits | Which drain, dressing and stitch visits are included, and when? |
| Follow-up | How many checkups are included, and will they be where you had surgery (CDC Yellow Book)? |
| More treatment | If you need care for a complication or a second operation, what happens and what is charged (NHS)? |
Flights, extra nights and time off work are costed in travel and recovery costs to add.
How long to stay, flying home and crossing the border
Why it matters: the first night, the drain and stitch visits and your surgeon’s go-ahead to fly all fall within the first two weeks or so, so plan a stay with room to stretch.
The official and professional sources we read don’t say how many days to stay in Mexico after a facelift, so build the stay from these pieces:
- The first night. Someone should drive you to and from the facility and stay with you for at least 24 hours (AAFPRS). Most hematomas appear within that first day (see risks), so ask where you’ll spend the night and how to reach your surgeon at any hour.
- Flying. For cosmetic procedures on the face, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons recommends waiting 7 to 10 days before flying (CDC Yellow Book). Your own date comes from your surgeon, and how soon you can fly after surgery sets out the published waits by operation.
- The border. In UK practice, you won’t be able to drive for a number of days, with your surgeon advising when you can (NHS); ask yours when you may drive, and arrange a driver. If you’ll walk across, crossing back into the U.S. after a procedure covers the line and the walk.
- A quiet stay. Drinking alcohol, exercising hard, sunbathing, swimming or taking long tours while you recover can delay healing or get in its way (CDC Yellow Book).
- Medicines and records. For prescribed medicine, see medicine prescribed after a procedure in Mexico. Request your records in English for any doctor who treats you later (CDC Yellow Book), using the list in coming home.
How to check: before you buy tickets, get three dates from your surgeon: the drain or dressing check, the stitch removal and the earliest day you may travel, and ask which visits in the recovery timeline must happen in Mexico. Then choose flights or rides you can change.
Questions to ask your surgeon about a facelift
- Which type of facelift do you recommend for me, and why? Does it cover my neck, and where will the incisions run?
- How many facelifts do you do, how many had complications, and may I see results on patients like me?
- Which licenses and council certificate do you hold, and in which specialty?
- How will my blood pressure, pain and nausea be managed around the operation?
- Which medicines should I stop, and when, and which should I take on the day of surgery?
- Who will give my anesthesia, what kind will it be, and where will I sleep the first night?
- On which days do the drain, dressings and stitches come out, and when may I fly?
- If I need treatment for a complication or a second operation, what would happen, and what would it cost me?
Before you go: checklist
- Type of facelift agreed, with any neck, eyelid or brow work in the plan
- Blood pressure checked and medicines reviewed by your doctor at home
- Smoking stopped, on your surgeon’s timing
- Licenses and council certificate checked for your surgeon and anesthesia provider, and the facility’s license seen
- Results seen on patients who started out like you
- Written quote with the lift, anesthesia, nights, removal visits, follow-up and second-operation terms
- Someone to drive you and stay with you the first night
- Flights or rides you can change, timed to your surgeon’s go-ahead
- Records in English and a medicine list requested
- Warning signs read, and your surgeon’s after-hours contact saved
Warning signs after a facelift
In an emergency, call 911, which works in the U.S. and Mexico, then tell your surgeon.
| What you notice | What to do |
|---|---|
| Shortness of breath that starts suddenly during sleep or on exertion, chest pain that often gets worse with deep breathing, fast breathing or wheezing, a fast heart rate, a sudden cough, possibly coughing up blood or bloody mucus, or dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting | These may be symptoms of a pulmonary embolus, a blockage of an artery in the lungs, most often by a blood clot: go to the emergency room or call 911 (MedlinePlus) |
| Severe pain, discomfort that feels excessive, or any symptom you didn’t expect | Contact your surgeon or the clinic where you had the operation as soon as possible (NHS; AAFPRS) |
A hematoma usually shows up within the first day (see risks), and none of the official or professional pages we read lists its signs for patients. Before the operation, ask your surgeon which changes in swelling, pain or bruising should make you call, and how to reach them at night.
A clot in the lungs most often starts in a deep vein of the thigh or pelvis (MedlinePlus); warning signs of a blood clot describes how a leg clot can show. Seek care promptly for any suspected complication, during the trip or after you’re home: getting care quickly can lead to an earlier diagnosis, earlier treatment and a better outcome (CDC Yellow Book). Tell whoever sees you about the facelift, its date and your records.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a facelift cost in Mexico?
Uriym’s indicative range for a facelift in Tijuana is $5,000 to $10,000, compared with $8,000 to $40,000 in the U.S. These ranges are indicative, not quotes. What you pay will depend on the type of lift, any neck, eyelid or brow work, the anesthesia and the nights in the facility, so get a written quote from each clinic with those lines and compare them using what a facelift costs in Mexico.
Is it safe to get a facelift in Mexico?
Much of the answer lies in things you can check before you pay a deposit: your health for surgery, the surgeon’s credentials and facelift record, the facility, and your plans for the first night and the trip home. No operation is free of risk, wherever it’s done (CDC Yellow Book); the facelift risks, each with what you can do about it, are in risks of a facelift. The travel advisory, and what to do if something goes wrong, are covered in whether surgery in Mexico is safe.
How long do you need to stay in Mexico after a facelift?
As long as your surgeon’s plan needs: the official and professional sources we read don’t set a number of days. Plan your days around the in-person visits: a drain, if used, usually comes out on day 1 or 2, and stitches within 5 to 10 days (AAFPRS). The published wait before flying after cosmetic procedures on the face is 7 to 10 days (CDC Yellow Book), so book travel you can change; see how long to stay.
What is the difference between a mini facelift and a full facelift?
A mini facelift, also called a limited-incision lift, uses shorter incisions at the temples and around the ear, and is usually reserved for patients with less loose skin, because its results are less rejuvenating. A traditional, full facelift uses a longer incision that often runs from the hairline at the temples, around the ear, to the lower scalp, and may add one under the chin for the neck (ASPS). Your surgeon recommends which suits your face; see types of facelift.
How long does a facelift last?
For years: the results are long-lasting, often 10 years or more, though your face keeps aging naturally and a facelift can’t stop that process (AAFPRS). Daily sun protection and a healthy lifestyle help extend the results (ASPS), and how long the improvement lasts may vary with the technique used (MedlinePlus).
How long is the recovery from a facelift?
Most people are presentable within 10 to 14 days, and the face takes 2 to 3 months to feel back to normal (ASPS). Recovery usually takes 2 to 3 weeks, and many patients feel comfortable going back to work at 2 weeks (AAFPRS). In UK practice, the final result can take 6 to 9 months to show (NHS). The full timeline, from drains to stitches, is in recovery.
Can you combine a facelift with eyelid surgery or a neck lift?
Often, yes. A facelift works on the lower two-thirds of the face, and many patients combine it with eyelid surgery, a brow lift, a neck lift, fat grafting, skin resurfacing or injectables (AAFPRS). Combining adds to the operation, though: in a large U.S. database, combined procedures had a higher rate of major complications than a facelift alone (Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 2016). Ask your surgeon for the total time under anesthesia, and get each procedure priced separately.
What is a deep plane facelift?
A deep plane facelift repositions the layers of muscle and fat beneath the SMAS (superficial musculoaponeurotic system), the tissue layer under the skin that a standard SMAS facelift lifts and tightens. Its incisions are similar to a traditional facelift’s, with a more extensive release of the deeper tissue (AAFPRS). Which technique suits you depends on your anatomy and goals, so ask your surgeon why they recommend it; see types of facelift.
Sources
- Facelift Surgery American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (professional society)
- What is a facelift? American Society of Plastic Surgeons
- What are the steps of a facelift procedure? American Society of Plastic Surgeons
- What should I expect during my facelift recovery? American Society of Plastic Surgeons
- What results should I expect after a facelift? American Society of Plastic Surgeons
- How much does a facelift cost? American Society of Plastic Surgeons
- Facelift (MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia) MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine
- Pulmonary embolus MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine
- Facelift (rhytidectomy) NHS
- Face and Brow Lift (patient information) British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS)
- Medical Tourism (CDC Yellow Book 2026) U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- How to Prevent and Treat Complications in Facelift Surgery, Part 1: Short-Term Complications (2021; full text on PubMed Central) Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum (The Aesthetic Society)
- Preoperative Risk Factors and Complication Rates in Facelift: Analysis of 11,300 Patients (2016; abstract on PubMed) Aesthetic Surgery Journal
- Facelift Surgery and Nerve Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2025; full text on PubMed Central) Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
About this guide
The Uriym editorial team researched this guide from the 14 sources above, drafted it with AI assistance, and checked it claim by claim against those sources before publishing, last on . Our editorial standards explain how we choose sources, handle prices and make corrections.
Uriym is a healthcare navigation platform, not a medical provider. Its founder, Adriana Mendez, grew up in a family that traveled to Mexico for care and has done it herself for the past ten years. How Uriym works
This is general information, not medical, legal or financial advice: your treating provider decides what care is right for you. Rules, prices and advisories change, so check the official page before you act. Found something wrong or out of date? Email support@uriym.com.
