Facelift Surgery
(Rhytidectomy)
A facelift repositions descended facial tissues, softens jowls, restores a cleaner jawline, and removes carefully selected excess skin so the lower face looks refreshed rather than pulled. At Adonis, the technique is chosen around your anatomy, not around whichever procedure name happens to be trending online.
What a facelift actually treats.
Facial aging is not only a skin problem. Over time, skin loses elasticity, facial fat changes position and volume, deeper support tissues descend, and the jawline becomes less distinct. Modern facial lifting addresses those structural changes instead of relying on skin tension alone.
The operation is particularly useful for jowls, lower-face laxity, sagging cheeks, loss of jawline definition, and deeper folds created partly by tissue descent. It can improve the transition into the neck when the lower face is treated comprehensively, but significant neck skin or platysmal banding may require a dedicated neck-lift component.
Adonis performs facial rejuvenation surgery at our Torrance surgical facility for patients throughout Redondo Beach, Long Beach, Palos Verdes, Manhattan Beach, El Segundo, San Pedro, Gardena, Carson, and the greater South Bay and Los Angeles area.
Facelift, mini facelift, SMAS, deep plane, and neck lift are not interchangeable terms.
This page is designed to answer the major surgical lifting options while keeping neck-lift intent separate. The right operation depends on where the tissue has descended, how much laxity exists, the neck anatomy, prior surgery, and how much correction you actually need.
Facelift / rhytidectomy
The broad surgical category for repositioning aging facial tissues and redraping excess skin, most often focused on the lower two-thirds of the face and jawline.
Primary intent of this pageMini facelift
A more limited-incision lift generally used for earlier or milder lower-face and jawline laxity. “Mini” refers to the extent of treatment, not a guaranteed easy recovery or one standardized technique.
Primary intent of this pageSMAS facelift
Repositions or tightens the superficial musculoaponeurotic system, the deeper support layer beneath the skin. Modern SMAS techniques vary in how that layer is treated and how much tissue is released.
Primary intent of this pageDeep plane facelift
Works in a deeper anatomical plane and releases selected retaining ligaments so facial tissues can be repositioned as a deeper unit. It is an advanced option, not an automatic requirement for every patient.
Primary intent of this pageLower facelift
A descriptive term usually referring to treatment of the jowls, jawline, and lower face. Depending on anatomy, the actual operation may use a mini, SMAS, deep-plane, or other surgeon-specific approach.
Primary intent of this pageNeck lift
Targets loose neck skin, platysmal banding, and the jaw-to-neck transition. It is frequently combined with facial lifting but has its own anatomy, procedure details, and dedicated Adonis page.
Owned by the dedicated Neck Lift pageIf your main concern is turkey neck, vertical neck bands, or loose skin below the jaw rather than jowls and lower-face descent, review our Neck Lift page.
No single named technique is automatically best for every face.
Facial-lifting terminology has become heavily marketed. The useful question is not which name sounds most advanced. It is which tissue layer, release, vector, incision pattern, and amount of surgery best correct your anatomy while preserving natural movement and minimizing unnecessary tension.
Mini facelift
Often considered when jowling and jawline laxity are mild to moderate and the patient does not require the same degree of tissue release or skin redraping as a more comprehensive operation.
SMAS facelift
Works with the support layer beneath the skin rather than simply pulling the skin tighter. SMAS techniques can be customized for lower-face, jawline, cheek, and selected neck concerns.
Deep plane facelift
Releases and repositions deeper facial tissues in selected patients. Current comparative research supports both deep-plane and SMAS approaches as capable of durable results, so technique should follow anatomy and surgeon expertise rather than marketing alone.
For help evaluating results rather than procedure names, read Adonis's guide to comparing facelift, mini-facelift, and deep-plane results.
The face should look repositioned, not stretched.
The classic “pulled” appearance usually reflects the wrong kind of tension, poor vector planning, loss of natural volume, or an operation that asks the skin to do too much of the lifting. Modern facial rejuvenation is more structural.
The jawline, cheek, lower face, and neck should make sense together. Incisions should sit in natural contours around the ear and hairline, tissue should move in anatomically appropriate directions, and facial expression should remain familiar.
The best compliment after surgery is not “who did your surgery?” It is “you look rested.” The operation should make the face look like a refreshed version of itself.
Jowls and turkey neck often occur together, but they are not the same problem.
Facial lifting primarily addresses facial descent, especially the jowls, jawline, lower cheeks, and lower face. A neck lift targets lax neck skin, platysmal muscle changes, and the jaw-to-neck angle. Some patients need one region treated more than the other.
When aging crosses both regions, face and neck lifting are commonly planned together so the jawline transitions smoothly into the neck. Treating only one area when the neighboring area has significant laxity can leave an obvious mismatch.
Fat removal cannot replace tissue repositioning.
Chin and neck liposuction work best when the main problem is localized fat and the skin can contract. If the jawline is blurred by jowls, loose skin, or platysmal change, removing fat alone does not correct the structural problem.
Patients whose main concern is submental fat with good skin elasticity should review Chin Liposuction rather than assuming a facelift is necessary.
Rapid weight loss can reveal facial laxity earlier than expected.
Significant weight loss can reduce facial fat quickly enough that the skin and deeper tissues look looser, particularly along the cheeks, jawline, and neck. This is often called “Ozempic face,” although the same pattern can follow weight loss from many causes.
Loose skin and jowling
When the main issue is true tissue descent after weight loss, a surgical lift may address the laxity more directly than adding more filler.
Volume loss
Surgical lifting repositions tissue but does not automatically replace all lost facial volume. Selected patients may need a separate volume-restoration strategy in addition to lifting.
Weight stability first
The face should be evaluated after weight has become reasonably stable so the surgical plan reflects the shape you are likely to maintain.
How the operation is planned and performed.
The surgeon evaluates the face while you are upright, focusing on cheek position, jowls, jawline, skin laxity, neck anatomy, facial volume, symmetry, hairline, ear shape, prior scars, and previous facial procedures. The surgical plan is then matched to the pattern of aging rather than a fixed template.
Incisions are commonly placed around the ear and within hair-bearing or natural crease areas. The deeper facial support tissues are repositioned according to the chosen technique, excess skin is redraped without excessive tension, and the incisions are closed precisely. A neck component or selected facial fat work may be added when part of the plan.
Map where the face has actually descended
Your surgeon evaluates the cheek, jowl, jawline, neck, skin, fat distribution, facial width, prior treatments, and whether a mini or more comprehensive lift is appropriate.
Choose the tissue plane and vector
The deeper support layer is treated according to the selected SMAS, deep-plane, limited-incision, or surgeon-specific technique. The direction of lift is planned around anatomy.
Reposition first, redrape skin second
The deeper tissues provide structural support. Skin is then redraped and excess removed so closure does not rely on an unnaturally tight skin pull.
Close incisions and begin structured recovery
Dressings are applied, and drains may be used depending on technique and surgeon preference. You receive specific instructions for incision care, swelling, activity, medications, and follow-up.
If you are trying to decide between a mini facelift, SMAS lift, deep-plane facelift, neck lift, or simply more filler, start with the anatomy rather than the procedure name.
REQUEST MY CONSULTATIONFacelift before and after.
When comparing results, look beyond whether the skin appears tighter. Evaluate jawline definition, jowl correction, cheek position, the face-to-neck transition, ear and hairline distortion, scar placement, symmetry, and whether the person still looks natural in motion.
Look for a cleaner transition from the chin toward the angle of the jaw without an unnaturally sharp or pulled appearance.
The lower face should look lighter and more supported rather than simply tighter.
Mid- and lower-face tissues should sit in a more youthful position while preserving normal facial expression.
A strong result also protects the sideburn, hairline, earlobe shape, and natural contours around the ear.
Individual results vary. Photos are shared with patient consent. Starting anatomy, technique, skin quality, neck anatomy, facial volume, prior procedures, scars, healing, and aging affect the final result.
The change should be obvious in the contour, not obvious as surgery.
Patients often worry about looking unfamiliar. The planning conversation should define exactly what is being corrected, how the jawline and neck will relate afterward, where scars will sit, what the first two weeks will look like, and when the result can be judged fairly.
Good scar placement protects the hairline, ear, and natural facial contours.
The scars are permanent. They are commonly designed within the temporal hairline or hair-bearing region, around the natural contours of the ear, and behind the ear when the operation extends toward the neck.
Scar quality depends on incision placement, closure tension, skin biology, nicotine exposure, sun exposure, healing, and aftercare. Early scars can look pink or firm before gradually softening and fading over many months.
A natural result is not only about what the jawline looks like from the front. Hairline position, sideburn preservation, earlobe shape, and scars around the ear are part of the result.
Most patients become social before all swelling is gone.
Bruising, swelling, tightness, numbness, and temporary asymmetry are expected early in recovery. The first visible improvement happens well before all swelling has resolved, so returning to work and seeing the final result are two different timelines.
Swelling and bruising build
Rest, head elevation, short walks, incision care, medications, and close attention to postoperative instructions are the priorities.
The face looks increasingly presentable
Many patients feel substantially better and some return to work or social activity around this period, depending on the extent of surgery and personal comfort.
Normal life expands
Residual swelling, firmness, and numbness continue improving. Exercise and heavier activity return gradually after surgeon clearance.
Scars and tissues keep refining
The face continues softening and settling. Scar color, incision firmness, subtle swelling, and sensory changes can evolve for many months.
For more detail, read Adonis's facelift recovery and longevity guide and 5 things to know before facelift surgery.
Lifting descended tissue is only one part of facial rejuvenation.
Facelift + neck lift
Often considered when jowls, jawline laxity, loose neck skin, and platysmal banding occur together. See the dedicated Neck Lift page.
Facelift + eyelid surgery
Lower-face lifting does not remove upper-lid hooding or structural under-eye bags. Those concerns belong to Upper Blepharoplasty and Lower Blepharoplasty.
Facelift + volume restoration
Patients with facial deflation after aging or major weight loss may need volume restoration in addition to lifting. Repositioning loose tissue and replacing lost volume are related but separate goals.
Facelift cost in Torrance and Los Angeles.
Price depends on how extensive the lift is, which tissue plane and technique are used, whether the neck is treated, anesthesia, facility requirements, revision complexity, and whether eyelid surgery, fat transfer, or another facial procedure is performed at the same time.
Facelift (Rhytidectomy)
$13,000 – $20,000Current published Adonis range for a customized surgical lift addressing jowls, sagging cheeks, jawline laxity, and deeper facial tissues.
Mini Facelift
$9,500 – $17,000Current published Adonis range for a more limited lift targeting earlier or milder lower-face and jawline laxity.
Deep Plane Facelift
$15,000 – $25,000Current published Adonis range for a deeper-tissue approach when that technique is appropriate for the patient's anatomy and surgical goals.
When comparing quotes, confirm what operation is actually included. A mini lift, comprehensive facelift, deep-plane face and neck lift, and facelift combined with eyelid surgery or fat transfer are not equivalent surgical plans. Review the full Adonis plastic surgery pricing guide for current published ranges.
Common questions about facelift, mini facelift, and deep-plane surgery.
What is a facelift?
A facelift, or rhytidectomy, is surgery that repositions descended facial tissues and redrapes excess skin to improve jowls, lower-face laxity, jawline definition, and other structural signs of facial aging.
What does a facelift treat best?
The operation is particularly effective for jowls, sagging lower cheeks, loss of jawline definition, loose facial skin, and facial tissue descent. It can improve deeper folds related to sagging, but it does not erase every wrinkle or replace lost facial volume automatically.
What is a deep plane facelift?
A deep-plane facelift releases selected facial retaining ligaments and repositions deeper facial tissues beneath the SMAS level as a unit. It can be an excellent technique in appropriately selected patients, but it is not automatically necessary or superior for every face.
Is a deep plane facelift better than a SMAS facelift?
Not universally. Both SMAS and deep-plane techniques can produce durable, natural results. The better operation is the one that matches the patient's anatomy, aging pattern, goals, prior procedures, and the surgeon's expertise with the selected technique.
What is a SMAS facelift?
A SMAS facelift treats the superficial musculoaponeurotic system, a deeper support layer beneath the facial skin. Surgeons use several SMAS techniques to reposition and support the lower face, jawline, and sometimes the neck without relying on skin tension alone.
What is a mini facelift?
A mini facelift is a more limited surgical lift generally intended for mild to moderate lower-face and jawline laxity. It usually uses shorter or more limited incisions than a comprehensive facelift and is not designed to correct the same degree of tissue descent.
Who is a good candidate for a mini facelift?
Patients with earlier jowling, mild jawline laxity, reasonable skin quality, and less extensive neck aging may be candidates. A “mini” operation is not ideal simply because someone wants a shorter recovery if their anatomy actually requires broader correction.
What is a lower facelift?
Lower facelift is a descriptive term for surgery focused on the jowls, jawline, and lower third of the face. The actual technique may be a mini lift, SMAS lift, deep-plane approach, or another surgeon-specific method.
What is the difference between a facelift and neck lift?
The facial component primarily treats facial descent, jowls, and jawline laxity. A neck lift focuses on loose neck skin, platysmal muscle banding, and the jaw-to-neck transition. The procedures are often combined when aging affects both regions.
Do I need a facelift or chin liposuction?
If the main problem is localized fat beneath the chin and the skin is elastic, liposuction may be enough. If the jawline is affected by jowls, loose skin, or deeper tissue descent, removing fat alone will not correct the structural problem.
Can a facelift improve jowls?
Yes. Jowls are one of the primary concerns addressed by lower-face lifting. The deeper tissues are repositioned and excess skin is redraped to create a cleaner transition along the jawline.
Can a facelift improve nasolabial folds?
It can soften folds that are partly caused by descended cheek and facial tissue, but a facelift should not be expected to erase every nasolabial fold. Facial volume, skeletal anatomy, skin quality, and the specific lift technique all affect the result.
Can a facelift improve marionette lines?
Repositioning lower-face tissue can improve some of the heaviness and shadowing around the mouth, especially when jowling contributes. Deep etched lines or volume loss may still require a separate strategy.
Will a facelift make me look pulled?
That is not the goal. Natural surgical planning emphasizes deeper-tissue support and appropriate vectors rather than excessive skin tension. The face should look refreshed while preserving recognizable features and facial movement.
Where are facelift scars?
Incisions are commonly placed within or near the temporal hairline, around the natural contours of the ear, and behind the ear when needed. The exact pattern depends on the procedure and neck component. All surgical incisions create scars that continue maturing for months.
Will a facelift change my hairline or ears?
Careful planning aims to preserve normal sideburn, hairline, and ear relationships. Distortion can occur if incisions, tissue vectors, or closure tension are poorly planned, which is why these details should be evaluated in before-and-after photographs.
How long does facelift surgery take?
Operative time varies considerably. A limited mini lift can be shorter than a comprehensive deep-plane face and neck lift. Anesthesia, revision surgery, neck work, eyelid procedures, or fat transfer can also lengthen the operation.
How long is facelift recovery?
Many patients become comfortable returning to work or social activity around 10 to 14 days, while others need closer to two or three weeks depending on the extent of surgery and their comfort with residual swelling or bruising. Final settling takes much longer.
Is deep plane facelift recovery longer?
Recovery varies by technique and extent of surgery. A deeper or more comprehensive operation can produce swelling that lasts longer than a limited lift, but there is no universal recovery timeline that applies to every deep-plane patient.
How long do facelift results last?
Results are long-lasting, but the face continues to age. Many patients maintain a meaningful improvement for years, and longevity depends on skin quality, genetics, technique, sun exposure, smoking, weight changes, and the aging process itself.
What age is best for a facelift?
There is no single ideal age. Candidacy is based on anatomy and degree of tissue descent rather than a birthday. Some patients develop jowling or laxity earlier because of genetics or major weight loss, while others do not need surgery until much later.
Can I have a facelift after major weight loss or GLP-1 treatment?
Yes, when facial laxity remains after weight loss and the patient is otherwise an appropriate surgical candidate. The face should be evaluated for both tissue descent and volume loss, and weight should be reasonably stable before elective surgery is planned.
Can men have facelift surgery?
Yes. Male facial-lifting plans pay particular attention to beard-bearing skin, hairline, ear incisions, jawline shape, and preserving masculine facial proportions. The underlying surgical principles remain the same.
Can facelift and eyelid surgery be done together?
Yes, when appropriate. The lift treats the lower face and jawline, while upper and lower blepharoplasty address eyelid anatomy. Combining procedures can create more comprehensive facial rejuvenation when the total surgical plan remains appropriate.
Can facelift surgery restore facial volume?
Repositioning descended tissue can restore contour, but it does not automatically replace all volume lost with aging or weight loss. Selected patients may benefit from fat transfer or another volume-restoration approach in addition to lifting.
Is a thread lift the same as a facelift?
No. A thread lift is a minimally invasive procedure using absorbable sutures to create temporary tissue support. It does not provide the same degree of tissue release, repositioning, or excess-skin removal as surgical rhytidectomy.
What is a liquid facelift?
“Liquid facelift” is a marketing term for nonsurgical facial rejuvenation using injectables such as fillers and neuromodulators. These treatments can restore volume or soften wrinkles but do not surgically reposition jowls or remove excess skin.
What are the risks of facelift surgery?
Potential risks include bleeding or hematoma, infection, fluid accumulation, poor wound healing, skin loss, unfavorable scarring, asymmetry, prolonged swelling, numbness or sensory changes, temporary or permanent facial-nerve injury, hairline changes, persistent pain, anesthesia complications, blood clots, and the possibility of revision surgery.
How much does a facelift cost in Torrance or Los Angeles?
Adonis currently publishes $13,000 to $20,000 for facelift surgery, $9,500 to $17,000 for mini facelift, and $15,000 to $25,000 for deep-plane facelift. Final pricing depends on the actual surgical plan, anesthesia, facility requirements, neck work, and any combined procedures.
Do you see facelift patients from Long Beach and outside Torrance?
Yes. Adonis Plastic Surgery is in Torrance and serves patients from Long Beach, Redondo Beach, Palos Verdes, Manhattan Beach, El Segundo, San Pedro, Gardena, Carson, Lomita, and throughout the South Bay and Greater Los Angeles.
Lift what has descended without changing who you look like.
Meet with a board-certified plastic surgeon to review your cheeks, jowls, jawline, neck, skin, facial volume, scars, prior treatments, recovery, and the degree of change you want. You will receive a clear recommendation on whether a mini facelift, SMAS facelift, deep-plane approach, neck lift, or combined plan best matches your anatomy.