Treatment guide

Facelift Surgery

Facelift surgery is a form of plastic surgery that involves lifting up and pulling back the skin to make the face tighter and smoother. Ageing is a difficult process to go through, and noticing changes like new wrinkles and sagging skin can be a real confidence killer. Thankfully, a facelift - or rhytidectomy - is a way to tackle some of the signs of ageing, leaving you feeling younger, refreshed, and more confident.

The increasing popularity of facelift surgery means there’s a lot of choice when it comes to picking a location, clinic, and doctor for your treatment. Qunomedical is here to help with this; we’ve done the legwork for you, providing all the information you need as well as thoroughly vetting doctors both at home and abroad.

The content has been reviewed for quality and accuracy to the best of our knowledge by Qunomedical and its Medical Board of Experts.

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★★★★★Gael D., Germany:
“Qunomedical helped me so much! Thank you!“
★★★★★Gael D., Germany:
“Qunomedical helped me so much! Thank you!“

Facelift Surgery Quick Details

WHO IS THIS FOR

  • Facelifts are recommended for those who have excess skin around the mouth, jaw, or eye areas.

  • Facelift surgery can be performed for patients who have recently lost a substantial amount of weight.

  • Those who have low self-esteem or confidence due to the ageing of their face.

  • The best candidates are usually in their 40s, 50s, or 60s but a rhytidectomy can also be successful on older patients in their 70s and 80s.

TREATMENT DURATION

  • Facelift surgery usually takes between 2-4 hours.

  • Overall time for the treatment can vary from patient to patient, depending on their individual needs and situation.

RECOVERY TIME

  • The average recovery time is around two weeks, but this can vary from patient to patient.

  • Bruising and swelling on your face and neck should subside fairly quickly.

  • You should rest for at least a week after facelift surgery since pain, fatigue, and soreness are likely.

  • Bruising is usually visible for at least two weeks and it may take up to nine months to see the final results of the treatment.

SUCCESS

  • Facelift surgery is generally a very successful procedure, with more than 95% of patients reporting an improvement in their facial appearance after undergoing the treatment.

POTENTIAL RISKS & SIDE EFFECTS

  • Haematoma (collection of blood underneath the skin)

  • Nerve damage or loss of movement in the face

  • Asymmetry of features

  • Obvious scarring

  • Excessive bleeding

  • Hair loss or reduction around the scar tissue areas

ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS

Before / After Photos

Facelift Costs: How Much Is the Treatment?

Facelift costs have become more affordable in recent years. However, the price that you pay will be dependent on a number of factors, including the doctor or clinic that you choose, where you have your treatment, and the specifics of your surgery and what you hope to achieve from it.

Below, we’ve outlined facelift costs across a number of different countries. These are average starting prices and are not fixed or guaranteed. They may change according to patients' individual needs, as well as depending on a variety of other factors differing from country to country.

CountryPrice (EUR €)
Turkey€1,700
Poland€2,125
Hungary€3,000
Czech Republic€3,500
Netherlands€5,000
Germany€5,000
Ireland€6,500
United Kingdom€6,500

What Is a Facelift?

Facelift surgery, known medically as a rhytidectomy, aims to tighten and smooth the face by reducing or removing excess, sagging skin. The procedure is used to smooth lines and wrinkles, leaving you with a fresher and more youthful appearance. There are a number of different techniques used when carrying out facelift surgery, but skin is most commonly reduced or removed around the eyes, mouth, and jawline.

How Does It Work?

When it comes to performing facelift surgery, there are a few different techniques and methods that are used. However, there are common steps that are involved in all methods. For instance, facelifts are usually carried out using a general anesthetic although some mini facelifts are performed under local anesthetic or sedation. The procedure typically takes between 2-4 hours and will usually require an overnight stay at the hospital or clinic. When you wake up, you can expect to have dressings on your face and drainage tubes attached. You may experience some pain and tightness, but painkillers will be provided.

As previously mentioned, there are a lot of different types of facelifts, but below we’ve laid out a general step by step guide of what to expect during a typical surgery.

  1. Making incisions: The surgeon will make incisions above the hairline on either side of the head. The cuts will extend past the front of the ear, underneath the earlobe, and to behind the ear.

  2. Additional incisions: Extra cuts will also be made underneath the chin if the jawline is being lifted too.

  3. Removing surplus skin: The extra, sagging surplus skin will be removed in the chosen areas.

  4. Upwards and backwards: The remaining skin will be pulled upwards and backwards to a new position. Stitches are then used to fix it in position.

  5. Bandages: Bandages are then applied to the face in order to reduce swelling and minimise bruising.

The Different Types of Facelift Surgery

The steps above describe a traditional facelift procedure. It’s also common for keyhole surgery to be undertaken as a technique, in order to tighten muscles and remove excess fat. Although, this is usually more suited to brow lifts and upper facelifts. Recovery times and results may vary in this case, but your doctor will be able to best advise which method is right for you. There are a number of other facelift techniques available and we’ve briefly outlined these below.

Deep Plane Facelift

Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System (SMAS) Lift

Mini Facelift

What Should I Expect From Facelift Surgery?

Many patients opt for facelift surgery because they’re unhappy with their appearance. You might lack self-confidence because you feel you look older than you should, or you might just want to reverse the clock and bring a more youthful and refreshed look to your face. During the consultation with your doctor, you will agree together where your problem areas are and how best to tackle them in order to achieve optimum results. Some patients choose to combine their facelift with neck lift surgery, but you’ll have the opportunity to discuss all these options with your doctor during your initial consultations.

Facelifts are a popular procedure, but it’s important that you’re fully aware of the risks and potential side effects before you decide to undergo the treatment. You’ll be given general anesthetic for your treatment, meaning that you’ll be completely unconscious throughout the procedure. This might make you feel drowsy and disoriented when you wake up. You’ll also wake up with bandages on your face which can be unnerving, but this is perfectly normal. Discomfort after surgery is usually relatively mild and will be controlled using pain medication if necessary.

You may also experience some numbness of the skin after your facelift surgery, but this will likely subside after a few weeks to months. Bruising is typically visible for two weeks, and it might take around six to nine months to see the full results of the surgery.

Facelift Surgery: Abroad or at Home?

Travelling to have a facelift abroad is becoming an increasingly popular option. There are a few reasons that help to explain this recent surge in popularity.

  • Lower prices: Facelift costs abroad are often significantly cheaper than in places like Ireland or the UK. Travelling to undergo facelift surgery in Turkey for example, can save you a significant amount of money, even after factoring in the cost of travelling.

  • Price + quality: These lower prices are also combined with a high-quality of care that’s on offer when for international patients. Some of the most renowned and highly-experienced doctors are based at clinics in places like Poland and Hungary.

  • Unique treatment packages: Many clinics and doctors abroad also offer unique treatment packages for international patients. As well as the price for the treatment itself, these packages can also cover accommodation, airport pickups, and transfers to and from the clinic.

Interested in finding out more about the specific clinics that offer facelift surgery and the people involved? Check out our clinic and doctor profiles which cover all the important details like a doctors’ qualifications, experience, accreditations, and reviews from past patients. The KCM Clinic in Poland for example, is an extremely popular choice for those looking to undergo facelift surgery. Dr. Marta Wilczyńska-Staniul, MD, is one of the leading doctors at this clinic. With over 22 years of experience and more than 400 treatments performed, she’s a great choice for anyone looking to start their facelift journey.

Why Choose Qunomedical?

At Qunomedical, we take a patient first approach to healthcare. There’s no exceptions when it comes to this. We are on a mission to revolutionize the industry, with the goal of ensuring that everyone can access high-quality, affordable care, regardless of their background. To do this, we employ a strict and thorough vetting process when it comes to searching for clinics and doctors. We developed a unique and proprietary scoring system which we called Qunoscore. Qunoscore uses 21 unique data points when assessing the suitability of a doctor or clinic. This ensures that the care you receive is high-quality yet still affordable.

Facelift Surgery Reviews

Facelift Surgery Reviews

4.9
To everyone who is thinking of surgery overseas GOPis the place to go to. I had my second surgery with Dr Gamze Bektaş and I could not be happier.
★★★★★
20.03.2020

To everyone who is thinking of surgery overseas GOPis the place to go to. I had my second surgery with Dr Gamze Bektaş and I could not be happier. My Sister has booked in to travel to İstanbul to have her surgery with Dr Gamze. The team has been so helpfull. The nurses were great there was some communication problems but Funda and her team was available to help every time. The hotel was great and even my driver was fantastic and helpfull. Thank you Dr Gamze Thank you Funda I will see you again when I come back with my sister.

Danny
  • Ani Cinpolat
  • Facelift Surgery
  • GOP Hospital
He is not only a great surgeon, but also a wonderful person
★★★★★
13.06.2019

My name is Suzane, I’m 52 year old business owner from Texas, but thanks to Dr. Ceballos I can honestly say I look 40! He is not only a great surgeon, but also a wonderful person. I am more than happy to have choose him, the trip to Mexico is totally worth it.

Suzane
  • Facelift Surgery
I am over the moon with everything Marta did for me. She has a real understanding of her patients and is very honest with what can and can not be achieved.
★★★★★
11.03.2019

I have been to Marta twice now, first surgery was for a breast lift and then went back for lower face and neck lift, eye lid correction and eye brow lift. I am over the moon with everything Marta did for me. She has a real understanding of her patients and is very honest with what can and can not be achieved. I can highly recommend her work and the KCM clinic she is head of Plastic Surgery at KCM Clinic

Anonymous
  • Facelift Surgery
  • KCM Clinic
It look very professional and the cost was very reasonable. So glad I did, everyone was very helpful and the clinic was immaculate
★★★★☆
20.11.2018

I had face and neck lifting . Upper and Lower blepharoplasty . Nutational infrasonic liposculpture . Had been thinking about having the treatment for a while but wasn't sure on which clinic to go too . Then by accident came across KCM on the website . It look very professional and the cost was very reasonable. So glad I did , everyone was very helpful and the clinic was immaculate . My friends were so impressed they are looking at going to KCM next year for treatment . My 1st impressions was what a lovely clean clinic . Staff where very nice especially Mary who spoke very good English and she stayed with me til I went to surgery . Got picked up at the airport and taken straight to the clinic by Martin the driver , who was very nice . Overall fantastic !! They really do look after you . I'm going back in December for my teeth doing .

Sue
  • Facelift Surgery
  • KCM Clinic
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