At what age should you consider a facelift?

The biology of timing

Facelifts reposition tissue that has descended. In the late forties and early fifties, that descent is moderate and skin still has elasticity, so lifting produces a rested look. At seventy, the same operation must move far more tissue, and the result, while still good, is a bigger change.

What a facelift does not treat

It lifts; it does not resurface. Fine lines, sun damage and volume loss need lasers, peels or fat transfer. Patients disappointed by facelifts are usually those who wanted a skin-quality change from a repositioning operation.

Deep plane versus skin-only

A skin-only lift pulls the surface and relapses within a few years, and it is the technique that produced the 'wind tunnel' look. Deep-plane surgery repositions the SMAS layer, so tension sits below the skin and the result lasts 8-12 years.

The non-surgical alternatives, honestly

Threads, ultrasound and radiofrequency devices tighten modestly and temporarily. They are worth doing in the forties to delay surgery; they are not an alternative once there is real tissue descent, whatever the marketing says.

The Ones People Actually Ask.