Facelift (rhytidectomy) at Yanhee: cost, technique and recovery

What a facelift is

A facelift, known medically as rhytidectomy, is cosmetic surgery that gives a more youthful facial appearance. It reduces wrinkles, fine lines and creases and improves skin tone and texture in the face and neck. It targets the common signs of aging: sagging in the mid-face, fallen or displaced fat, loss of muscle tone in the lower face that forms jowls, and loose skin and fat under the chin and jaw that can look like a double chin even at a normal weight. As a restorative operation, a facelift does not change your fundamental appearance or stop the aging process.

What makes the Yanhee facelift different

Yanhee's facelift avoids the unnatural, pulled-back appearance that comes with less refined techniques. The approach reduces excess skin while lifting the cheeks, addressing not just skin sagging but the underlying structures affected by aging. The result is a balanced, age-appropriate rejuvenation that looks refreshed rather than operated on.

Who it suits

A facelift suits people, generally 45 or older, who are in good physical health, do not smoke, and have a positive outlook with specific, realistic goals. The best candidates seek improvement, not perfection: a facelift delivers significant results but cannot turn you into someone else, and the extent of change varies from person to person. If a surgeon decides a facelift is not right for you, non-surgical options such as Botox may still help.

The procedure, step by step

A facelift is performed under general anaesthesia and takes about 1 to 2 hours per area. The main steps are:

1. Incision — usually starts above the hairline at the temples, runs in front of the ear, and continues behind the earlobe to the lower scalp.
2. Fat separation — the surgeon separates fat from the muscle beneath to improve contour.
3. Fat trimming or suction — excess fat is trimmed or suctioned.
4. Muscle and membrane tightening — the underlying muscles and membranes are tightened and the skin is redraped.
5. Excess skin removal — surplus skin is removed.
6. Stitching — sutures secure the tissue layers and close the incision; metal clips may be used on the scalp.
7. Drain and bandaging — a small drain may sit under the skin behind the ear, and the head is loosely wrapped to limit bruising and swelling.

Before surgery

Your skin should be free from acne and infection. For two weeks before surgery, stop smoking, and keep off smoking for two weeks afterward too, since it raises the risk of complications and worsens scarring. Avoid alcohol for a week before, stop aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs, hormonal pills and herbal supplements that increase bleeding, and fast for at least six hours before the operation. Patients with a medical condition need surgical clearance from their specialist.

What it costs at Yanhee

Facelift procedures are priced by area and technique. Which areas you need is what moves the price, and brow, temporal and thread lifts are quoted separately.

Prices cover the surgeon, the anaesthesia and any stated stay; flights and accommodation are not included. Many patients combine areas, for example a mid-facelift with a neck lift, which is quoted as a single plan at consultation. Prices are subject to change and are confirmed after consultation — see plastic surgery prices for the current list, which includes further brow, temporal-augmentation and add-on options.

Recovery and aftercare

A gentle bandage supports the face after surgery, and a thin drain may remove excess fluid. Apply a cold compress for the first two days, keep your head elevated, and turn your head and shoulders together. Avoid lifting or bending for about two weeks. You can wash your hair with a mild shampoo about three days after the bandages come off. Normal activities resume after 2 to 3 weeks and exercise after 4 weeks, and it is best to avoid hair colouring for about six weeks. Stitches come out 7 to 10 days after surgery. Scalp numbness is expected and settles over 6 to 8 weeks. Swelling takes several months to fully resolve, and incision lines mature over about six months. Lifelong sun protection and a healthy lifestyle help preserve the result.

Risks to understand

As with any surgery, a facelift carries risks. These include unfavourable scarring, bleeding (hematoma), infection, poor wound healing, anaesthesia risks, correctable hair loss at the incisions, facial nerve injury causing weakness, facial asymmetry, skin loss, numbness or changes in skin sensation, fat necrosis, fluid accumulation, persistent pain, skin contour irregularities, discolouration or swelling, visible or irritating sutures, and unsatisfactory results that need further surgery. Rarely, deep vein thrombosis and cardiac or pulmonary complications can occur. Your surgeon will go through the risks that apply to your case and the consent process before surgery.

Frequently asked questions

Available doctors

These plastic surgeons at Yanhee perform facelift and neck lift surgery. Your surgeon is confirmed at consultation.