About 90% of facelifts are generally done on patients over 40. The procedure is meant to reposition the skin and muscles of the face and neck. It is a repositioning operation, and it does not help wrinkled nor damaged skin (see laser surgery). Often, patients who have severe skin damage and also have very loose skin will require laser resurfacing along with a facelift.

This procedure is often combined with forehead lift, eyelid lift, and liposuction and or lipofilling (fat injection). It may be done under general anaesthesia or local anaesthesia and recovery is usually 3 to 4 weeks for a major repositioning but can be as short as 10 days for lesser degrees of intervention.

A simple rule of thumb is that the more you want done, the longer the recovery, but the more dramatic the result. If your goal is to look refreshed with modest changes, then a less inclusive operation will accomplish that and reduce your downtime. However, if your goal is to turn back the clock a few decades, then be prepared for a longer recovery time.