A facelift is a procedure used to improve sagging facial skin, loose neck skin and jowls, by removing excess fat, tightening muscles, and redraping skin. The procedure takes three to five hours and is performed with local sedation or general anesthesia. Once the procedure is complete, the patient should expect temporary swelling, numbness, bruising, and tenderness of the skin. Facelift patients may return to work in 10 to 14 days, with more strenuous activity limited for a month or more. Bruising may last two to three weeks, and exposure to the sun must be limited for the first several months.

The risks involved include damage to the nerves which control facial muscles and sensation, poor healing, excessive scarring, and asymmetry to the face or hair line. The results of a facelift can usually be seen for five to ten years. This procedure is most often performed on men and women over forty.