Asian Facelift

Benefits of Asian Facelift Surgery

Facial aging in Asians often looks different from Caucasians. Asian skin tends to be thicker, which helps maintain fairly good skin quality even with ageing. As a result, wrinkles are less present in Asian populations than in Caucasians and are less of a focus in Asian facelift surgery.

Other notable characteristics of the Asian face include a flatter and wider facial skeleton, larger accumulations of fat around the malar and submalar regions (mid-face), and a prominent, square jaw. As skin and facial fat descend with ageing, Asian faces tend to take on a more rectangular and boxy shape.

These anatomical characteristics and patterns of ageing inform Asian facelift surgery. The approach tends to focus on repositioning deeper facial tissues and creating a smooth oval facial outline, rather than the sharp, angular face shape often preferred by Caucasian patients.

What to Expect

Your surgeon will get to know you and understand your goals during your consultation. This information will be used to customise your procedure. A facelift technique will be selected based on your anatomy, your skin quality, and the type and extent of your concerns.

Asian facelift surgery is an outpatient operation performed under general anaesthesia. Incisions are placed strategically around the ears and along the hairline to minimise visible scarring. Through these incisions, fat is redistributed, underlying tissues are tightened and excess skin is removed.

It's important to recognise that recovery experiences can vary significantly from one person to another due to a multitude of factors. These include the specifics of your procedure, your body’s natural healing process, individual health conditions, age, lifestyle, skin quality and adherence to aftercare instructions.

This variability means that while we can provide general guidelines and average recovery timelines, your personal experience may differ. The information below about facelift recovery is a general overview and should not replace the personalised guidance you will receive during your consultations and postoperative care.

Key Recovery Expectations

‍Initial Downtime: 2-3 weeks
‍Full Recovery: 3-6 months; up to 1 year for minor residual swelling, tightness and numbness to subside
‍What to Expect: swelling, bruising, tightness, tingling, numbness, discomfort around the surgical areas
‍Activity: light activities can be resumed within 2 weeks; avoid strenuous activities, heavy lifting and vigorous exercise for at least 4-6 weeks
‍Medications: pain relief medications, anti-nausea medications and antibiotics may be prescribed; take as directed
‍Aftercare: keep your head elevated, even while sleeping, for a couple of weeks; follow specific instructions for caring for drains, if applicable; wait 10-14 days before applying makeup
‍Sleeping: sleep with your head elevated and avoid sleeping on your side to prevent putting pressure on your face
‍Garments: none
‍Incisions: follow your doctor’s care instructions for incision sites; sutures will be removed or dissolve within 1-2 weeks
‍Scars: scars are generally hidden in the hairline or natural contours of the face; they will fade over time and can take 12-18 months to mature fully; avoid exposing scars to the sun for at least 12 months

Recovery time varies depending on the technique used. Typically, social activities can be resumed after one to two weeks. There will be evident signs of bruising and swelling at first, and some patients experience numbness near the incision sites. These side effects go away on their own during the recovery process. The final facelift result is obtained at three to six months postoperatively.

Techniques

Plastic surgeons have many facelift techniques at their disposal. There is no singular “best” facelift technique; rather, an appropriate technique must be selected and tailored based on the unique needs of the individual patient.

Some of the most popular facelift techniques include the following:

Full Facelift and Neck Lift

A full facelift and neck lift addresses the lower two-thirds of the face as well as the neck. This is the most extensive technique. 

Short-Scar Facelift

As its name suggests, a short-scar facelift is performed through a shorter incision than a full facelift. This addresses only the lower third of the face.

SMAS Facelift

SMAS (superficial musculoaponeurotic system) facelifting techniques target deep facial tissues for impactful and lasting aesthetic changes.

MACS Facelift

The MACS (minimal access cranial suspension) lift is a short-scar facelift that may be performed under intravenous sedation.

Deep Plane Facelift

A deep plane facelift lifts the face from underneath the SMAS, tightening and repositioning the underlying structural elements of the face.

Making an Informed Decision

Undergoing plastic surgery is a significant decision that should be made only after careful consideration of all aspects involved, including the potential risks and complications. 

General Risks and Complications

There are general risks and complications that apply to most plastic surgery procedures. These are discussed in detail on our Risks and Complications page.

Specific Risks and Complications

In addition to those that apply generally to plastic surgery, each individual procedure comes with its own specific risks and complications. For Asian facelift surgery, these include: 

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  Noticeable scarring
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  Temporary or permanent changes in skin sensation
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  Overly tightened or pulled appearance
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  Hair loss at the incision sites
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  Temporary or permanent facial weakness

Next Steps

Request a consultation at Asian Plastic Surgery for a detailed discussion of these considerations. One of our specialist plastic surgeons will conduct a thorough risk assessment based on your individual factors and outline the measures that can be taken to minimise these risks. Our entire team are here to support your decision-making process, providing all the information you need to make well-informed choices about your care.