Many of my facial rejuvenation patients may ask me how long does a facelift last? This is an excellent question but truly dependent on the age of the patient and more importantly, the type of facelift performed.

There are numerous types of facelifts and each require different incisions and different extent of dissections. The Mini lift or short scar facelift will only address minor jowls and the jawline and last only about 5 years. It does not address the neck.

A SMAS facelift is when the SMAS or fascia is suspended and excess skin is excised. The neck may be addressed during this facelift as well. This may last about 7-8 years.

The most involved facelift or face and neck lift is the deep plane facelift where the SMAS is cut and elevated and all the ligaments are released and then the SMAS is resuspended in a vertical direction. Of course, this causes a little more swelling and 3-5 days longer recovery, but I truly feel it is worth it as the lift is much more impressive, longer lasting, and natural. The deep plane facelift may last 10-15 years depending on the patient’s initial anatomy, skin laxity, and strength of tissues. For these reasons, I believe it is the best lift out there.

Dr. Funk is a facelift expert in Houston, Texas.