How Is Facelift Surgery Performed? (Updated 2026)

Facelift surgery is performed by making carefully placed incisions around the ears and hairline, through which the surgeon lifts and repositions the underlying muscles and tissues, removes excess skin, and redrapes the skin for a smoother, more youthful contour. The procedure is typically performed under general anesthesia and is customized to each patient’s anatomy and goals. Here’s a closer look at what the process involves from technique selection through recovery.

Choosing Your Facelift Technique

Dr. Scott Holley employs a full range of facial plastic surgery techniques to personalize every patient’s facelift results. The most popular options include:

Traditional Facelift

A traditional facelift is the most sophisticated and extensive procedure. Using this technique, Dr. Holley can significantly improve the appearance of deep folds and creases, as well as smaller static wrinkles, in the middle and lower areas of your face. A traditional facelift involves larger incisions and a longer recovery period, but it is able to achieve the most dramatic results for patients with moderate to advanced facial aging.

Mini Facelift

A mini facelift is a less invasive procedure that aims to address unwanted signs of aging in the lower face before they become too prominent. It involves smaller incisions around the ear and shorter downtime than a traditional facelift. Because it is less rejuvenating than a standard facelift, a mini facelift is generally only recommended for patients with less skin laxity and mild wrinkles. A mini facelift can postpone the need for more extensive surgery for many years.

Facelift With Neck Lift

Our Kalamazoo patients often choose to combine a neck lift with their facelift surgery. A neck lift tightens loose tissues along the neck, chin and jawline to improve a “turkey wattle,” double chin and jowls. Depending on your needs, a neck lift can tighten your neck muscles, eliminate sagging skin or remove pockets of fat using targeted facial liposuction. This may involve an incision underneath the chin as well as incisions around the ears.

Facelift Surgery Step By Step

The specifics of your facelift surgery will be determined by the decisions you and Dr. Holley make during your consultation. In general, the procedure unfolds as follows:

1. Anesthesia is administered. Facelifts are performed at our plastic surgery centers under general anesthesia to ensure your comfort and safety from start to finish.
2. Incisions are made. The placement and length of the incisions depend on your goals and the technique agreed upon during your consultation. Typically, the incision starts at your sideburn, follows the natural contours along the front of your ear, curves around your earlobe and ends behind your ear at the hairline. Additional incisions are made if necessary. Regardless of technique, Dr. Holley places all incisions to minimize scar visibility after the procedure.
3. Tissues are lifted and tightened. Dr. Holley gently lifts, tightens and repositions your muscles to create a more youthful contour. He may also sculpt, remove or redistribute fat, then redrapes the skin over your rejuvenated tissues — taking care to avoid the overly stretched, windswept look associated with older techniques — before trimming away the excess skin.
4. Incisions are closed. The final step is closing the incisions with sutures. Drainage tubes are inserted if Dr. Holley deems them necessary, and a dressing is applied.

Every facelift is unique, and Dr. Holley tailors each step to the individual patient’s anatomy and the technique chosen during consultation.

What A Facelift Can’t Do

A facelift is specifically designed to restore a more youthful appearance to the lower half of the face and doesn’t address concerns in the upper face. As life-changing as a facelift can be, it is not a one-stop solution for every sign of facial aging. Areas outside the scope of a facelift include:

• The forehead and brow line
• The eyes and eyelids
• Skin tone, texture, pigmentation, and sun damage

If you’re looking for more comprehensive facial rejuvenation, your facelift can be combined with complementary procedures such as a brow lift, blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), or chin and cheek implants to achieve a fully harmonious result.

Enhancing Your Facelift With Nonsurgical Treatments

A variety of treatments can enhance the outcome of your facelift without additional surgery. Popular options among our Michigan facelift patients include injectables for wrinkle reduction and facial contouring:

• Dermal fillers to restore lost volume and improve contour
• Neuromodulators to relax wrinkle-causing muscle movement
• Kybella® to dissolve submental fat beneath the chin

Treatments that address skin tone and texture pair especially well with facelift surgery and can further improve the overall result:

• Laser and light treatments for pigmentation, sun damage, and skin laxity
• HydraFacial® for deep cleansing, hydration, and overall skin health
• Microneedling to stimulate collagen production and improve skin texture and tone

Many of these treatments also help strengthen and replenish your skin’s collagen supply, extending and complementing the results of your facelift over time.

A Refreshed Face Awaits You at West Michigan Plastic Surgery

As year after year passes, you may start to feel like your outward appearance no longer reflects your vibrant, youthful spirit. Fine lines and folds, loose skin and drooping jowls can make you look run down, tired, stressed and even angry. With facelift surgery, you can keep the wisdom of age but say “So long!” to the wrinkles.

Dr. Holley is a board-certified plastic surgeon with years of experience performing facelift surgeries to erase signs of aging and accentuate patients’ features while retaining a natural look. Call West Michigan Plastic Surgery today at 269-222-1611 to schedule a consultation and learn more about facial rejuvenation surgery in Kalamazoo.

This blog was originally published in 2019 and updated in May 2026.