A facelift might be right for you if:

• You have sagging skin on your face
  Facelifts remove excess skin, reduce wrinkles, and tighten skin on the lower cheeks and neck.

• Your skin has some elasticity
  Because facelifts stretch the skin to remove wrinkles, it’s important that your skin has some natural flexibility.

• You're willing to take special care of your skin during recovery
  Proper skin care and avoiding direct sunlight will speed up the healing process.

• You're healthy, don’t smoke, and have no serious medical conditions
  A facelift is a surgical procedure, so it’s important that you're physically prepared.

It's also important to have  realistic expectations of your outcome. Facelifts can make you look younger, but they don't drastically reverse the aging process.

Read Q&As about who’s a facelift candidate

The average cost of a facelift is about $12,000, according to RealSelf members.

At your facelift consultation, ask for a breakdown of all associated costs, in addition to your plastic surgeon’s fee. This may include operating room or hospital access, anesthesia, additional medical appointments, and pain medication.

It can also be helpful to ask for a list of anything you’ll need to have for recovery at home, to find out what you’ll need to buy ahead of time.

A facelift can be done in an outpatient clinic or a hospital and usually takes between two and six hours, depending on its complexity.

You will probably be put under general anesthesia. Your plastic surgeon will make incisions, usually behind the ears, before pulling a flap of skin on each side of the face back and tightening the underlying muscles, removing excess fat and skin, and redraping your skin to a more youthful shape.

Read Q&As about a facelift procedure

Potential risks and side effects are rare, but they can include hematoma formation (blood collecting under the skin, causing swelling and pressure), scarring, hair loss near your incisions, and numbness.

About 1% of people may have some nerve issues after a facelift, but they should only be temporary. “Facial nerve palsy and facial muscle weakness following a facelift are almost always temporary, with full recovery by 3–6 months,” says Tampa plastic surgeon Dr. Jamie Perez in a RealSelf Q&A.

Read Q&As about facelift risks

Surgical alternatives to a facelift include a neck lift, a lower face lift, or a mini facelift. These surgeries focus on lifting and tightening the skin from the neck to mid-face. Many doctors on RealSelf say that a lower facelift or neck lift can be combined with an eye lift for the most natural-looking significant change.

For people with less severe sagging, like a alternatives nonsurgical facelift, liquid facelift, FaceTite, Thermitight, or Ultherapy can be good options.

Read Q&As about facelift alternatives

Not sure which treatment is right for you? Learn more about treatment options for concerns like:

After about 10 to 14 days, most people find they can return to work or their daily routine, without obvious signs that they've had a procedure.

There may be some swelling, numbness, and skin discoloration as you heal. Your plastic surgeon will prescribe medication to help control pain in the first few days after your facelift. You should expect not to drive while you’re taking prescription pain meds.

“As you begin to heal, you may experience itchiness, swelling, and some tightness, which is completely normal and for most subsides within the first few weeks,” says Jupiter, Florida plastic surgeon Dr. Jason S. Cooper in a RealSelf Q&A.

Some swelling will last a little longer. “Most of the swelling is gone in the first month, but residual swelling can take a few more months to settle,” says Wisconsin facial plastic surgeon Dr. Anand D. Patel in a RealSelf Q&A. “The less active one is after surgery, the faster the swelling seems to resolve.” You should see your final results in two to three months, once all your swelling has gone down.

“For women, hairstyles should cover the ears, and a turtleneck or scarf can be worn to cover up any neck swelling and bruising,” says Dr. William Portuese, a Seattle facial plastic surgeon, in a RealSelf Q&A. “Men sometimes grow a beard to cover up the incisions around the ears for the first couple of months.”

Read Q&As about facelift recovery

Facelift results aren't permanent because the natural aging process will continue, but you can expect them to last up to 10 years.

There are also ways to help extend the life of your facelift. “Maintaining good health and taking good care of your skin care definitely make the results of a facelift last longer. Wearing sunblock, good nutrition, getting enough sleep and even trying to minimize stress are wonderful ways to keep your skin, and the results of your facelift looking their best,” says Raleigh, North Carolina plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Law in a RealSelf Q&A.

Read reviews about facelift results

After a facelift, patients can expect some numbness for up to four months, but it can take longer for it to go away completely.

“It is normal to have temporary numbness in front of and behind the ears after a facelift/neck lift surgery. This is the result of cutting the microscopic sensory nerves around the ears. Ninety-nine percent of the time these will all grow back without any complications,” says Seattle plastic surgeon Dr. William Portuese in a RealSelf Q&A.

Read reviews about swelling after a facelift

Doctors on RealSelf say to be careful when researching a facelift, and not to get too caught up in terms like “mini-facelift” or “midface lift.” These procedures have different meanings for every doctor. Generally, a midface lift targets the areas around the eyes, nose, and mouth. A mini-facelift focuses on the cheeks and jowls.