Full Facelift

Conveniently located to serve the areas of San Francisco, CA

A facelift, also known as a rhytidectomy, is a surgical procedure that can elevate your facial tissues and muscles to address visible signs of aging across the face and neck. (1)

Over time, several internal changes and external factors wear on your appearance. The skin can become inelastic, wrinkles and creases may develop, your jawline can lose its definition, and your facial fat can start to descend. While anti-aging products and over-the-counter treatments exist, they are seldom effective against these structural concerns. A facelift addresses the underlying structures, muscles, and tissues, creating changes that will truly leave you looking and feeling rejuvenated, as a youthful face is not simply a tight face.

Dr. Victor Liu is a double board-certified, nationally recognized plastic surgeon with more than 35 years of experience at Be Younger Clinic. During his career, Dr. Liu has experienced the development of facelifting techniques firsthand. He has learned that every patient has a unique vision of how they want to look and feel. His goal is to achieve the most improvement with the least necessary surgery.

If you are ready to learn how you can benefit from a facelift, we invite you to schedule a consultation online. You may also call or text our office at (650) 697-8888.

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About Facelifts

A facelift is a surgical procedure that elevates skin and facial tissue to restore a more youthful-looking appearance. It can address concerns such as sagging skin, weakened facial muscles, descending fat, visible wrinkles and creases, and more, allowing you to revitalize your appearance and reflect your inner vitality. When performing this procedure, I start by analyzing your skin quality, volume loss, and tissue descent separately. I then use procedures such as skin resurfacing, fat grafting, endoscopic techniques, brow lifting, or more extensive facelift procedures as appropriate. My objective is maximum meaningful rejuvenation with the least necessary intervention.

There has been a growing trend toward deeper and more extensive facelift surgeries. While these operations can be very effective when needed, each surgical step should be justified by what it adds to the patient’s results. For some patients, a more extensive facelift is the best choice. For others, you can achieve excellent results through less extensive procedures, such as skin resurfacing or fat grafting.

Types of Facelifts

Dr. Liu can perform several different types of facelifts to address concerns of varying degrees. He will determine the exact approach to use during your consultation:

  • Full Facelift: A full facelift can address moderate to advanced signs of facial aging by elevating and tightening the deeper structures, tissues, and muscles of the midface, lower face, and neck.
  • Endoscopic Facelift: An endoscopic facelift is ideal for patients with earlier signs of aging across the upper to middle portions of the face, and it uses specialized tools to better visualize the underlying structures of the face while minimizing intrusion.

Please note that there is no singular “best facelift” for everyone. The treatment that is most appropriate depends on your face, your degree of aging, your goals, and the amount of surgery and recovery you are comfortable with.

Benefits

Facelifts offer numerous benefits, such as:

  • Rejuvenated Aesthetics: A facelift can comprehensively address signs of aging across the midface, lower face, and neck.
  • Minimal Scarring: Dr. Liu places each incision in a discreet area to minimize the appearance of post-operative scarring.
  • Lasting Results: The results of a facelift can last for up to a decade, making it a worthwhile investment for many patients.
  • Tailored Treatment Plans: Dr. Liu personalizes each aspect of your treatment plan to create results that flatter your natural facial sculpt.
  • Elevated Confidence: Refreshing your appearance can improve your body positivity and overall sense of self-esteem.

Candidates

You may be an ideal candidate for a facelift if you have found yourself struggling with age-related changes in your facial aesthetics, such as:

  • Wrinkles
  • Creases
  • Descending Malar Fat
  • Nasolabial Folds
  • Marionette Lines
  • Sagging Skin
  • Jowling
  • Platysmal Banding
  • Poorly Defined Features
  • Lost Facial Volume (2)

All candidates should be in good general health and maintain realistic expectations regarding their results. They should be nonsmoking or willing to quit using nicotine. Dr. Liu will assess their candidacy during their consultation.

Personal Consultation

The first step to rejuvenating your appearance is attending a personal consultation. During this visit, Dr. Liu will meet with you to review your medical history, discuss your aesthetic concerns, and set realistic goals. He will also perform a physical examination. During your physical examination, he will examine three things, as facial aging is rarely caused by one problem. In most patients, it is the combination of two or more of the following:

Skin Quality

The natural effects of aging and sun exposure can cause the skin to develop fine lines and deep wrinkles, uneven pigmentation, and a loss of youthful brightness and texture. A facelift can tighten loose tissues, but it does not necessarily correct these concerns.

Depending on what he finds, Dr. Liu may recommend one or more procedures, such as undergoing a skin resurfacing procedure rather than a facelift. This treatment exfoliates the outermost surfaces of the skin to refine your skin texture, reduce fine wrinkles, improve your pigmentation, and elevate the overall quality of your skin. Dr. Liu has years of extensive experience performing resurfacing treatments and believes that improvement of the skin itself is an important part of facial rejuvenation.

Redistribution of Facial Volume

As we age, we lose facial volume in areas such as the cheeks, temples, and around the eyes. Some patients may also gain unwanted fat in areas such as under the eyes, under the chin, or jowls in the jawline.

Dr. Liu may recommend undergoing fat grafting to add more fullness to your face and accentuate its contours, as simply pulling loose tissues tighter does not replace your lost volume. Fat grafting can restore volume to your face and recreate more youthful facial contours, while other procedures can remove unwanted fat. In appropriate patients, Dr. Liu may recommend it as part of the treatment plan because correcting the distribution of your facial volume can be just as effective as tightening the loose tissues, and true facial rejuvenation is not just about tightening the skin. A

Descent and Looseness of Facial Tissues

The skin and your deeper facial tissues may descend with age, producing deep folds, loose skin across the face and neck, drooping eyebrows, sagging cheeks, jowls, and a loss of jawline definition. These effects are where lifting procedures can become more important, as these procedures lift, elevate, and tighten these tissues to restore a smoother look and feel overall.

Natural Looking Results

When performing your physical examination, Dr. Liu will determine which of the three factors —skin quality, changes in facial volume, and tissue descent—are contributing the most to your appearance and create a treatment plan tailored to your individual needs. He strives to avoid results that appear operated, overtightened, or “worked-on,” allowing his patients to enjoy an appearance that also maintains their full discretion.

The key to successful facial rejuvenation is identifying what actually makes you look older and treating those specific problems appropriately, rather than applying the same treatment or procedure steps to each patient. Tightness does not always mean youthfulness, and youthfulness does not always mean tightness. Dr. Liu’s philosophy is simple: achieve the most natural-looking improvements while performing the least invasive measures possible. This means that he focuses on achieving the best results that can reasonably be attained without any unnecessary risks, scars, or surgeries. While some patients may require extensive surgery to achieve their desired results, many do not, allowing him to help them achieve their goals through a combination of less invasive or non-surgical treatments.

Ultimately, Dr. Liu’s goal is not to perform more surgery, but to help you look naturally younger, fresher, and more vibrant—all while still looking like yourself.

If you are ready to schedule this consultation with Dr. Liu, we invite you to contact us online. You may also call or text (650) 697-8888 to reach our office in San Francisco.

When a Surgical Facelift is the Best Option

Non-surgical treatments can improve your skin quality and restore your facial volume, but they cannot adequately correct loose skin or deep facial tissues that have substantially descended.

With time, the skin can lose its elasticity, the facial muscles weaken, wrinkles develop, the jawline can lose its definition, and your facial tissues can descend. When these changes become significant enough, a facelift may be the most effective way to correct your concerns and restore a more refreshed and youthful-looking appearance. This is a procedure that elevates your skin and facial tissues before eliminating the excess.

For the right patient, some of the most complex procedures may be what is needed to achieve excellent results, but Dr. Liu does not believe that more surgery is equivalent to better results. His philosophy is to select the treatment, or combination of treatments, that offers the best balance of improvement, natural appearance, safety, and recovery for the individual patient.

When possible, Dr. Liu always begins with the least invasive treatment capable of producing meaningful results. His priority is to minimize the number of incisions and visible scarring to achieve seamless effects while avoiding any unnecessary procedures, risks, or recoveries. His goal is to help you look younger, fresher, and more vibrant. You do not need to appear to have undergone plastic surgery to look younger.

Preparation

After finalizing your procedure, Dr. Liu and his team will provide you with detailed preparation instructions. These instructions will vary depending on the details of your treatment plan, but following them closely will optimize your procedure, recovery, and results. They may include:

  • Avoiding Certain Medications: Discontinue using any medications or supplements that may thin your blood.
  • Coordinate Transportation: Have a trusted friend or relative drive you home after the procedure and stay with you for the first 24 hours of your recovery.
  • Arrange Time Away: Prepare to take some time away from your professional and personal commitments to focus on your recovery.
  • Run Errands: Fill any prescriptions, snacks, or other recovery items you may need.
  • Cease Any Consumption: Refrain from consuming any nicotine or alcohol in the weeks leading up to your procedure and throughout your recovery.

Procedure

On the day of your procedure, you will meet with Dr. Liu one last time so he can answer any remaining questions you have. After your skin is cleansed, you will receive anesthesia to keep you comfortably asleep throughout treatment. The type of anesthesia you receive will vary depending on the details of your procedure, your medical condition, and several other factors. These will be discussed with you beforehand.

Dr. Liu will make incisions within the hairline, around the ears, and beneath the chin to access the necessary tissues. He chooses these placements to naturally conceal any post-operative scarring in the natural curves and contours of your face. He will then perform each correction, which may include lifting the facial tissues and muscles, removing and repositioning your facial fat, excising excess skin, and more. Upon completion, Dr. Liu will review and check for harmony and symmetry. He will then close each incision, and you will rest in a recovery suite until you are ready to return home.

Recovery

Dr. Liu performs facelift procedures on an outpatient basis, which means that he will release you from his care on the same day as your procedure. Before he releases you, he will provide you with a detailed set of written instructions to guide you through each phase of your recovery.

When you are first released, you can expect swelling, bruising, and general discomfort. These effects will dissipate with time, but you can also manage them with prescribed medications and plenty of rest. You may return to work after approximately one to two weeks. However, you will need to continue avoiding any strenuous activities for several weeks, or until Dr. Liu provides clearance. He will also have you attend follow-up appointments throughout this time to monitor your progress and ensure your results are developing as expected.

Results

Your results will continue to refine as any residual swelling resolves. They will vary according to your individual anatomy, your age, skin quality, the type of facelift Dr. Liu performed, and more. Generally, you can expect to enjoy smoother and tighter skin, elevated contours, improved proportions, and a more refreshed and youthful-looking appearance. These effects will restore the natural balance and harmony to your face, and help you look refreshed, natural, and appropriately younger without creating an operated appearance.

Each of these effects will last for many years, especially when they come from a double board-certified plastic surgeon such as Dr. Liu. To best preserve the quality of your results, Dr. Liu recommends maintaining a proper skin care regimen, wearing the necessary sun protection, maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle, and undergoing the appropriate maintenance treatments as needed. However, it is important to remember that no procedure can stop the normal aging process.

Cost of Facelifts in San Francisco, CA

The cost of your facelift will vary depending on each detail of your treatment plan. This can include the type of facelift you receive, the surgical techniques performed, the overall scope of the procedure, and more. Once Dr. Liu has met with you to establish your treatment plan, he will provide you with a comprehensive cost estimate.

He additionally offers financing options for those who qualify, and our team is happy to help each patient explore these.

To schedule a consultation and explore the cost of your personalized facelift, please contact us online today! If you have any further questions or prefer to schedule over the phone, please call our San Francisco office at (650) 697-8888.

FAQ

What regions of the face does a facelift correct?

A facelift can address the middle and lower portions of the face, as well as the neck.

Will my facelift leave significant scarring?

While every surgical procedure will leave some degree of scarring, Dr. Liu places each incision in a discreet location that will easily be concealed by your hairline and natural facial contours.

What is the difference between a full facelift and an endoscopic facelift?

A full facelift elevates your underlying tissues and muscles to address more significant concerns across the midface, lower face, and neck. On the other hand, the endoscopic facelift uses specialized tools to address more minimal concerns across the forehead, brow area, and midface.

What type of anesthesia will I receive during my facelift?

Dr. Liu will discuss the best type of anesthesia for your needs during your consultation, as it will vary depending on the details of your treatment plan, your medical condition, and more.

How long will the results of my facelift last?

The results of a facelift can last for up to a decade, but it is important to remember that no procedure can stop the natural effects of aging.

Can Dr. Liu combine my facelift with another procedure?

Yes, Dr. Liu can combine your facelift with another procedure to achieve deeper, more comprehensive facial rejuvenation. During your consultation, he can provide you with tailored recommendations based on your personal goals.

References

  1. Fang AH, Jorge. A Systematic Review of Rhytidectomy Complications and Prevention Methods. Annals of Plastic Surgery. 2025;94(6S):S502-S516. doi:10.1097/sap.0000000000004272
  2. Yang AJ, Hohman MH. Rhytidectomy. StatPearls Publishing; 2023. Accessed July 28, 2026. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK564338/#article-28568.s4