A facelift is intended to give a "refreshed" appearance, and while it will create smoother, more pleasing contours to your face and neck, it is not aimed at addressing specific conditions related to eyebrows, eyelids, or wrinkles around the mouth.

These conditions can be dealt with individually through other surgical means. Surgery will be tailored to the structure of your face. Your plastic surgeon will assess the thickness, texture and elasticity of your skin, as well as the severity of wrinkles and folds.

All incisions are made in areas that are most easily concealed by your hair or make-up, such as the contour of the ear, around the earlobe, back into the hairline and possibly underneath the chin. Skin will be tightened, and in some cases, deeper tissues may be repositioned. A hidden incision beneath the chin may be used to aid in the removal of tissue and in the smoothing of muscle structures in the neck.

If you have short hair, you may want to let it grow to cover incisions while they are healing. If you are overweight and have a desire to lose more than 15 pounds, discuss this with your surgeon. Facelift incisions are often inconspicuous, though this cannot be entirely predicted due to individual patterns in healing. Hematoma, reactions to anesthesia and infection are possible, but infrequent.

While most people return to their normal activities within two weeks, the healing process is gradual, and you should expect to wait several weeks for an accurate picture of the way you will look.