Risks & Complications
Honest, balanced information on the recognised risks of facelift surgery — common and rare — to support real informed consent.
Understanding what can go wrong
A facelift performed by a well-trained surgeon has a strong safety record, but it is major surgery. Understanding the recognised complications — how common they are, how they are managed and how good practice reduces them — is an essential part of deciding whether surgery is right for you.
In this section
Haematoma
The most common complication — a collection of blood under the skin.
Read →Facial Nerve Injury
Rare but serious; usually temporary when it occurs.
Read →Skin Necrosis
Skin-edge healing problems, strongly linked to smoking.
Read →Infection
Uncommon after facelifts, and usually treatable.
Read →Scarring & Hairline
Where scars sit, and the hairline changes to avoid.
Read →Asymmetry & Revision
Minor asymmetry, relapse and when revision is considered.
Read →Unnatural Results
The ‘windswept’ look and how good technique avoids it.
Read →Honest about benefits and limitations
Every operation carries risk, and a facelift is no exception. The point of this section is not to frighten you but to support genuine informed consent. Most patients heal without any significant problem; serious complications are uncommon in experienced hands and in a properly regulated hospital. The biggest risk factors you can influence are smoking, uncontrolled blood pressure and choosing an under-qualified surgeon.
Smoking dramatically increases the risk of skin necrosis and poor healing. Most reputable surgeons require you to stop for several weeks before and after surgery, and may decline to operate otherwise.
Not sure where to start?
The complete facelift guide walks you through ageing, candidacy and the consultation before you compare techniques.