Facelift and Neck Lift in Mexico City
At 12.6 years after surgery, 68.5% of patients felt the operation had added 10 or more years of youthful appearance. At one year, 97.8% described the improvement as very good or beyond their expectations.
What it is and how it works
a modern facelift does not stretch skin. Beneath your skin there is a support layer, and over the years that structure descends along with the rest of the tissues. What we do is reposition that deep layer back where it belongs, and let the skin simply settle without tension. That difference is everything: a facelift that only tightens skin produces that pulled look everyone recognizes, and it does not last, because skin gives way again. In the neck we also work on the platysma muscle, which forms the vertical bands, and we address the fat and the cervical angle.
What it treats, in detail
- Descent of the tissues of the mid and lower face.
- Loss of jawline definition and jowls.
- Vertical neck bands and loss of the cervical angle.
- Under-chin fullness associated with tissue descent.
- Excess facial and cervical skin.
How we do it here
we perform a complete facial analysis by thirds, not only of what bothers you, and assess three things separately: how much the tissues descended, how much volume was lost, and the quality of your skin, for which we use Visia analysis. From that comes the plan, and it almost always includes fat grafting, because repositioning without restoring volume leaves a tight, hollow face. In the neck we identify which component predominates, since fat can sit above or below the muscle and the glands may have descended: if that is not identified correctly, the result falls short. We document everything with standardized clinical photography, same position and same lighting, so you can compare objectively.
Who it’s for
if you notice your face has “fallen”, if you lost jawline definition, or if your neck bothers you more than your face. Good health, non-smoker, and with the expectation of looking rested and like yourself, not changed.
Who it’s not for
if you smoke, it is a major contraindication because of the risk of skin necrosis, and it is reason to postpone. Also not with uncontrolled hypertension. And here we give you the number, because it is actionable: a systolic pressure above 160 before surgery predicts hematoma, together with male sex and a history of hypertension. That is why we control your blood pressure before operating and do not leave it to chance. We also do not operate with coagulation disorders. And if your main concern is skin quality (spots, texture, fine lines), a facelift will not correct those and we will propose something else.
What to expect
- 01
general anesthesia or deep sedation with local anesthesia, depending on technique.
- 02
It is a 6-hour surgery and you stay one night in hospital, so we can monitor you and manage pain properly.
- 03
You will wear a dressing for the first 24 to 72 hours and then an elastic support garment, continuously for the first 7 to 10 days and at night only for the following 2 to 3 weeks.
- 04
Drains are removed within 24 to 48 hours.
- 05
Sutures in front of the ear come out between days 5 and 7, and those behind between days 10 and 14.
- 06
Swelling peaks around the third day and then subsides: about half resolves in the first week and three quarters by the end of the third.
- 07
Most patients return to desk work between 10 and 14 days, with makeup.
- 08
Moderate exercise at 4 to 6 weeks and full activity between 6 and 8.
- 09
It is normal for the skin of the face and ear to remain numb: sensation returns over 6 to 12 weeks.
- 10
We include our rapid recovery protocol with hyperbaric chamber and dermatofunctional physiotherapy, which also incorporates the lymphatic drainage widely recommended in expert practice.
- 11
The result keeps improving up to 6 to 12 months.
Risks and what we tell you honestly
hematoma is the most frequent complication and may require returning to the operating room; in a meta-analysis of more than 10,000 patients, rates were 2 to 3% depending on technique. There is also risk of temporary nerve involvement, prolonged altered sensation, scarring, and ear deformity if the technique is betrayed by excessive traction. And there is something we want to tell you because few do: there is a great deal of promotion around deep-plane techniques, and they do show higher reported satisfaction, but also more complications, roughly 17% versus 10%. Moreover, a systematic review concludes that more extensive dissections have not been shown to improve the midface or last longer than well-executed techniques on the support layer. Technique is chosen by your anatomy, not by trend.
Beyond aesthetics
it is an aesthetic procedure and we do not invent functional benefits for it. What is documented, and documented well, is its impact.
On satisfaction: on the FACE-Q scale, operated patients report 80.7 out of 100 in satisfaction with facial appearance and 90.4 in social confidence. A multicenter study showed significant improvements from 3 months that were sustained at 6 and 12, and found that combining with blepharoplasty significantly increased the overall facial appearance score.
On perceived age: in the study using artificial intelligence and a validated scale, patients looked 11.2 years younger on average, and that perception correlated with their satisfaction.
And on durability, which is what people ask us most: in the long-term follow-up study, at one year 97.8% rated the improvement as very good or beyond their expectations, and at an average of 12.6 years 68.5% still rated it that way. Honestly, that same study reports that about a third noted disappointment in some aspect, which is why we insist so much on aligning expectations before surgery. In the neck, reported satisfaction is good but moderate, around 73 out of 100, and we prefer to tell you: the neck is a difficult area.
Myth vs reality
Myth
“A facelift leaves your face stretched and it shows.”
Reality
that happens when only skin is tightened. A well-done facelift repositions the deep structure and leaves the skin without tension, which is why it looks natural and why it lasts. What gives a surgery away is not the facelift itself, it is excessive skin traction and lack of volume. That is why our goal is not for you to look changed, it is for you to look rested.
Book your consultation and we will perform your complete facial analysis.
This consultation carries a fee, which is not credited toward treatment.
Advisory session with our teamComplimentary. We answer questions about process, estimated pricing and travel logistics.