Does a Weekend Face Lift Really Work?

September 12, 2018

By Dr. Frank Lista, MD., FRCSC., Medical Director and Founder, The Plastic Surgery Clinic

Facial cosmetic surgery can be performed via a number of different procedures, so it’s no wonder that patients who notice lax skin around the face and jawline have a lot of questions about which option is the best fit. When they’ve heard new terminology that becomes increasingly popular, it can be hard to tell the difference between a gimmick and a truly effective cosmetic procedure. A lot of patients want to know: does a weekend facelift really work?

If you pick the right surgeon and you follow all of their recovery recommendations then, yes! the weekend face lift does really work. The thing with a weekend facelift, however, is that it tends to be best suited towards individuals who only need a very minimal amount of tightening. And most often, these types of individuals are actually best suited to non-surgical solutions like RF devices and injectables before they move on to facial cosmetic surgery.

In some cases, however, the weekend facelift is a patient’s best option. The procedure is short—around 1 to 1.5 hours—and the recovery truly takes a weekend. Your stitches will remain in place for about a week, but the bandages are removed within 48 hours, which patients tend to really enjoy.

What’s more is that Dr. Ahmad, Dr. Austin and I employ a technique that we developed here, at The Plastic Surgery Clinic called the short scar technique. Instead of placing the incision behind the ear, which leads to a true tell-tale sign you’ve had a facelift, we make two small incisions just above and below the front of the ear. Once the incision heals it is almost imperceptible due to the natural folds of the ear.

If you think you think this is the procedure for you, come meet with us. We can determine the best plan for you and show you pictures of the results we’ve achieved here at the clinic. We will also discuss the wide range of non-surgical alternatives to facial cosmetic surgery that are available to you.