Facelift Surgery in Sydney

Facelift Sydney Quick Facts

How Dr Turner Selects a Facelift Technique

The face ages in layers, and each layer changes at a different rate. Skin loses elasticity. Subcutaneous fat redistributes. The SMAS (Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System) descends. The retaining ligaments that anchor soft tissue to the facial skeleton attenuate and lengthen. The platysma muscle in the neck separates and bands. No two patients present with the same combination of these changes.

The technique recommended at consultation reflects several factors:

• Degree of midface descent. Patients with significant downward movement of the cheek fat pad and a deepened nasolabial fold benefit from techniques that release tissue at the deep plane.
• Jowling pattern. Early lateral jowling without neck involvement may suit a shorter-scar approach. Comprehensive jowling with platysmal banding typically requires a full incision pattern with neck work.
• Skin quality. Skin elasticity determines how the redraped tissue settles after surgery.
• Neck involvement. Submental fullness, platysmal banding and cervicomental angle changes determine whether neck lift work is needed alongside the facial component.
• Overall health, body mass index and smoking history. These influence anaesthetic safety, wound healing and risk profile.
• Recovery time available. Deep plane approaches require longer recovery than shorter-scar techniques.

The selection is anatomy-driven. Because a range of techniques is performed at the Sydney practice, the operation can be matched to the findings at consultation.

Facelift Techniques Compared

The primary facelift techniques performed at Dr Turner’s Sydney practice are compared below. They differ in which anatomical layer is addressed, where the incisions are placed, which areas of the face and neck they reach, and how long recovery takes. The table below sets those differences out side by side. Which technique is appropriate for an individual patient is determined at consultation, based on facial anatomy, skin quality, neck involvement and the recovery time available.

The full facelift pattern runs from the temporal hairline, in front of the ear, around the earlobe and behind the ear into the hairline. Surgical times and recovery ranges are indicative. Individual outcomes, healing and recovery vary between patients. All surgery carries risk. Dr Turner will discuss what is and is not achievable for your anatomy at consultation.

Deep Plane Facelift

Works beneath the SMAS, releasing the retaining ligaments so the SMAS, malar fat pad and skin are repositioned as one composite unit. Typically selected where midface descent and a deepening nasolabial fold accompany jowling.

→ Deep Plane Facelift

Vertical Restore Facelift

An extended version of the deep plane facelift, performed in one stage together with brow lift, blepharoplasty, facial fat grafting and neck lift components, and lifted along a vertical vector. Suited to patients addressing several facial zones together rather than in stages.

→ Vertical Restore Facelift

SMAS Facelift

Addresses the SMAS layer itself, by folding it on itself or partially releasing and re-suspending it, with the skin redraped over the lifted structure. Suited to moderate jowling without significant midface descent.

→ SMAS Facelift

Short Scar Facelift

Uses the facial incisions in front of the ear, around the earlobe and into the posterior hairline, with deep plane or high SMAS work performed beneath them, but no submental incision — so it does not include direct work on the neck. Suited to earlier lower face change without significant neck involvement.

→ Short Scar Facelift

Lower Facelift

Focused on the jawline and upper neck, addressing the SMAS and platysma to support the lower third of the face. Selected where the upper face and midface do not require intervention.

→ Lower Facelift

Ponytail Facelift

Endoscopic lifting of the brow and midface through small incisions placed within the hairline. Suited to younger patients with early changes, and not appropriate where there is established jowling, neck laxity or skin excess.

→ Ponytail Facelift

Photographs of Dr Turner’s own Sydney facelift patients, taken under consistent lighting, angle and framing and published with patient consent, can be viewed in the facelift before and after gallery. Results shown are individual and are not a prediction of outcome.

Revision Facelift

A revision facelift is a different undertaking from a first facelift, and patients researching it are usually starting from a different place — an outcome from a previous operation that has not met expectations.

Revision surgery addresses residual jowling, recurrent neck laxity, earlobe distortion, visible or migrated scarring, hairline displacement, and over- or under-correction. Tissue planes altered by the earlier operation make the surgery more technically demanding, and the approach is determined by what was done the first time rather than selected from a standard set.

Surgical time is variable and often longer than an equivalent primary procedure, and recovery may also be longer. Planning includes review of any available operative notes from the first surgery, careful pre-operative photography, and a direct discussion of what revision can and cannot achieve. Not every concern from a previous facelift can be fully corrected, and that assessment is made at consultation.

→ Revision Facelift

Choosing a Facelift Surgeon in Sydney

Facelift surgery is a substantial operation, and the most useful thing you can do before booking a consultation is verify who is performing it.

The title now means something. Since the National Law was amended, only a practitioner with specialist registration in surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, or ophthalmology may lawfully use the title “surgeon” — and that includes “cosmetic surgeon”. A doctor with general registration cannot lawfully call themselves a surgeon, regardless of how much cosmetic work they do. A separate cosmetic surgery endorsement is also being introduced. It is a pathway for doctors who are not specialist surgeons, rather than an additional qualification for specialist plastic surgeons, and it does not confer the title “surgeon”. Accreditation standards have been approved and training programs are being accredited, so endorsements are not yet appearing on the register.

Check the register yourself. You can confirm any practitioner’s registration and specialty at no cost on the AHPRA register at ahpra.gov.au. Look for specialist registration in surgery with a field of specialty practice of plastic surgery.

Dr Scott J Turner is a Specialist Plastic Surgeon, AHPRA registration MED0001654827. He was awarded Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS) in 2013, and completed his MBBS and Master of Surgery at the University of Sydney, followed by specific training in deep plane facelift technique.

Ask where the surgery is performed. Facelift surgery under general anaesthesia should be carried out in an accredited hospital, not an office-based facility. Hospital credentialling is an independent check: the hospital assesses a surgeon’s qualifications, scope of practice and outcomes before granting operating privileges, and reviews them periodically. Dr Turner holds privileges at Bondi Junction Private Hospital, Delmar Private Hospital in Dee Why, and East Sydney Private Hospital.

Questions worth asking at consultation. How many facelift techniques does the surgeon perform, and how do they decide between approaches for a given anatomy? How often do they operate? Who performs the surgery, and who provides after-hours care if a complication arises? How are results that do not meet expectations managed? Does the surgeon perform revision facelift surgery — surgeons who take on revision work are accustomed to scrutinising facelift results, including their own.

Understand the pathway. A GP referral is required before your consultation. Under the Medical Board’s cosmetic surgery guidelines, a cooling-off period of at least seven days applies between giving informed consent and the date of surgery. Dr Turner’s practice pathway also includes a second consultation before proceeding, and psychological assessment where clinically indicated. These steps create time and distance between the decision and the operation.

Further guidance on assessing a surgeon, including the questions worth asking at consultation, is set out in choosing your surgeon.

Facelift Cost in Sydney

The cost of face lift surgery in Sydney depends on the technique selected, the surgical time required, whether additional procedures are combined, and the level of post-operative care provided. A facelift fee is made up of several separate components — surgeon, specialist anaesthetist, hospital, garments and follow-up care — and quotes that present a single figure without that breakdown are difficult to compare.

Medicare and private health insurance rebates do not apply to cosmetic facelift surgery. A consultation fee applies. A written quote itemising every component is provided after your consultation, once the surgical plan is settled.

A full breakdown of what each component covers, and what drives the variation between techniques, is set out in the facelift cost guide.

Facelift Recovery Timeline

Recovery progresses in distinct stages. Individual healing varies with age, general health, the technique performed and adherence to post-operative instructions.

• Days 1 to 2. Hospital stay of up to two nights depending on the technique. Drains are placed and removed at 24 to 48 hours. Mild to moderate discomfort is managed with prescribed analgesia. Head elevation is maintained at all times.
• Days 3 to 7. Peak swelling and bruising. The face will look puffy and discoloured. Sleeping upright remains important. Light walking is encouraged. No bending, lifting or strenuous activity.
• Days 7 to 14. Sutures are removed in staged fashion across two visits. Swelling begins to settle. Most patients feel ready for short outings.
• Weeks 2 to 3. Most patients return to desk-based work. Bruising is fading but may still be visible. Mineral makeup can be used to camouflage residual discolouration.
• Weeks 4 to 6. Visible bruising resolves. Social activities resume. Light exercise such as walking and gentle gym work can begin around week 4 with surgeon approval.
• Month 3. Most of the swelling has settled.
• Months 6 to 12. Final tissue settling and scar maturation.

The stages above describe recovery after the full-pattern techniques. Shorter-scar and endoscopic approaches differ, including hospital stay and whether drains are used, and Dr Turner will set out what applies to your surgical plan.

Facelift Risks and Complications

All surgery carries risk. Facelift-specific complications discussed at consultation include:

• Haematoma. A collection of blood beneath the skin, most common in the first 24 hours. May require return to theatre for evacuation.
• Facial nerve injury. Temporary or, less commonly, permanent weakness of the muscles of facial expression. The risk relates to the depth of dissection and the anatomy of the individual patient.
• Wound healing complications. Particularly increased in patients who smoke or have poorly controlled medical conditions.
• Infection. Uncommon in clean facial surgery but possible.
• Scarring. Incisions heal over months and most scars fade and become difficult to see. Hypertrophic or keloid scarring is uncommon but possible.
• Asymmetry. No two sides of any face are identical before surgery, and minor asymmetry may persist afterwards.
• Hair loss near incisions. Usually temporary.
• Sensory changes. Numbness around the ears and cheeks is normal in the early post-operative period and typically improves over months.

Risk is reduced by smoking cessation, optimisation of general health, careful surgical technique, an accredited Sydney private hospital setting and structured follow-up. Detailed risk discussion is part of every consultation. Further information is available on the risks and complications page.

Face Lift Consultations in Bondi Junction and Manly

Face lift consultations with Dr Scott J Turner are available at two Sydney locations.

The Bondi Junction clinic is at 39 Grosvenor Street, a short distance from Bondi Junction station and Westfield. The Manly clinic is at Suite 504, Level 5, 39 East Esplanade, close to Manly Wharf.

A GP referral is required before booking a consultation, in line with Medical Board and AHPRA requirements for cosmetic surgery in Australia. To request a consultation, contact the practice on 1300 437 758 or visit the contact us page.

Facelift Consultations in Brisbane and Canberra

Dr Turner also consults in Brisbane and Canberra. Facelift surgery itself is performed in Sydney, at accredited private hospitals where Dr Turner holds operating privileges.

Interstate patients follow the same pathway as Sydney patients. A GP referral is required, a cooling-off period of at least seven days applies between giving informed consent and the date of surgery, and the practice pathway includes a second consultation before proceeding. Consultations can be arranged at the Brisbane or Canberra clinic, with follow-up scheduled around your travel. Plan to remain in Sydney until your early post-operative review is complete.

Fees and the components that make up a facelift fee are the same regardless of which clinic you consult at.

Related Guides

Complementary face procedures: Facial Fat Transfer for volume restoration, Buccal Fat Removal for midface contour, Lip Lift Surgery for the upper lip and perioral area, and Neck Lift where neck laxity is the primary concern.

Cost and recovery resources: Deep Plane Facelift Recovery Timeline and Is a Deep Plane Facelift Worth It.

Regulation: Cosmetic surgery regulations in Australia.

About: Dr Scott J Turner, Specialist Plastic Surgeon.