FACELIFT (Meloplasty)
Facelift surgery (meloplasty or rhytidectomy) is a common world wide plastic surgery procedure that removes wrinkles and lifts the facial components. A Facelift may make you appear a different age but many of our patients at Artiste Plastic Surgery want to look the best they can.
A Facelift is a Plastic Surgery procedure that lifts the facial skin, removes excess wrinkles and repositions the deep layers of the face to a higher position, through a carefully planned incision around the ear and in the hairline. A Neck lift is often included with a facelift to address the contour and aesthetic appearance of the neck. The result is a lifted Face and Neck. Risks are present and these will be discussed during your consultation.
The face is unique and conveys the way we look and express ourselves as individuals. As we age, our faces undergo changes that can result in wrinkles, volume loss, and a sagging facial appearance. A facelift can correct these age-related changes. Dr Jack Zoumaras’ technique of High SMAS Face and Neck lift or Deep Plane Facelift aims to address these anatomically.
Dr Jack Zoumaras dedicates a day’s operating on the face with a facelift and neck lift (that is deep to the muscle and deep plane). This attention to detail and care ensures the best possible result.
Video: Two types of facelift procedures
Learn about the types of facelift procedures Dr Jack Zoumaras offers and why patients commonly consider a facelift.
What can be achieved?
Lift and Tone Sagging Skin
As we age, the collagen in our skin begins to break down, causing our facial tissues to become weak. Eventually, gravity pulls on the tissues and causes them to descend. Excess, facial skin usually occurs below the cheeks and along the jowls. A facelift will lift and tighten your skin, improving tone.
Smooth and Improve Wrinkles
Wrinkles develop in areas of the face that experience the most movement. Typically, this is around the eyes and mouth. Trimming away excess skin and tightening the remaining tissue helps smooth and improve the appearance of wrinkles, targeting both the eyes and mouth. Dr Zoumaras’ technique also ensures natural blending of the skin along the cheeks and around the eyes.
Restore Volume and Eliminate Jowls
As fat and skin become displaced, fatty jowls can develop and your cheeks can appear sunken. Fat is repositioned in the cheeks and along the jawline to improve the structure. Replacing fat along the cheeks can improve age associated volume loss. Targeting jowls improves the neck and jawline.
49 Year Old Short Scar Facelift
53 Year Old Ultimate High SMAS Facelift
64 Year Old Ultimate Facelift and Neck Lift
PROCEdURE SNAPSHOT
3-6 hr Procedure
1 night in hospital
2 weeks unsociable
Qualified facelift plastic surgeon:
- World-trained Dr Jack Zoumaras
- Qualified Anaesthetist, Accredited hospital
Results: Firmer skin, lifted jowls, tight neck.
Investment in yourself
*Facelift surgery risks include bleeding, nerve weakness, scarring and more
You will feel:
You will not look fake
Surgical Information
Dr Jack Zoumaras’ preferred facelift technique is the High SMAS Face and Neck Lift and the Deep Plane Facelift when a Neck Lift is not required. A Short Scar Facelift in the younger patient with mild facial aging changes and wrinkles can be performed if suitable. In some circumstances a Pony Tail lift or Mid Facelift is the right solution. Let Facelift Plastic Surgeon Dr Jack Zoumaras assess your face and decide on the best possible Facelift technique for your face and get you looking they way you want.
The scar may follow or begin within the anterior temporal hairline, follow the ear and lobule, and continue behind the ear into the occipital hairline. This gives access to the entire face, eyelid, cheek, lower face, and neck.
The scar begins in the temporal hairline and goes along the ear tragus and below the lobule. This gives access to the midface, lower jowls, and upper neck.
The Superficial Muscular Aponeurotic System (SMAS) is lifted to naturally rejuvenate the entire face and neck. The high design allows the midface and lower eyelid to also rejuvenate.
Allows access for fat excision (directly or via liposuction), repositioning of neck muscles, correction of platysma bands, and excision of any prominent submandibular glands. Restoration of a youthful neck is complete.
The Anatomy of Ageing
To understand how best to lift the face, one must have a deep and thorough understanding of Facial Anatomy, and the anatomy of facial ageing. This ensures that your facelift result will not be “plastic”, but lifted, natural, and goal orientated. World-Trained Facelift Surgeon, Dr Jack Zoumaras, is a peer reviewed Plastic Surgeon, and knows how to respect your anatomy to lift your face.
The Face consists of 5 concentric layers that differ in consistency in different parts of the face.
- Layer 1 is Skin which is thickest around the cheek and nose, and thinnest on the eyelids and temple.
- Layer 2 is Fat which is prominent around the cheeks and negligible in the eyelids (the fatty “bags” that we see under the eyelids comes from a deeper layer (deeper even than Layer 5).
- Layer 3 is the Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System (SMAS), a muscle layer that allows us to be humans, it is responsible for allowing us to talk, smile, whistle, sing, open and close our eyes, and for all facial animations.
- Layer 4 is a space that contains Ligaments, Facial nerves and Vessels. The ligament holds the upper three layers and rests on Layer 5. The ligament is at its thickest in Layer 4 and branches into the dermis of the skin, akin to fine branches of a tree.
- Layer 5 is bone where the ligament holding up the facial anatomy resides on (Cheek and Jaw bones). In the cheek and neck there is no bone and it is deep fascia that is representative of layer 5.
Each of us, as individuals age at different rates, and this fact also pertains to our facial layers. Some layers display earlier signs of skin laxity and wrinkles (Layer 1). Others show more structural ageing (heavy jowls and naso labial folds – Layer 3). Other patients have hollowing around the eye which is a combination of Layer 2 and 3 ageing.
During the ageing process, our ligaments (Layer 4) weaken due to wear and tear. The underlying bone (Layer 5) shrinks 1 mm every 7 years from age 35 and this results in the upper facial layers falling down. This combined with repetitive movements, sun damage, smoking, environmental factors and genetics, results in loose skin, shadows and jowls (Layers 1-3). The ageing of Layers 1-5 results in eyelid/cheek junction hollowing, fat bags, loss of facial volume, naso labial folds, jowls and loose skin in the neck.
A Facelift is the only procedure that will reverse the anatomical changes of ageing, by offering a unique solution to layers 1-5.
As demonstrated below, the excess skin and fat (Layers 1 and 2) are lifted to access the deeper structures (Layer 3-5).
What does this mean for you?
During a Facelift, irrespective of the option you chose, all the anatomical changes that occur during ageing will be reversed.
A facelift will lift the jowls, smooth your skin, lift the cheek, lift your eyelids and address the hollowing, and sharpen your neck line. All of this will result in reversing the “Tired” look, you will look rejuvenated, fresher, and feel empowered with confidence.
Facelift Options
A Facelift involves an incision in front of the ear, behind the tragus and along the temporal hairline. The incision may extend behind the ear, depending on the type of facelift, and under the chin when combined with a Neck Lift. This allows access to the underlying muscle, ligaments and skin.
Having your Facelift Surgery in Sydney by Dr Jack Zoumaras is an exciting and emotional journey, one that will leave you with few regrets. Firstly, you can be assured that Dr Jack Zoumaras is a Specialist Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeon, and a Peer Reviewed Facelift Surgeon. He has trained internationally, in New York and Paris, by the leading Facelift surgeons in the world. Having a unique and technical understanding of the anatomy of the ageing process, takes years of training and experience, and it is this, combined with Surgical Finesse, that enables Dr Jack Zoumaras to ensure that your Facelift gives you the best possible results.
The High SMAS Face and Neck Lift in Sydney, is exclusively available by Specialist Facelift Plastic Surgeon, Dr Jack Zoumaras. A High SMAS Facelift lifts the SMAS (Layer 3), to lift the jowls, nasolabial folds, cheek and lower eyelids. Because of it’s design of “High”, the vector of pull of the High SMAS will lift the lower eyelid, mid-face as well as the entire face. This results in a total Facelift that includes the eyelid area. Dr Jack Zoumaras combines the High SMAS Facelift with a Neck Lift to give you the an anti ageing approach to your whole face and neck. This will leave you looking as best you can.
As a Specialist Facelift Plastic Surgeon Dr Jack Zoumaras offers a Deep Plane facelift in Sydney to those that are suitable. Like the High SMAS the Deep Plane Facelift involves lifting Layer 3 (SMAS) but without lifting the skin separately. The Deep Plane lifts the skin and muscle layer in one composite flap. This results in a slightly faster recovery and the Deep Plane Facelift is a great option where a Neck Lift is not required. Of course a Neck Lift can be combined with a Deep Plane Lift. The vector of pull for the deep plane is high and vertical (similar to a vertical lift). It will lift the eyelid, cheek, jowl and lower face.
The Artiste Short Scar Facelift involves a small incision in front of the ear and then a SMASectomy or Deep Plane whereby Layer 3 is lifted to create a smooth heart shaped lower face, and lift of the jowl. It will tighten the skin and is a great procedure for the younger Facelift patient, looking to refresh their look.
In Sydney, a PonyTail Facelift is exclusively offered by Plastic Surgeon by Dr Jack Zoumaras. It is a popular and exciting procedure for those in their 30s and 40s, as it lifts the eyebrow, eyelid and upper cheek area to accentuate the cheek bones. Through an incision hidden in the hairline, the upper face, including your brow area, is tightened and lifted to give you a certain look.
Our secret weapon in all our facelifts, is the use of micro fat grafting. The results are superior, and the process itself is so much more advanced than PRP (a Vampire Facelift). Structural or micro fat grafting involves a 5 step process, with a stem cell matrix that is similar to using PRP. Using fat grafting alone, or in combination with a Facelift, will give you a nourished looking skin.
Our Facelift Before and After gallery, linked below, is organised with; High SMAS Face and Neck lifts, Deep Plane Facelifts and short scar facelifts. As you can see in the before and after Facelift photos, the results vary from subtle to dramatic, depending on the needs and wants of our patients. Even in the dramatic results, our patients look refreshed without looking “plastic”.
Click here to view our before and after facelift procedures.
Why Dr Jack Zoumaras Artiste Face Lift Technique is Different
Eliminating Facelift Scars
Dr. Jack Zoumaras places incisions along the shadows of the ear and behind the tragus to ensure that the incision will not be visible. The Facelift incision then extends along the temple hairline. This incision is placed at 45 degrees to the direction of the hair follicle to ensure hair grows through the incision, and you can never tell where it is. This is how Dr Jack Zoumaras achieves minimal scarring that is minimally visible.
The Results are Long Lasting
Dr Jack Zoumaras focus and dedication to Plastic Surgery of the Face is second to none. Dr Jack Zoumaras never retracts the skin whilst operating, instead he carefully instructs and directs his assistants to gently retract the skin with specific instruments (this way he can still control both aspects of skin and muscle without compromising either). This care and finesse ensures the facial skin and underlying structures are handled with the best care and will remain healthy and undamaged. This keeps your skin healthy, vascularised for longer and your results will last the test of time.
No “windblown” or “pulled” Look
Dr Jack Zoumaras Facelift techniques are unique, he takes into consideration the anatomy of the ageing process and combines this with surgical skill, finesse and Facelift experience. All our Facelifts from the High SMAS Facelift to the Ponytail Technique do not pull or stretch the facial skin in a horizontal position. Rather the skin is redraped in a natural vertical direction to mimic our natural smile, vertically, in order to reverse the downward pull of gravity on your face and avoiding a “windswept” or “pulled” look.
No Surprises Here
No permanently “surprised looks” or unnatural contours when you smile with a Facelift at Artiste. Dr Jack Zoumaras restores anatomy to where it once was and even when glamorising the face, does so with sound principles, techniques and finesse in place, to ensure you look rejuvenated and not fake or surprised.
No Disturbing Your Hairline
The Facelift procedure is minimally invasive and will not distort the natural anatomy of your ear or affect your hairline at all. This is because the incision is carefully placed along the hairline beveled at 45 degrees to ensure hair grows through the scar ensuring you will not see the incision and the hair line will not be disturbed.
No Pixie Ear Deformity
The ear lobe is not distorted which is a common facelift risk. This is because often the pull of the skin pulls the ear lobe down and distorts its shape, the same thing can happen with the contours of the ear and tragus. Dr Jack Zoumaras never puts too much tension on the skin; all the work is done in layers 2-5 and the skin is redraped as a covering. This ensures that the tragus and ear lobe are not altered and look natural.
Never Overdone
Dr. Jack Zoumaras chooses to shape and sculpt each Facelift patient’s face with finesse. All the internal layers are where the focus is, and the skin is re-draped naturally. This results in positioning your tissue to a position they once were instead of pulling and tightening your skin.
Face Lift Packages
Deep Plane Face and Neck Lift, Eyes and Brow Lift
- Deep Plane or High SMAS Facelift/Dual Flap (exclusive by Dr JZ)
- Deep Plane Neck Lift
- Structured Fat Transfer and Grafting
- Lip Augmentation
- Upper and Lower Eyelid Blepharoplasty
- Brow lift
- Chemical Peel
- Dermabrasion
- 8 hours operating time
- Overnight Hospital Stay
- Once in a Lifetime Surgery
Deep Plane Face and Neck Lift
- Deep Plane or High SMAS Facelift/Dual Flap (exclusive by Dr JZ)
- Deep Plane Neck Lift: Full Neck Lift with Skin, Muscle and Gland Contouring
- Structured Fat Transfer and Grafting
- Lip Augmentation
- Chemical Peel
- Dermabrasion
- 6 hours operating time
- Overnight Hospital Stay
- Once in a Lifetime Surgery
Full Facelift
- Deep Plane Facelift
- Optional: Full Necklift with Skin and Muscle Contouring
- Structured Fat Transfer and Grafting
- Lip Augmentation
- Chemical Peel
- Dermabrasion
- 3-4 hours operating time
- Day surgery or Overnight Stay
Short Scar Facelift
- Short Scar Facelift with Deep Plane
- Incision around front of ear only
- Structured Fat Transfer and Grafting
- Lip Augmentation
- 2.5 hours operating time
- Day Surgery
Neck Lift and Mini Lift Packages
Artiste Ultimate Neck Lift
- Full Necklift
- Platysmaplasty and Myotomy
- Skin and Fat Removal
- Submandibular Gland Removal
- Digastric Muscle Trim
- 4 hours operating time
- Day surgery or Overnight Stay
Artiste Signature Necklift
- Full Necklift
- Platysmaplasty and Myotomy
- Skin and Fat Removal
- 3 hours operating time
- Day surgery or Overnight Stay
Artiste Neck Sculpt
- Neck Liposculpture
- Fat removal and Neck Contouring
- 45 min operating time
- Day procedure, fast recovery
Artiste Express Mini Lift
- Rooms Procedure
- Mini Lift-Around front of ear
- SMAS plication
- 1.5 hours operating time
- Day procedure, fast recovery
Deep Plane Neck Lift
- Deep Plane Full Necklift
- Platysmaplasty and Myotomy
- Skin and Fat Removal
- Submandibular Gland Removal
- Digastric Muscle Trim
- 4 hours operating time
- Day surgery or Overnight Stay
Necklift
- Deep Plane Necklift
- Platysmaplasty and Myotomy
- Skin and Fat Removal
- 3 hours operating time
- Day surgery or Overnight Stay
Neck Liposuction
- Neck Liposculpture
- Fat removal and Neck Contouring
- 45 min operating time
- Day procedure, fast recovery
Common Concerns
Most patients will stay overnight in the hospital so their initial recovery can be monitored. Immediately following your surgery, you may experience bruising and swelling. Drains will be placed to minimise excess swelling. You will see a nurse daily until your drains are removed.
Most patients return to work within two weeks of the procedure once the swelling has begun to subside. You can resume your regular physical activities after four weeks. Almost all major swelling should subside within six weeks.
You will be advised to sleep on a flat pillow or no pillow to avoid flexing your neck. You will be requested to keep talking to a minimum to aid in recovery of your face and neck. You will be advised to avoid chewing gum and avoid eating hot and spicy foods for five days.
All incisions are created in the hairline or around the ears, which masks most of the scarring that can develop. However, each individual heals differently, and it is possible for some scarring to develop. However, any visible scarring is likely to fade over time.
The exact cost of your facelift will be determined during your consultation. Prices vary depending on the patient’s extent of correction needed. Other factors such as location, hospital fees, surgical fees, and anesthesia fees can all affect the ultimate cost of your facelift.
Before Other factors. A combined neck lift, eyelid surgery and brow lift will also affect the cost of the surgery.
Minor discomfort and tenderness is common following a facelift. Medication is used to control any associated pain.
FAQs
Dermabrasion works by providing a physical abrasive force through a diamond burr to cause controlled injury to the skin. The skin responds by healing with firmer collagen and less lines.
A chemical peel causes a controlled chemical injury to the skin. This then promotes the skin cells and collagen to re-model during healing which helps with blemishes, skin tone and fine wrinkles
A chemical peel is added with a Facelift to assist in rejuvenating the skin.
All procedures have risks. We can assure you as a specialist Plastic Surgeon Dr Jack Zoumaras will go through all the possible risks. Your procedure will be done in an accredited hospital and with an accredited anaesthetist. Any issues that may arise, although rare, can be dealt with safely by Dr Jack Zoumaras. Overall a Facelift is safe with a low risk profile.
A facelift will last between 7-15 years depending on the type of lift you have. The reason why it does not last forever is because you will still age after the surgery. However, your Face will always look more youthful.
A Facelift will be noticeable for ALL for the right reasons. You will look rejuvenated, fresh, youthful and amazing. You will have friends wondering why you look so good, but it will all look so natural.
An Artiste Facelift by Dr Jack Zoumaras will not make you look fake. Having a deep understanding of the anatomy of the ageing process will ensure you will not have a “pulled” look or “windswept” look. Part of the reason is because the muscle and ligaments are lifted and skin is used as a covering and it is not stretched.
A Facelift will feel tight, but is not a painful procedure. Your comfort levels will be monitored for the first 24 hours after surgery and once you are home, it is expected that simple paracetamol will be enough to manage your comfort levels.
This depends on what type of work that you do.
It is advised that you can return at the earliest at 14 days. Most of our patients take between 3-4 weeks off work to ensure all evidence of Plastic Surgery can be hidden. That being said we have had some patients who are self employed, and have returned to work after 10 days.
You can wear makeup on your face once the sutures come out on Day 7.
Your hair will be washed immediately after your Facelift. Following this we encourage you to wash your hair on Day 3. Most of our patients prefer to wait until Day 5 when the drains are removed.
At Artiste Plastic Surgery Dr Jack Zoumaras unique technique and care of the tissues with his surgical finesse will ensure that bruising will be minimised. Following your surgery, the use of surgical drains for the first 5 days will ensure bruising is minimised. For the first week we use our LED light multiple times to improve blood flow to your face and expedite the healing.
Bruising is expected for the first 7 days. In fact most bruising will begin to appear after Day 2 and peak at Day 5. The bruising will begin to settle significantly over the next 10 days. You will still have residual bruising between week 2 and 3.
After 7 days you can go out for a walk and then lightly jog after 2 weeks. Between 2-6 weeks, light activity can be undertaken on an individual basis. It is expected that you can return to normal physical activity after 8 weeks.
You go for short walks after 7 days followed by jogging at 2-3 weeks. By 4 weeks you can do light physical activity. It is expected that you can resume normal gym activity at two months.
The immediate downtime for a Facelift is 10 days, and it is expected that you can take up to 3 weeks to recover. Many of our patients take one month off before returning to work or social activities. Each individual varies and we have had patients fly internationally and return to work after 10 days.
A Facelift is a procedure that requires a one night stay in the hospital. You will then be asked to rest at home and attend our clinic over the next 10 days to attend to dressings and receive LED light treatment (to aid in healing). The downtime is up to 3 weeks.
Dr Jack Zoumaras has dedicated his Plastic Surgery profession to surgery on the Face as this was his area of interest since the start of his internship as a doctor. Further to this he has been inspired through his work in the best facelift centres around the world from San Francisco to New York and Paris, where he learned from the best. Dr Jack Zoumaras has been invited by his peers to teach on Facelift anatomy and to present to other Plastic Surgeons on the international stage. Despite Dr Jack Zoumaras never saying that he is the best, he has been told by other Plastic Surgeons that he is the next up and coming Face lift Plastic Surgeon.
Yes. A Facelift will lift the jowls and this will indirectly improve the jawline as the two are associated. Lifting of the facial skin will also define the lateral neck-line and improve skin tone in the neck. So the answer is yes it will lift the neck, but cannot lift it to the same extent as a neck lift would.
The anatomy of the ageing face applies to the neck as the layers are continuous. A neck lift is complementary to a facelift but it does not need to be done at the same time. This is a personal choice based on the outcome you want and the financial investment you want to make. From an operative point of view it will take an additional 90 minutes and you will have a slightly longer incision.
A traditional Facelift lifts the muscle (SMAS) in order to correct facial ageing changes, such as jowling and marionette lines. This SMAS lift occurs at the cheek level.
The High SMAS facelift lifts the muscle higher than the cheek. The High SMAS Facelift is designed to lift the SMAS as high as the orbital rim (Lower Eyelid area) and detaches the underlying ligaments to lift the lower eyelid, mid face, cheek, jowl and neck area. A High SMAS is an advanced technique that is uniquely offered by Dr Jack Zoumaras (he is an expert on this particular technique).
The SMAS is the superficial muscolo-aponeurtoic system of the face (Layer 3)
The SMAS is responsible for all facial expressions, animations and functions such as opening and closing the eye and mouth. The SMAS is suspended to the underlying bone with facial ligaments and when these structures weaken and fall, you get signs of ageing such as lower eyelid hollowing and jowls.
A PonyTail Facelift is a cutting edge procedure offered by Dr Jack Zoumaras at Artiste Plastic Surgery. A PonyTail facelift will lift your eyebrow, eyelid area and upper cheek to rejuvenate an glamourise/enhance your look. Through an inconspicuous incision in the hairline; the brow, upper eyelid and cheek are lifted to give you a refreshed look. In much the same way that you place your hair in a PonyTail and lift the upper part of the face a Pony Tail lift will do this on a permanent basis. The Pony Tail lift is suitable for patients between the ages of 35 to 45.
Everybody would love to know the cost of a Facelift before embarking on the surgery but this is difficult much like it is to get a quote on renovating your kitchen without a builder or designer measuring the dimensions of your kitchen and then asking what appliances and materials that you would like. For a Facelift the many variables include assessment of cheek, neck area, jowls, naso-labial fold, eye area and brow. This assessment is then combined with what you want done with your face and what are the areas that you most want rejuvenated and what your goals are.
Dr Jack Zoumaras is a Specialist Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeon, and a Peer Reviewed Facelift Surgeon. He has trained internationally, in New York and Paris, by the best Facelift surgeons in the world. Having a unique and technical understanding of the anatomy of the ageing process, takes years of training and experience, and it is this, combined with Surgical Finesse, that enables Dr Jack Zoumaras to ensure that your Facelift gives you the best possible results.
Dr Jack Zoumaras offers three options for your face. The guideline investment for a facelift to get you looking fresh (and no longer tired) varies $32-40k for the surgical fee alone. Hospital and anaesthetic fees to keep you safe are outlined here.
A PonyTail Facelift starts from around $18k.
It is common for patients to combine other treatments and surgeries with facelift surgery to achieve total facial rejuvenation that cannot be achieved through a facelift alone. Commonly combined procedures include a neck lift, blepharoplasty, brow lift, skin peels, and/or dermabrasion.
Not all patients suffer from volume loss in the cheeks; some have excess fat deposits that create chubby cheeks. Buccal fat removal eliminates excess fat from the cheeks to improve your facial contour.
The quality of your results rely heavily on the person performing your procedure. Dr Zoumaras has specialised facelift training. His education, technique, and attention to detail allow him to achieve results so natural that nobody will be able to tell you’ve undergone surgery. Dr Zoumaras devotes a whole day’s operating to your face, which highlights the care and finesse he applies during surgery.
Any patients with visible signs of aging such as wrinkles, drooping skin, or volume loss are good candidates. This usually begins around 40 years of age and becomes more common among patients that are 50 or 60 years old.
All facelift surgeries are performed with the patient under general anesthesia.