Beauty Link staff wrote this face lift guide in October 2026, with sources named under each section. Treat it as reading, not medical advice; no medical reviewer is named for it.
What a facelift is, and what it cannot do
A facelift is surgery to improve signs of aging in the face and neck. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons says it can help with:
- sagging skin on the face
- deeper folds between the nose and the corners of the mouth
- jowls along the cheeks and jaw
- loose skin and extra fat on the neck, which can look like a double chin
A facelift does not change your basic appearance, and it cannot stop aging. For skin quality and texture, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons says skin treatments such as peels or laser may be offered.
Sources: American Society of Plastic Surgeons
Facelift, mini facelift or neck lift
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons says the choice depends on how much change you would like. At your consultation, ask which type, if any, may fit your face.
- Traditional facelift. The cut often starts in the hairline at the temples, goes around the ear and ends in the lower scalp. The tissue underneath is moved, the deeper layers and muscles are lifted, and excess skin is trimmed away.
- Mini facelift. Shorter incisions at the temples and around the ear. It is usually kept for people with less loose skin, and the change is smaller.
- Neck lift. It improves the jawline and neck, treating jowls, fat under the chin, loose neck skin and neck bands. It may suit you when your neck does not match your upper face.
A brow lift or eyelid surgery is sometimes done at the same time. Non surgical options, such as anti wrinkle injections, fillers or laser, cannot do what surgery does, but the American Society of Plastic Surgeons says they may delay the time when a lift makes sense.
Sources: American Society of Plastic Surgeons
Is a facelift right for you?
Per the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the people who suit a facelift are healthy, free of conditions that slow healing, non smokers, and realistic about the change. It also says the decision should be yours alone, not made to fulfil the wishes of another person.
Sources: American Society of Plastic Surgeons
Checking a face lift hospital and surgeon
Every hospital we suggest for a facelift is on the Ministry of Health register with a valid license. That is a starting point, not the whole check, and our Vietnam plastic surgery hospital checks go further. Smartraveller suggests you also:
- ask for proof the hospital is accredited locally, and avoid any unofficial facility
- confirm the operating surgeon's qualifications and accreditation
- check that both surgeon and hospital hold indemnity and malpractice cover
- treat it as a warning sign if the risks quoted abroad are far lower than at home
The NHS says to meet the surgeon, not only sales people, and to have two consultations with them before any surgery.
Sources: Smartraveller, NHS
Questions to ask before you book
You can ask these in writing, in your WhatsApp group with the hospital.
- What training do you have in plastic surgery, and how many facelifts have you done?
- Which type of facelift do you suggest for me, and why?
- What are the risks for me, and how are complications handled?
- When do the stitches come out, and when is it safe for me to fly?
- Where will my follow up appointments be once I am home?
- What happens, and how is it paid for, if I need another operation?
- Can I see before and after photos of your own patients?
Sources: American Society of Plastic Surgeons, NHS
What happens on the day and in the first weeks
Before surgery, you may be asked to get a lab test, stop smoking, and avoid aspirin, anti inflammatory drugs and herbal supplements, because they can raise bleeding and bruising.
The NHS says a facelift is usually done under a general anaesthetic. It usually takes 2 to 3 hours, and most people stay in hospital overnight. Afterwards, a bandage may go around your face to limit swelling and bruising, and you get care instructions for the wound. The NHS describes the first weeks:
- keep your head propped up on pillows for a couple of days
- avoid hard exercise, saunas and massages for at least 2 weeks
- stitches come out after about 7 to 14 days, unless they dissolve
- bruising shows for at least 2 weeks, and full recovery takes about 2 to 4 weeks
That is the NHS's general picture. Your own surgeon sets the aftercare steps for your face.
Most facelift patients look presentable in public by day 10 to 14, per the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Your surgeon can say what to expect for you. The NHS says the full effect of a facelift can take 6 to 9 months, so the full effect may only show months after you fly home.
Sources: American Society of Plastic Surgeons, NHS
Planning your stay in Vietnam and flying home
Facial cosmetic surgery comes with an NHS flight wait of 7 to 10 days. The reason is clots, which an operation and a flight both make more likely, and which can be life threatening. Before booking, ask your surgeon two things: the likely day your facelift stitches are removed, and the earliest safe day for you to fly. Only they can judge what applies to your case, so book the flight around their answer.
The NHS calls a holiday right on top of surgery unrealistic, so this trip is planned around healing. For the healing days, its guidance lists rest and keeping clear of alcohol, sunbathing, sightseeing and the water. Ask your surgeon which of these limits fit your own recovery.
Book a check with your home doctor 6 or more weeks before the trip, as Smartraveller suggests. It also says to take someone with you, and that basic travel insurance rarely covers medical travel.
Sources: NHS, Smartraveller
Facelift risks to raise
According to the NHS, swelling or numbness that lasts weeks or months is common after a facelift, along with bruising, some pain, and scars that fade but stay. Less often, problems can include:
- anaesthetic risks, bleeding, a blood clot or infection
- nerve injury that weakens or numbs part of the face
- hair loss near the scars, poor healing or thick scars
- uneven features, or a result that needs a second operation
For each one, ask how likely it is in your case and what the treatment plan would be.
Sources: NHS, American Society of Plastic Surgeons
Once you are home
Aftercare is part of the treatment, the NHS says, and clinics abroad may not offer follow up. It says to find out, before you book, where check ups will take place and what happens if there are complications. It also says to contact the clinic that did the operation as soon as possible if you have severe pain or a symptom you did not expect.
While your face heals, your advisor checks in, both in Vietnam and at home. Health questions still go to your surgeon.
Sources: NHS, Beauty Link
Our part in your face lift
We are a concierge, and hospitals, not patients, pay our fee.
- A quiz asks what bothers you: jowls, neck, folds, or all three.
- From that, we list licensed hospitals that do facelift and neck lift surgery.
- Each hospital talks to you on WhatsApp, with your advisor there to translate, and sends its face lift plan and quote.
- You compare the plans and decide in your own time.
- Our driver collects you on arrival, and your advisor follows up while the swelling settles.
Our Co-founder, Andrew Lam, oversees the team. Read is plastic surgery in Vietnam safe, and see how Vietnam compares for a face lift in Thailand.
Sources: Beauty Link
Questions
We do not post face lift prices. The hospital sends a written plan and quote that spells out what you get. The NHS says to also count consultations and follow up care. Our plastic surgery cost guide shows what goes into a quote.
Look into four things before you pick, says Smartraveller: the country, the doctor, the hospital and the procedure itself. The NHS adds that savings abroad should be set against risk, since safety standards may be lower.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons calls a facelift a highly individual procedure, and says the scars are well hidden in the hairline and the natural lines of the face and ear once healed. Ask your surgeon which type fits you. Ask to see before and after photos of their facelifts; the NHS says a surgeon should have them.
A facelift cannot stop aging, so your face keeps changing after surgery. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons says daily sun protection and a healthy lifestyle help the results last longer. Ask your surgeon how your face may look over time.
Facelift stitches come out at about 7 to 14 days unless they dissolve, and the NHS flight gap for face surgery is 7 to 10 days. Ask your surgeon whether to stay for stitch removal.
Sources: NHS, Smartraveller, American Society of Plastic Surgeons