NEWPORT BEACH, CA
Facelift
We restore a youthful appearance for women 35 to 65 without sacrificing natural or individual beauty, using deep plane vertical facelifts and non-surgical regenerative medspa treatments.
Facial rejuvenation surgery is more popular today than at any point in the history of plastic surgery, and for good reason. Modern facelift techniques, particularly the deep plane approach practiced by Dr. Mark Anton, MD, FACS in Newport Beach, deliver natural-looking results that can set the clock back by a decade or more without the pulled, overdone appearance associated with older methods.
FACELIFT BEFORE & AFTERS
WHAT IS A DEEP PLANE FACELIFT?
A deep plane facelift performed at Aesthetics MD in Newport Beach is a two-layer facelift technique. Rather than placing tension on the skin alone, the lift is anchored to the SMAS, the deeper, fibrous layer of facial tissue beneath the skin. The SMAS can hold that tension without looking pulled, which is what allows the result to stay natural. Once the SMAS is lifted and secured, the skin is redraped over the top rather than pulled tight itself, so nothing about the result reads as tugged or artificial.
“Pretty much all my facelifts involve a two-layered approach, superficial layers of skin, deep layers called the SMAS. You lift up that deep layer along the deep plane, put a lot of tension on that layer, then redrape the skin and achieve very natural results.”
Getting that lift right depends on precision near the facial nerve.
“There’s only one facial motor nerve, it comes out right at the bottom of the ear and fans out. If you hit any of these branches, your face doesn’t move. When I’m doing that deep layer, I cut with the cautery, but it sends off an electrical impulse. If a nerve is a little closer than expected, the electrical stimulus will stimulate the nerve and the muscle will twitch, so I know its location before I’m ever upon it.”
Tightening the SMAS rather than the skin alone also avoids the scar contraction that pulls the chin downward into the unwanted “witch’s chin” appearance seen in older facelift methods. Unlike facelifts that ignore the midface entirely, Dr. Anton’s Enhanced Deep Plane technique includes a signature cheek tuck that restores a more youthful, heart-shaped facial contour.
The Enhanced Deep Plane Facelift
Dr. Anton’s most comprehensive facelift, addressing the lower face and neck as one unified structure. It uniquely includes a signature cheek tuck, reshaping and defining the cheekbones for a more youthful, heart-shaped facial profile. Learn more about the Enhanced Deep Plane Facelift →
The California Deep Plane Mini Lift
Designed for patients with early to moderate signs of aging who aren’t yet ready for a full facelift. It delivers meaningful rejuvenation of the lower face with a shorter recovery window, using deep plane principles. Learn more about the California Deep Plane Mini Lift →
The Vertical Deep Plane Facelift
Learn more about the Vertical Deep Plane Facelift →
Choosing Between a Full Facelift and a Mini Facelift
Not sure which fits your anatomy and goals? A full facelift and a mini facelift differ in scope, recovery time, and longevity of results, worth discussing directly in a consultation, or in our full comparison: Full Facelift vs. Mini Facelift →
WHAT IS THE COST OF A FACELIFT?
Surgeon fees for a facelift with Dr. Anton range from $15,000 to $30,000, depending on which specific procedure best fits your anatomy and goals, an Enhanced Deep Plane Facelift, California Deep Plane Mini Lift, or Vertical Deep Plane Facelift. This range does not include OR or anesthesia costs, which are billed separately. Patients may choose to include upper and lower eyes, lip lift, filler, or skin resurfacing treatments at additional costs.
Many patients prefer to spread the cost of surgeon fees over 12 months using the Cherry Payment Plan, with monthly payments ranging from $1,250 to $2,500 depending on the procedure and total fee. Exact pricing is confirmed during your consultation once your specific treatment plan is set.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A FACELIFT?
A facelift with Dr. Anton in Newport Beach delivers tighter, firmer skin in the face and neck, smoother fine lines, reduced jowls, a more defined jawline, and restored facial volume, results that add up to a refreshed, more rested appearance rather than a change in identity.
- Firmer, tighter skin in the face and neck
- Fewer wrinkles and softened deep creases
- Elimination of jowls and a well-defined jawline
- Smoother fine lines and a healthier-looking complexion
- Restored facial volume for a natural, not overfilled, appearance
Beyond the physical changes, many patients describe a renewed sense of confidence in both personal and professional settings, one of the most consistent outcomes reported after surgery.
WHO IS A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR A FACELIFT?
The best candidates for a facelift are men and women in good overall health with visible signs of aging in the lower face and neck, jowls, a softened jawline, deep nasolabial folds, or loose neck skin, that non-surgical treatments like fillers or skin-tightening devices can no longer fully address. There’s no single required age; some patients are ready in their early forties, others not until their sixties or later. What matters most is how much these changes bother you, not a specific number on a calendar.
Dr. Anton
“Most any woman or man who has concerns with what I refer to as ‘sags and bags’ of the face. Most of the time I will perform a double-layered facelift, also known as a deep plane facelift.”
Good candidates typically:
- Are in good overall health, without conditions that would complicate anesthesia or healing
- Have realistic expectations about what surgery can and cannot change
- Are non-smokers, or willing to stop smoking well before and after surgery, since smoking significantly impairs healing
- Have signs of genuine skin and tissue laxity, not simply volume loss or textural changes, which are better addressed with non-surgical treatments like filler or microneedling
- Understand that a facelift is a significant, one-time investment best done well the first time; correcting a poorly performed facelift is far more difficult than getting it right from the start
Dr. Anton
“The ideal plastic surgery patient is someone who’s already very comfortable with themselves, has saved their money, and has found a doctor they’re comfortable with, and wants to give themselves a gift, nothing more, nothing less.”
what real people say about their facelift results
Patients consistently describe the same outcome after a facelift at Aesthetics MD: friends and family notice something’s different, without being able to say what changed, or without guessing surgery at all. Read the full story behind any of these results in our Patient Stories library →
“I am 69 yrs. old and I can say without reservation I have NO regrets! My expectations were exceeded, and I am delighted. My husband says he set the clock back a good 15 years.”
What Happens During a Facelift Consultation and PROCEDURE?
A facelift at Aesthetics MD in Newport Beach begins with a consultation to evaluate your facial anatomy, health history, and goals, from which a tailored treatment plan and recommended technique are developed.
Dr. Anton
“Achieving a nice, natural result always starts with a good, thorough consult to educate you on what’s possible, in general what procedures we have to offer, and specifically what might be helpful for your facial concerns.”
Pre-operative preparation typically begins one month before surgery. All facelift patients require a basic blood test, and most require an EKG; lab orders can be handled through Aesthetics MD or your primary care physician. Preventing excess bleeding and bruising starts before surgery, not after.
Dr. Anton
“The biggest thing to prevent bruising is to stay off all blood thinners. The most common are aspirin or NSAIDs like Advil. For aches, pains, or headaches prior to surgery, take Tylenol, and that’s it.”
Scheduling is often the most difficult logistical part of the process. It’s ideal to plan a facelift eight weeks or more before an important event, a wedding, a reunion, the more lead time, the better, with a pre-op appointment about one month prior to review essential medical information.
On the day of surgery, anesthesia ensures comfort throughout the procedure. Discreet incisions are made along the hairline and around the ears, the deeper facial tissue is lifted and repositioned, and any excess skin is trimmed. The procedure typically takes several hours depending on complexity, after which the face is bandaged to support the new contours as recovery begins.
What Is Facelift Recovery Like?
Recovery from a facelift at Aesthetics MD begins with one night in an after-care facility. A caregiver picks up the patient the next morning and drives them to a private recovery location. The head is loosely wrapped with two small drains placed behind the ears; drains are removed the next morning, at which point a smaller neck wrap replaces the head wrap.
Dr. Anton
“My patients are surprised to find out not only is it not painful, but they don’t have a lot of post-operative bruising. How does that happen? Two things: one, it’s how I handle tissues during surgery, and two, it’s making sure the patient is very prepared before they go into surgery.”
Some swelling and minimal bruising are expected, as with any surgical procedure, though tissue-handling technique during surgery is what most affects how much of either a patient experiences.
Dr. Anton
“The typical patient is presentable after two weeks. If we can get through with minimal bleeding, which usually we can do, there is very little bruising or swelling. All the sutures are out within the first week. Patients wear a compression garment that looks like an ace bandage for about one week.”
TIMELINE |
WHAT TO EXPECT |
| DAY 1 | Overnight in after-care facility; drains removed next day |
| WEEK 1 | Sutures removed; compression garment worn |
| WEEK 2 | Bruising & swelling minimal; most patients presentable |
| WEEKS 4-6 | Exercise can resume with Dr. Anton’s approval |
| WEEKS 8-12 | Optimal, natural facelift results are visible |
| UP TO 6 MONTHS | Residual minimal swelling continues to resolve |
Activity restrictions for the first two weeks: patients are instructed to avoid anything that raises heart rate or blood pressure, including exercise, sex, bending, lifting, straining, stress and anxiety, alcohol, and smoking.
WHEN WILL I SEE RESULTS FROM A FACELIFT?
Facelift results aren’t immediately visible due to post-operative swelling and bruising. Most patients notice a significant improvement in their facial appearance within two weeks as initial swelling subsides.
Final, optimal results are typically visible at eight to twelve weeks: sagging skin is lifted, deep creases are smoothed, and facial contours appear firmer and more youthful. Some residual minimal swelling can take up to three to six months to fully resolve.
Facelift results at Aesthetics MD are designed to last many years, though the aging process continues afterward. Monthly treatments like microneedling and IPL help stimulate collagen and elastin to extend results, and habits like eating well, reducing alcohol, moderate exercise, adequate sleep, and a positive mental outlook all support longer-lasting outcomes.
Why Do Newport Beach Patients Choose Aesthetics MD for a Facelift?
Patients choose Aesthetics MD for a facelift because of the surgeon’s qualifications, because someone they trust sent them, and because they can see the results before they commit.
Facelift surgery rewards experience more than almost any other operation in plastic surgery, and patients who research carefully look for a surgeon with fellowship training in facial surgery and a long facelift-specific track record rather than a general cosmetic practice that performs facelifts occasionally. Many arrive already referred — by a friend, by a family member, or by another physician. Physician referrals carry particular weight, because they come from people who understand surgical technique and who evaluate the outcome with a trained eye. Patients then confirm what they have heard by reviewing the before-and-after gallery, which shows real facelift patients across a range of ages, anatomies, and techniques, so they can look for faces similar to their own instead of relying on description alone.
How Is Every Facelift Customized to the Patient’s Anatomy?
Every facelift at Aesthetics MD is planned around the anatomy of the individual face, because no two faces age the same way.
This is where science meets art. For one patient the neck is the dominant concern. For another it is the midface. For a third it is jawline definition or laxity along the lower face. Specific techniques and lifts exist to address each of these concerns, and the technique is selected to fit the anatomy rather than the anatomy being forced to fit a single standardized procedure. That assessment happens in consultation, before any surgical plan is set.
Dr. Anton
“Choosing a facelift surgeon is about more than credentials. Every surgeon has a different philosophy and a different aesthetic eye. I encourage patients to meet with other surgeons, ask questions, review before-and-after photographs, and never feel pressured into surgery. My goal is always the same, to help patients look refreshed, healthy, and completely natural.”
Aesthetics MD, located in Newport Beach, CA, serves patients from Irvine, Costa Mesa, Laguna Beach, and across Orange County. Dr. Mark A. Anton, MD, FACS is a board-certified plastic surgeon and Fellow of the American College of Surgeons with fellowship training in facial and breast surgery and over thirty years of experience performing facelift surgery.
REAL PATIENT STORIES
Facelift results are best understood in patients’ own words. Here’s what a few different patients have said about theirs:
“I kept pulling up my neck. I didn’t want to let the aging process win.”
“I thought of it one week and the next week I picked up the phone. I was looking tired, and it was not a good look.”
“My cheeks are more contoured, my eyes are more open. I just feel like I look younger.”
Every one of these accounts, along with the full story behind each, is available in our Patient Stories library, organized by concern, jowling and lower face laxity, neck aging, and post-filler transitions to surgery.
Frequently Asked Questions About
Facelift Surgery
When is the ideal age to undergo a facelift?
When is the ideal age to undergo a facelift?
There is no magic number. Signs of aging appear differently for every person, some are ready in their forties, others in their sixties or later. What matters most is whether non-surgical treatments are still giving you the result you want.
How much does a facelift cost at Aesthetics MD?
Surgeon fees range from $15,000 to $30,000 depending on procedure, with Cherry Payment Plan financing available from $1,250 to $2,500 per month. Exact pricing is confirmed during your consultation.
Will I still look like myself after a facelift?
Yes. A well-performed deep plane facelift restores a natural, rested appearance rather than changing who you look like.
Is a facelift painful?
Facelift surgery is performed under anesthesia, and most patients describe recovery as tightness rather than sharp pain.
How many times can I have a facelift ?
There’s no strict limit, provided you’re in good health and a qualified surgeon evaluates your anatomy beforehand.
Will there be visible scars?
Incisions are placed within the hairline and natural skin creases, remaining concealed in everyday life. Scars may appear pink briefly before fading over several months.
Will there be visible scars?
Incisions are placed within the hairline and natural skin creases, remaining concealed in everyday life. Scars may appear pink briefly before fading over several months.
What is facelift recovery like, and when will I see results?
Most patients return to work within two weeks; final results are visible at eight to twelve weeks.
Are there risks and complications with facelifts?
As with any surgery, facelifts carry risks including infection, bleeding, and facial nerve injury, significantly reduced when performed by an experienced, board-certified surgeon.
Can a facelift replace fillers or facials?
A facelift addresses structural aging that filler and facials can’t replicate, but ongoing treatments like microneedling and IPL help extend and maintain results.
What’s the difference between a deep plane facelift and a traditional facelift?
A deep plane facelift lifts and repositions the SMAS, the deeper layer of facial tissue, producing more natural, longer-lasting results than traditional techniques that primarily tighten the skin.
Can a facelift be combined with other procedures?
Yes. A facelift addresses the lower face and neck specifically, so it’s often combined with a brow lift, eyelid surgery, rhinoplasty refinement, or skin treatments during the same surgery for a fully balanced result.
Serving patients from Newport Beach, Irvine, Costa Mesa,
Laguna Beach, and throughout Orange County, CA.
Aesthetics MD
20331 Irvine Ave Suite E6, Newport Beach, CA 92660
Call: (949) 722-1967
Ready to Explore Your Facelift Options in Newport Beach?
The first step is a personalized consultation with Dr. Mark Anton at Aesthetics MD. During your visit, Dr. Anton will evaluate your facial anatomy, review your goals, and recommend the technique, Enhanced Deep Plane Facelift, California Deep Plane Mini Lift, Vertical Deep Plane Facelift, or a combination approach, that is best suited to you.
WE KNOW BEAUTY
Ready to reveal your best self? Book a consultation today with Newport’s premier plastic surgery and med spa clinic!