Secondary Facelift

The benefits of primary facelift surgery are long-lasting, often eight years or more. As the natural facial ageing process continues, soft-tissue ptosis, skin laxity and volume loss will reappear. A secondary facelift may be performed to maintain a refreshed appearance.

Facelift surgery can be repeated successfully more than once, if required. A healthy individual with a previously well-performed facelift, can generally expect a good improvement to the facial contours from a secondary procedure.

The overall aim is similar to a primary facelift - an elevation and repositioning of facial soft-tissue, re-volumisation of facial fat compartments and skin restoration. However, surgery in any region of the face which has previously been operated on, is more complex due to scarring and prior modification of the deep anatomy (SMAS layer). For this reason, secondary facial surgery requires a specialised treatment approach - taking into account the individual aesthetic concerns and the type of facelift technique previously performed.

During consultation, an evaluation is performed to distinguish natural age-related soft-tissue changes from those changes which may relate to the previous surgery. It is useful to bring old photographs and surgery notes, if available.