Facelift/Necklift
Conveniently located to serve the areas of San Antonio, TX
A facelift, or rhytidectomy, is an aesthetic surgery that improves the visible signs of aging in the face and neck. Over time, the skin loses elasticity and collagen, leading to wrinkles, jowls, and other sagging skin. The procedure addresses these symptoms by removing excess skin and fat, tightening underlying tissue, and smoothing creases to enhance tight, youthful contours.
In San Antonio, Dr. Dallas W. Homas is a board-certified plastic surgeon with more than 30 years of experience. Dr. Homas has held board certifications in three specialties and has served as a plastic surgery consultant to the Surgeon General of the Army. He is committed to meticulous planning for all procedures while prioritizing safety, function, and natural-looking results.
Explore your facelift options with Dr. Homas by calling (210) 460-3646 or contacting our office online.
Contents
Before and After Photos
About Facelift
The aging process, along with environmental factors like UV exposure and air pollution, causes the skin to gradually lose vital collagen and elasticity. Along with the influence of gravity, this causes the facial skin and underlying tissues to shift downward, leading to the formation of wrinkles, fine lines, jowls, deep creases, and hollows around the face. A facelift aims to reverse these changes by repositioning facial features to restore more elevated, youthful contours. (1) Modern techniques do more than simply tighten the skin, focusing instead on establishing lasting support for increased definition and natural expression.
Facelift with Neck Lift
A facelift often includes a neck lift to achieve more comprehensive and cohesive results above and below the jawline. This combined approach, sometimes involving techniques like the deep plane facelift, (2) addresses moderate to severe sagging and deep creases in the midface, jowls, and neck. A deep plane facelift offers extensive rejuvenation by targeting the underlying causes of facial aging: the deeper layers of tissue beneath the SMAS layer, where Dr. Homas releases anchoring ligaments and fascia to create a powerful, lasting vertical lift to the midface, jawline, and neck area. By tightening the underlying neck muscles (platysma) and removing excess tissue, the procedure corrects common issues like “turkey wattle” and vertical muscle banding, resulting in a firmer, more youthful neck profile and defined jawline. This meticulous, multi-layered technique ensures a smoother, better-toned, and more youthful appearance without the visible tension that can cause an overly tight look.
Benefits
A facelift delivers dramatic and long-lasting rejuvenation by restoring balance and youthful vitality to the face. Some key benefits are:
- Refined Facial Contours and Profile: The procedure eliminates sagging jowls and smooths out loose skin to create a more defined facial profile.
- Smoother, Tighter Skin: By lifting and tightening sagging areas and removing excess skin, a facelift effectively reduces the appearance of wrinkles, expression lines, and deep creases around the cheeks and mouth.
- Restored Volume: Advanced techniques allow for the repositioning of facial fat pads, naturally restoring the appearance of volume and fullness to areas like the cheeks and undereyes for a more energetic look.
- Natural-Looking Results: Focusing on the underlying facial structure and deeper tissues ensures results that are soft, harmonious, and avoid the obvious signs of surgery.
- Long-Lasting Effects: Unlike temporary nonsurgical treatments, the structural changes of a facelift provide a rejuvenation that can last for a decade or more.
Candidates
Potential candidates for facelift surgery are overall healthy adults who wish to address moderate to severe signs of facial aging. This procedure is also effective for post-weight-loss corrections, especially when massive weight loss leaves sagging skin. While age is not the deciding factor, most patients are seeking to correct conditions such as sagging and laxity, deep creases, and loss of facial definition. Candidates must be non-smokers (or willing to quit for an extended period) and hold realistic expectations for surgical outcomes. Dr. Homas will finalize your candidacy during a personal consultation.
Personal Consultation
Your in-depth consultation appointment sets the stage for your facial rejuvenation. Here, Dr. Homas will thoroughly review your full medical and surgical history, paying attention to your current health status and any medications you are taking. He will perform a careful physical exam, assessing your unique facial structure, bone structure, skin elasticity, muscle tone, and specific aging patterns. You will have the opportunity to candidly discuss your concerns as well as what you hope to achieve through the procedure. Based on his expert evaluation and your objectives, Dr. Homas will create a personalized treatment plan, explaining the specific surgical approach, incision placement, and expected recovery. By prioritizing your safety and education, Dr. Homas ensures that you feel confident and informed as you move forward.
To explore your facelift possibilities, submit our online contact form or call (210) 460-3646 to schedule your personal consultation.
Preparation
Careful preparation is essential to ensuring a safe procedure and restful, successful recovery. Dr. Homas will provide you with detailed information during your consultation, but some general instructions include:
- Temporarily suspending use of blood-thinning medications or supplements.
- Abstaining from consuming alcohol for a week before surgery.
- Quitting using nicotine two months in advance of surgery (if applicable).
- Scheduling time off from work and other physical commitments.
- Arranging personal transportation and assistance for surgery day and at least 24-48 hours of initial recovery.
- Preparing a comfortable, well-stocked recovery space.
- Filling all necessary prescriptions in advance.
- Stop taking GLP-1 medications (Ozempic, Tirzepatide, Mounjaro, etc.) 2-4 weeks before surgery.
Procedure
Dr. Homas performs each facelift on an outpatient basis using either general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation. The process begins with discreet incisions carefully placed within the hairline and the ear’s natural folds.
Through these access points, Dr. Homas elevates the SMAS (underlying muscle and connective tissue) into a youthful position. Advanced methods, such as the deep plane facelift, involve releasing fascia and anchoring ligaments to effectively address sagging in the midface, jawline, and neck. By focusing on these deep structures, he can drape the skin without excess tension, avoiding a “pulled” appearance. Finally, he will trim excess skin and close incisions with precise techniques that minimize scarring.
For patients receiving a combined neck lift, Dr. Homas also tightens the platysma (underlying neck muscles) and may include liposuction and/or surgical removal of fat to eliminate localized fat deposits. With each procedure, he uses a meticulous, multi-layered strategy to deliver natural-looking and enduring results.
Recovery
Patients commonly experience mild to moderate bruising, swelling, and a sensation of tightness in the treated areas during the initial stage of healing. To support the repositioned tissues and minimize swelling, you will need to wear the provided surgical dressings. Prescribed or certain over-the-counter medications can help manage any discomfort. It is essential to prioritize rest and consistently elevate your head, including while asleep, throughout the first week.
While most patients can resume desk work and non-strenuous daily activities within two weeks, they must avoid strenuous exercise, bending over, heavy lifting, or significant facial stretching (such as turning the head sharply or taking large bites) for four to six weeks or until Dr. Homas provides clearance. These precautions protect your delicate sutures and safeguard your final surgical outcome. Ensure you attend every follow-up visit so Dr. Homas can assess your progress, remove sutures, and address any concerns.
Results
While some improvements are visible immediately, the final results of your rejuvenation will emerge more fully over several months as bruising and swelling continue to subside. Patients typically enjoy a more balanced, refreshed appearance with youthfully restored contours. By repositioning deeper facial structures, Dr. Homas provides a more defined jawline and smoother skin while avoiding a surgically altered appearance. The effects of a facelift are enduring, frequently lasting ten years or more. You can help maintain these results by staying hydrated, protecting your skin from the sun, adopting an effective skincare regimen, and keeping a stable weight.
Corresponding Procedures
While a facelift can provide transformative rejuvenation on its own, many patients will combine other procedures into a single surgery for a reduced recovery time and even more comprehensive results. Some notable options include:
- Neck Lift: This procedure is almost always performed along with the facelift, and targets moderate to severe sagging, deep creases in the neck, and common issues like “turkey wattle” and vertical muscle banding by tightening the underlying neck muscles (platysma) and removing excess tissue to restore a firmer, more youthful neck profile and defined jawline.
- Blepharoplasty: Eyelid surgery addresses signs of aging or fatigue around the eyes. It involves removing excess skin and fat from the upper and/or lower eyelids to correct drooping lids, under-eye bags, and puffiness, leading to a more refreshed and alert appearance.
- Brow Lift: Also known as a forehead lift, a brow lift elevates sagging brows and smooths deep horizontal creases and frown lines on the forehead. It helps restore a youthful position to the eyebrows, opening up the eyes and refreshing the upper face.
- Buccal Fat Removal: Buccal fat removal slims the lower face by surgically removing the buccal fat pad (a naturally occurring mass of fat in the hollow area of the cheeks). It is beneficial for patients seeking a more contoured, chiseled facial appearance.
Cost of Facelifts in San Antonio
The cost of your facelift will reflect the customized nature of your treatment plan, including your goals, the concerns present, and whether or not you choose to include any corresponding procedures. During your personal consultation, Dr. Homas will provide you with a comprehensive price quote as it pertains to your plan.
Start exploring your facelift options and schedule your consultation with Dr. Homas by calling (210) 460-3646 or submitting our online contact form.
FAQ
How long do the results of a facelift last?
Facelift results are long-lasting, often remaining for a decade or more. While the natural aging process will continue, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and protecting your skin can help preserve your rejuvenated appearance.
Will people be able to tell I got a facelift?
With the expertise of a highly experienced surgeon like Dr. Homas, the results look very natural. The procedure focuses on adjusting the deeper tissues (SMAS layer) and not just tightening the skin. This provides long-term structural support, ensuring your expressions look natural and avoiding an overly “worked” appearance.
What’s the best age to get a facelift?
There is no single ideal age. Candidacy primarily depends on the extent of facial aging—such as the severity of jowling, skin laxity, and deep creasing—as well as your skin quality and personal goals.
References
- Yang AJ, Hohman MH. Cervicofacial Rhytidectomy. [Updated 2026 Mar 22]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026 Jan-. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK564338/
- Hohman MH, Raggio BS, Patel BC. Deep Plane Facelift. [Updated 2026 Jan 31]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026 Jan-. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK545277/
