A More Supported Reflection
A facelift is a personal decision, and the surgeon you choose matters. You want someone who understands facial aging, respects your natural features, and knows how to create meaningful improvement without taking the result too far. That is the kind of care Dr. Katherine B. Santosa brings to facelift surgery in Atlanta. As a board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Santosa offers mini facelifts, full facelifts, and neck lifts for patients who want a lasting solution for sagging skin, jowls, and changes along the face and neck. At Evelina Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics in Sandy Springs, she takes time to listen, explain your options, and build a surgical plan that supports your natural beauty.
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Restoring Facial Definition
A facelift, or rhytidectomy, is a surgical procedure that repositions descended facial tissue, tightens deeper support layers, and removes excess skin to improve sagging in the cheeks, jawline, jowls, and lower face. A neck lift is often added when neck laxity or banding is also present. Modern facelift surgery is much more refined than the old idea of pulling skin tighter. Dr. Santosa focuses on restoring support beneath the surface, then redraping the skin with care so the result looks refreshed instead of stretched. The goal is a face that looks lighter, rested, and still completely your own.
Where Aging Settles
A facelift treats the kind of facial aging that creams, injectables, and skin treatments cannot fully correct. When the deeper facial tissues begin to descend, patients may notice jowls, a softer jawline, loose skin, or heaviness through the lower face and neck. Facelift surgery may improve:
A facelift does not correct every sign of facial aging, and that honesty matters. Skin texture, sun damage, pigmentation, eyelid heaviness, forehead position, and fine lines around the mouth may need other treatments, such as blepharoplasty, brow lift, laser resurfacing, fat grafting, lip lift, injectables, or medical-grade skincare.
A Balanced Approach
Facelift surgery focuses on the lower face, jawline, and cheeks. When paired with a neck lift, it can also improve the transition from the chin to the neck.
Lower Face and Jowls
A facelift can lift descended tissue around the lower cheeks and jawline to soften jowls and restore cleaner facial definition.
Jawline
By repositioning deeper tissue and removing excess skin, facelift surgery can help the jawline look more supported without creating a tight look.
Cheeks and Midface
Depending on the technique, a facelift may improve cheek descent and soften the transition between the cheeks and lower face.
Neck
A facelift is often paired with a neck lift when patients have loose neck skin, neck bands, or fullness beneath the chin.
Facial Balance
The best facelift result should look like a refreshed version of the patient, not a new face. Dr. Santosa plans surgery around proportion, expression, and long-term natural-looking results.
Enhance Your Natural Beauty
A facelift can create more meaningful improvement than nonsurgical treatments when the main issue is loose skin or tissue descent. The benefit comes from restoring deeper facial support, then refining the skin with care. Benefits may include:
Dr. Santosa’s facelift philosophy is simple: a good result should not look tight. It should look natural and supported.
A Plan Made for You
Facelift surgery is not chosen from a checklist. The right technique depends on how your face is aging, how much skin laxity is present, how the neck is involved, and what kind of result will look natural on you.
Mini Facelift
A mini facelift may be appropriate for earlier lower-face aging, mild jowls, and patients who do not need significant neck correction. It can be a strong option for patients who want focused improvement with less extensive surgery.
Full Facelift
A full facelift addresses more visible lower-face sagging, jowls, deeper folds, and broader facial aging. It is often chosen when skin laxity and tissue descent have progressed beyond what a mini facelift can correct.
Deep Plane Facelift
A deep plane facelift repositions deeper facial layers rather than relying on skin tension. It may be appropriate for patients who need more structural lift through the cheeks, lower face, and jawline.
SMAS Facelift
A SMAS facelift addresses the superficial musculoaponeurotic system, one of the deeper support layers of the face. This technique helps improve facial structure beneath the skin.
Facelift With Neck Lift
Many patients need a neck lift with their facelift because the face and neck age together. A neck lift can address loose neck skin, neck bands, and the jawline-to-neck transition.
Dr. Santosa will help you understand which approach fits your anatomy and goals. She does not recommend a facelift technique because it is popular online. She recommends the one that makes sense for your face.
Your Well-Being Comes First
A good facelift candidate has visible lower-face laxity, jowls, or loose facial skin and wants a longer-lasting surgical correction. Good candidates are healthy enough for surgery, have clear expectations, and can take the time needed for recovery.
You May Be a Good Candidate If…
You have jowls or jawline laxity. Your lower face feels heavier than it used to. You have loose skin that nonsurgical treatments cannot correct. You want natural-looking facial rejuvenation. You are in stable health. You can avoid nicotine before and after surgery. You understand the recovery timeline. You want a plan built around your face, not a standard lift.
A Facelift May Not Be the Right Fit If…
Your concerns are mainly skin texture, redness, or pigmentation. You need eyelid or brow correction more than lower-face surgery. You use nicotine and cannot stop before surgery. You have an uncontrolled medical condition. You expect surgery to stop aging. You want a result that would make you look unlike yourself.
Dr. Santosa will tell you when facelift surgery is appropriate. She will also tell you when another treatment would serve you better.
Helping You Reach Your Goals
Good preparation makes facelift surgery feel less overwhelming. Before your procedure, Dr. Santosa and her team will walk you through what to do, what to pause, what to avoid, and how to set up your recovery space at home.
This is also the time to ask practical questions. When can you return to work? When can you drive? When will you look dinner-ready? Dr. Santosa wants those answers clear before surgery day.
Your Facelift with Dr. Katherine B. Santosa
Facelift surgery is carefully planned before Dr. Santosa ever enters the operating room. The details vary by patient, but the purpose stays the same: restore deeper support, remove excess skin without over-tightening, and place incisions where they can heal as discreetly as possible.
We’re With You Every Step
Most facelift patients need about two weeks before they feel comfortable being seen socially. That does not mean healing is finished. Swelling, bruising, tightness, and incision healing continue to improve over the following months, and Dr. Santosa will guide you through each stage.
Social Downtime
Many patients feel ready for dinner, errands, or low-key social plans around two weeks after surgery. Makeup, hairstyle, and clothing can help, but bruising and swelling vary by person.
Physical Downtime
Walking starts early. Heavy lifting, bending, strenuous exercise, and high-impact activity need to wait until Dr. Santosa clears you.
Recovery Timeline
Dr. Santosa’s Recovery Support
Recovery is not left to guesswork. Dr. Santosa sees patients for an early follow-up assessment and schedules additional visits to monitor healing. Her team may recommend bruising support, medical-grade skincare, lymphatic massage, and opioid-sparing pain management when appropriate.
Maintenance For Lasting Results
Patients see early improvement once swelling begins to settle, but facelift results refine over several months. The first stage can feel strange. The face may look puffy, tight, bruised, or unlike itself for a short period. That is part of healing, not the final result.
Dr. Santosa will guide you through each stage so you understand what is normal, what needs attention, and when your final result is beginning to show.
How Long Does a Facelift Last?
Facelift results often last 10 to 15 years, though aging continues. Longevity depends on skin quality, genetics, weight changes, sun exposure, nicotine use, skincare, and the surgical technique used. Good maintenance can help protect your result. Dr. Santosa may recommend medical-grade skincare, sun protection, injectables, skin treatments, or follow-up visits when appropriate. The goal is to support the work over time with steady, thoughtful care.
Where Facelift Incisions Are Placed
Incisions may be placed near the hairline, around the ear, behind the ear, and under the chin if neck work is included.
How Facelift Scars Heal
Scars may look pink, firm, or raised early in recovery. Over time, they tend to soften, flatten, and fade.
How Dr. Santosa Supports Scar Healing
Dr. Santosa uses careful closure and gives detailed scar-care instructions after surgery. Sun avoidance, skincare, and patience matter.
Non-Surgical Treatments Have Limits
Nonsurgical treatments can be useful, but they cannot replace a facelift when the main issue is tissue descent or excess skin.
| Option | Best For | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Facelift | Jowls, lower-face sagging, excess skin, deeper tissue descent | Surgery and recovery required |
| Dermal Fillers | Volume loss, contour support, mild folds | Cannot remove excess skin or lift heavy tissue |
| Botox | Dynamic wrinkles from muscle movement | Does not lift jowls or tighten loose skin |
| Skin Tightening | Mild laxity and skin quality support | Limited correction for significant sagging |
| Laser or Peels | Texture, pigment, and fine lines | Does not reposition facial tissue |
If the issue is descent, adding filler can make the face look heavier. A facelift addresses structure.
A More Complete Refresh
A facelift can be performed alone or paired with other treatments when multiple aging patterns are present. Dr. Santosa will recommend combinations only when they make sense for your anatomy, recovery, and goals.
Neck Lift
A neck lift can improve loose neck skin, neck bands, and the transition from the jawline to the neck.
Blepharoplasty
Eyelid surgery can address upper eyelid hooding or lower eyelid bags that a facelift will not correct.
Brow Lift
A brow lift may be considered when brow heaviness contributes to upper-face aging.
Fat Grafting
Fat grafting can restore soft volume when volume loss is part of the aging pattern.
Lip Lift or Buccal Fat Removal
These procedures may be considered in select patients when facial proportions support them.
Skin Resurfacing or Medical-Grade Skincare
Skin-focused treatments can improve texture, fine lines, and sun damage, while the facelift addresses structure.
Exceptional Care. Beautiful Results.
Facelift surgery asks for trust. Patients are choosing a surgeon to work on the most visible part of who they are, which is why Dr. Santosa approaches facial rejuvenation with precision, restraint, and a deep respect for each patient’s natural features.
As a board-certified plastic surgeon in Atlanta, Dr. Santosa brings advanced training, research experience, and a meticulous surgical eye to facelift surgery. Her background includes extensive plastic surgery training, a Master of Science in Clinical Investigation, an additional year of aesthetic fellowship training, and more than 60 plastic surgery publications. That research-driven mindset shows up in the way she evaluates tissue, plans incisions, supports healing, and speaks with patients about what surgery can and cannot do. Evelina Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics is a women-owned practice in Sandy Springs, serving patients throughout Atlanta and nearby communities. Patients choose Dr. Santosa for her warm bedside manner, honest recommendations, and commitment to results that preserve identity.
Begin With a Conversation
If you are considering facelift surgery in Atlanta, your first step is a consultation with Dr. Santosa. She will listen to your concerns, evaluate your facial structure, explain your options, and help you understand what kind of result is realistic for your goals, safety, and recovery. Schedule your facelift consultation at Evelina Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics in Sandy Springs today.
Facelift cost depends on the technique, anesthesia, procedure length, surgical complexity, and whether a neck lift or other procedures are included. Dr. Santosa provides a detailed quote after consultation and surgical planning.
There is no single best age for a facelift. Many patients consider surgery when jowls, jawline laxity, and loose skin become structural concerns that nonsurgical treatments cannot correct.
A mini facelift treats earlier or milder lower-face laxity. A full facelift addresses more advanced jowls, loose skin, and lower-face sagging. Dr. Santosa recommends the technique based on your anatomy and goals.
Many patients benefit from combining facelift and neck lift surgery because the face and neck age together. Dr. Santosa evaluates jawline definition, neck bands, loose neck skin, and under-chin fullness before making that recommendation.
Natural-looking facelift results depend on deeper tissue support, careful skin redraping, conservative tension, incision placement, and a plan built around your face. Dr. Santosa’s goal is a refreshed appearance that still looks like you.
Many patients need about two weeks before they feel socially comfortable. Swelling, tightness, and scar maturation continue to improve for several months after surgery.
Facelift results often last 10 to 15 years, though aging continues. Skin quality, genetics, sun exposure, weight changes, skincare, and lifestyle can affect longevity.
Most patients describe facelift recovery as tightness, swelling, pressure, and soreness rather than sharp pain. Medication, rest, follow-up care, and Dr. Santosa’s recovery instructions help manage comfort during healing.
Discuss your personalized treatment with Dr. Santosa today
Dr. Santosa delivers a well-rounded treatment experience through combined science, compassion, and experience. Begin your journey with trusted board-certified Atlanta plastic surgeon Dr. Katherine B. Santosa in Sandy Springs, and rest assured that you have selected your best path to exquisite results.
At Evelina Plastic Surgery and Aesthetics, we are proud to be a women-owned practice committed to delivering exceptional care and outstanding results. Our dedication to excellence ensures that we stand out as a trusted choice for premier plastic surgery and aesthetic services in the Atlanta-metro area.
