Facelift
Conveniently located to serve the areas of Atlanta, GA
A facelift, or a rhytidectomy, is a procedure that lifts and elevates facial skin and tissues to restore a smoother, more youthful-looking appearance across the face and neck. (1) There are several ways to perform this procedure, with each targeting different concerns and regions of the face, but all restore a refreshed and rejuvenated appearance.
Dr. John D. Symbas is a board-certified plastic surgeon based in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Symbas has received recognition for his natural-looking results, attention to detail, and approachable manner, which has earned him the trust and respect of his peers and patients. Dr. Symbas tailors every surgery to the individual wants and needs of each patient.
If you are interested in working with Dr. Symbas, we invite you to contact us online. You may also call our office directly at (404) 343-0897.
Contents
Before and After Photos
About Facelifts
A facelift is a surgical procedure that can reposition and tighten your facial skin, ligaments, and tissues to address visible signs of aging. Over time, both internal changes and external factors can wear on your appearance and diminish your natural aesthetics. Your skin may sag, wrinkles and creases can begin to develop, and you may notice banding forming around your neck. Etiologies of these typical signs and symptoms of aging include loss of ligamentous support of the tissues of the face and neck as well as volume loss. Additionally, as we age, our skin loses collagen support, which can also contribute to aging. All of these etiologies are addressed by Dr. Symbas in his surgical techniques. While there are many non-surgical treatments and over-the-counter solutions available, they are not long-term solutions. By undergoing a face and neck lift with Dr. Symbas, you can truly achieve a lasting look that turns back the clock.
Types of Facelift
Dr. Symbas can perform different types of facelift procedures to address a range of concerns. Additionally, he tailors each one to suit your needs and flatter your natural facial structure. He will determine which method will benefit you most during your consultation.
Full Facelift
In a full SMAS facelift, Dr. Symbas lifts the skin to reveal the superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS), which is a fibrous layer of tissue that connects the skin to the deeper, underlying soft tissues and facilitates your facial expressions. (2) He will then tighten the SMAS layer before redraping the skin and removing the excess. Another way of saying this is, in a SMAS plication facelift, Dr. Symbas lifts the skin to reveal the SMAS which is a ligamentous layer of tissue that connects the skin to the deeper underlying soft tissues and anatomic structures. The SMAS is plicated or imbricated to reposition those underlying structures into their more youthful positions and the skin is excised as necessary and closed over the top.
Deep Plane Facelift
A deep plane facelift consists of Dr. Symbas tightening the skin, the SMAS layer, the underlying facial fat, and the fascial flap to achieve longer-lasting rejuvenation. Unlike other types of facelifts, Dr. Symbas will move and tighten these layers as one singular unit rather than repositioning them separately. (3) Deep plane face and neck lifts are a particular passion of Dr. Symbas’ as he truly believes in the concept of releasing the deeper ligaments before repositioning. The deep plane face and neck lifts involve elevating the underlying ligamentous and platymal layers and releasing the retaining ligaments. This allows the tethers that hold faces and necks in their aged positions to be released, thus enabling a more structural correction of the aging process. Every deep plane face and neck lift can be tailored to the patient and Dr. Symbas evolves his technique over time to deliver the results each individual patient is after.
Candidates
You may be an ideal candidate for a facelift if you struggle with a variety of age-related aesthetic changes. These include lax or sagging skin, descending facial fat, visible creases and wrinkles, jowls, and more.
If you are interested in undergoing this procedure, you should be in good general health and any underlying medical conditions to be appropriately treated. As we age, health problems arise and it is important to understand that this does not preclude facial rejuvenation surgery. It is also important that you lead a nicotine-free life or are willing to quit smoking. Dr. Symbas will assess your candidacy during your personal consultation to ensure you fulfill these requirements.
Personal Consultation
Your personal consultation is your first step to transforming your appearance. During your visit, Dr. Symbas will converse with you one-on-one to establish a more meaningful relationship and learn more about your motivations. He will review your medical history, which includes your medication intake, any allergies you have, and any previous procedures or treatments you have undergone. He will ask about your current aesthetic concerns and desired results, and recommend bringing in a photograph of yourself from 10-15 years prior. He will also perform a thorough examination of your natural facial structure, skin quality and condition, and overall harmony.
Dr. Symbas will use each of these shared details to finalize your candidacy and form your treatment plan. He will determine what type of facelift procedure is right for you, the exact corrections to make, and the surgical techniques he will perform to complete them. As he does this, he will explain each aspect of your procedure so you understand what to expect in advance. He will also take the time to answer any questions you may have.
If you are ready to schedule this consultation, we invite you to contact us online or call (404) 343-0897.
Preparation
Dr. Symbas and his team will give you a set of preparation instructions once you have scheduled your procedure. While these steps will vary depending on the details of your treatment plan, it is important to follow each one carefully to ensure your safety and the best possible results. They typically include:
- Coordinating Transportation: Have a trusted friend or family member drive you home after your procedure, as you will not be able to transport yourself.
- Arrange Assistance: Ensure someone is available to stay with you for the first 24 to 48 hours of your recovery to assist you. Dr. Symbas’s team has facilities where patients can spend the night and he also has a team of amazing nurses that can stay with you in the comfort of your own home for as long as needed.
- Alter Your Intake: Cease the consumption of any blood-thinning medications or supplements.
- Prepare Time Away: Arrange time away from your professional and personal commitments and responsibilities to ensure you have given your body enough time to heal.
- Avoid Certain Substances: Stop consuming any alcohol in the weeks leading up to your procedure, and maintain your abstinence throughout your recovery. If nicotine products are used, they should be stopped at least 4-6 weeks prior to the procedure.
- Run Any Necessary Errands: Fill any prescriptions before undergoing your facelift and arrange your home for a comfortable recovery process.
Procedure
When you arrive for your procedure, a member of our team will lead you to a private treatment room where you will meet with Dr. Symbas one last time. He will answer any remaining questions you have before transporting you to the operating room, where you will receive general anesthesia.
Once you are comfortably asleep under the expert care of our anesthesia staff, local anesthesia will be infiltrated into the tissues and then he will make several incisions around and behind the ears for access to the underlying structures. He will then proceed to perform your desired corrections, which may include ligamentous support and release with either imbrication and/or elevation and release to tighten the SMAS layer, repositioning or removing your facial fat, lifting and excising your skin,and more.
After completing these corrections, Dr. Symbas will carefully suture the incisions with specialized techniques that minimize post-operative scarring. You will then rest in the recovery suite under the care of his team.
Recovery
Dr. Symbas performs facelifts on both an overnight or outpatient basis, which means that he will either keep you overnight at the surgery center, or release you on the same day that he performs your procedure. This is a communal decision as Dr. Symbas has postoperative care options that are tailored to fit your needs. Your recovery timeline will vary depending on the extent of your facelift, whether you received any accompanying procedures, and how quickly your body heals itself. To help you, he will provide you with written instructions to guide you through your recovery. These will include how to best care for your incisions, managing your side effects, and when to return to your normal routine.
During your initial healing phase, you can expect some swelling, bruising, and general discomfort. These effects will dissipate on their own with time, but you may also manage them with pain medications and resting with your head elevated. You may engage in light activities such as easy walking as soon as the day after your procedure, but you will likely benefit from waiting approximately 1 to 2 weeks before returning to work. Dr. Symbas also asks that you refrain from engaging in any strenuous or physically demanding activities for up to 3 weeks, or until he has directed you otherwise.
Results
You will be able to experience the full results of your procedure once you have fully recovered. They will vary depending on your specific concerns and the corrections you received, but you can expect to enjoy a more youthful face, neck and jawline, and smoother and tighter skin, improved proportions, elevated contours, and a more youthful-looking appearance overall.
The results of your facelift are long-lasting, with effects that you can enjoy for well over a decade or more. However, it is important to remember that no procedure can truly stop the natural aging process.
Cost of Facelifts in Atlanta, GA
Dr. Symbas fully customizes each facelift according to the needs and anatomy of his patients, which means pricing will vary. Once he has met with you to assess your concerns and establish the details of your procedure, he will provide you with a comprehensive cost estimate.
FAQ
What is the difference between a full facelift and a deep plane facelift?
A full facelift elevates your skin, underlying tissues, and SMAS layer separately to address concerns across the midface, lower face, and neck. Conversely, a deep plane facelift elevates the skin, tissues, muscles, and SMAS layer of tissue as one composite unit for more comprehensive rejuvenation across the middle and lower portions of the face.
What concerns can a facelift correct?
A facelift can address wrinkles and creases, sagging skin, descending fat pads, lax facial muscles, jowling, and other visible signs of aging that may have developed with time.
Will my facelift leave significant scarring?
Dr. Symbas carefully makes incisions around and behind the ears to minimize the appearance of any post-operative scars. Postoperative scar therapies such as silicone gels and laser therapy are also available. Dr. Symbas will be the first to admit that any incision on the body leaves a small scar. However, due to the meticulous surgical techniques utilized, any scars that do develop will typically fade and flatten over time.
How long does it take to recover from a facelift?
If you feel well enough, you can return to light activities such as easy walking the day after your procedure. you will likely benefit from waiting approximately 1 to 2 weeks before returning to work. Dr. Symbas will also have you avoid anything physically demanding until you have made a full recovery.
How long will the results of my facelift last?
The results of a facelift are long-lasting, with effects you can enjoy for between 10 and 15 years or more. It is important to remember that your appearance will continue to change over time due to the natural effects of aging, no matter what procedures you receive. Dr. Symbas will advise you that we are all imperfect creatures. After 10-15 years, you will still look more youthful than you would without the facial rejuvenation surgery, it is just a question of whether those natural aging sequelae bother the patient enough to warrant more improvement.
References
- Yang AJ, Hohman MH. Rhytidectomy. StatPearls Publishing; 2021. Accessed July 30, 2026. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK564338/
- Whitney ZB, Jain M, Zito PM. Anatomy, Skin, Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System (SMAS) Fascia. StatPearls Publishing; 2020. Accessed July 30, 2026. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519014/
- Raggio BS, Patel BC. Deep Plane Facelift. StatPearls Publishing; 2021. Accessed July 30, 2026. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK545277/