artistry, meticulous surgical technique
At Sadrian Plastic Surgery, a large percentage of our facelift patients come to us through word-of-mouth. Why? Our founder, Dr. Sadrian, is a highly-skilled, board-certified San Diego plastic surgeon with another specialty certification in oral and maxillofacial surgery. His artistry, meticulous surgical technique, and almost two decades in practice has given him the ability to create a very natural, fresh, youthful look. Tired of seeing sagging, aging skin, and want to look as young as you feel? We invite you to meet with us in a private consultation for a facelift in San Diego.
Explore real results from Dr. Sadrian’s San Diego facelift patients. The gallery showcases his artistry in delivering natural, youthful transformations tailored to each individual. View a curated selection of patient photos in the carousel above, or explore the full gallery for more examples of his work.
A facelift, or rhytidectomy, is a surgical procedure designed to rejuvenate the face by tightening sagging skin, repositioning underlying tissues, and removing excess fat. This treatment restores a more youthful, refreshed appearance while maintaining the natural contours of your face. At Sadrian Plastic Surgery in San Diego, we use advanced techniques tailored to each patient’s anatomy and goals, ensuring results that look natural—not overly tight or artificial. Whether you’re addressing deep wrinkles, jowls, or sagging skin, a facelift can help you feel as vibrant as you look.
What Does a Facelift Address?
A facelift focuses on rejuvenating the lower two-thirds of the face and upper neck. Common concerns a facelift can address include:
By focusing on these areas, a facelift creates a refreshed and youthful appearance while preserving your unique features.
Modern aesthetic technology offers many non-surgical treatments for facial rejuvenation, and we offer the best of the treatments now available in the USA. In cases of more extreme facial sagging, wrinkling, or jowls, a surgical procedure will be needed to restore facial skin, tissue, and muscle structure. Every facelift is a custom surgery. The condition of your skin, the extent of skin laxity, and the degree of sagging or drooping is all taken into account when planning surgery. If your facial skin cannot be rejuvenated through non-surgical means, and you are in good general health, you are a candidate for Dr. Sadrian's facelift surgery in San Diego.
What is the ideal age to have a facelift?
For a facelift San Diego patients in their 40s often experience the best results, as the skin still has enough elasticity to achieve a naturally refreshed look. Starting at this stage can also help delay the need for more extensive surgery later. Many patients choose to maintain facelift results with smaller touch-up procedures over time, preserving a youthful appearance well into their 50s, 60s, and beyond.
Why Should You Get a Facelift?
Dr. Sadrian's facelift surgery can fully rejuvenate your appearance. It is the advised procedure for you if you live with any of the following problems:
It is unfortunate, but some facelifts don’t turn out as they should. Patients who are unhappy with the results of facelift surgery often come to Dr. Sadrian for revision facelift surgery. Whether you need to correct a poorly-performed facelift that appears pulled tight, excessive scarring, or restore a facelift performed years in the past that need to be refreshed, we can help. Dr. Sadrian is known for his artistry and exceptional surgical skills and is well-qualified to assist you in this important procedure.
For enhanced results, a facelift can be combined with complementary procedures:
If you’re exploring non-surgical options, treatments like the "20-Minute Facelift" use advanced injectable techniques to achieve subtle lifting effects without downtime.
It may be necessary to remove excess fat lodged beneath your chin and on the neck to create the fresh, youthful look you envision. If you have a double chin or have fatty deposits drifting downward on your upper neck, a gentle, custom liposuction treatment may be employed to remove the fat as part of your procedure, or as a single procedure for patients with a high level of skin flexibility.
Facelift + Neck Lift: A Natural Pairing
At Sadrian Plastic Surgery, neck lifts are often performed in conjunction with a lower facelift. This dual approach creates a more harmonious, natural-looking rejuvenation by addressing sagging skin and laxity in both the face and neck simultaneously. Combining these procedures avoids the “disconnect” that can happen when one area is refreshed and the other is not, providing beautifully balanced and seamless results. During your consultation, Dr. Sadrian will help you decide if a combined procedure is the best path toward achieving your goals.
A facelift is a custom procedure, each one being entirely unique to the person's anatomy and the desired outcome of the procedure. The cost of a facelift and neck lift with Dr. Sadrian ranges between $30,000 to $32,000 and can vary depending on how much correction is needed and the surgical technique employed. That ballpark price does include ALL fees however, including surgeon's fee, operating room fees, anesthesia and before and after surgery visits. Please contact Dr. Sadrian to set up a private consultation, during which you can discuss if you are a candidate for facelift surgery and establish the cost for your custom-tailored procedure.
Are there financing options for a facelift?
Yes, several flexible financing options are available to help make your San Diego facelift with Dr. Sadrian more accessible. We work with trusted financing partners like CareCredit® and Alphaeon® to offer convenient monthly payment plans. Patients can also choose to pay with major credit cards. During your consultation, our team will walk you through the options and help you find a plan that fits your budget and timeline.
Healing from a facelift is a step-by-step journey, with noticeable improvements at each stage. Here’s a detailed timeline to guide your expectations:
Swelling and bruising will peak during the initial days but can be effectively managed with prescribed medications and cold compresses. It’s essential to rest with your head elevated and avoid strenuous activities. Short, gentle walks are encouraged to promote healthy circulation and reduce the risk of blood clots. Most patients will experience mild tightness and discomfort, which is temporary.
Sutures or staples are typically removed, and noticeable swelling and bruising begin to subside. You can resume light activities, such as returning to work or social engagements, depending on your comfort level. Makeup may be used to conceal any residual discoloration.
By this stage, swelling significantly decreases, and your enhanced contours become more defined. Many patients feel confident going out without concealing their results. While most daily activities can be resumed, vigorous exercise and heavy lifting should still be avoided to ensure proper healing.
Strenuous exercise and heavy lifting should be avoided for at least six weeks after surgery. Short walks are encouraged to promote circulation, but activities like running, weightlifting, and intense workouts should wait until cleared by Dr. Sadrian.
Residual swelling continues to diminish, and scars gradually fade into discreet, nearly invisible lines. Your results will appear more natural and refined. You can confidently enjoy your rejuvenated, youthful appearance, knowing the most significant part of your recovery is complete.
With proper skincare, a healthy lifestyle, and sun protection, your facelift results can last 10 to 15 years. Maintenance treatments such as non-surgical skin tightening or skincare regimens can also help extend your youthful appearance.
Protecting your skin is crucial. Avoid sun exposure for four to six weeks, and once your skin has fully healed, daily use of a high-SPF sunscreen is recommended to preserve your results.
Dr. Sadrian’s team provides personalized support throughout your recovery to ensure optimal comfort and stunning results.
Additional Recovery Notes
The risks of a facelift are similar to any surgery, but with an added element: Your face is visible to everyone, and if the procedure is poorly performed, you will require a revision surgery. Always choose your surgeon carefully. Risks include excessive bleeding, infection, reactions to anesthesia, blood clots, and some others. Dr. Sadrian is a double board-certified San Diego plastic surgeon who performs facelift surgeries at his private, state-of-the-art surgery center, equipped with the latest technology to better protect patient health and safety.
It could not be more important that a facial surgery is performed by a top-rated, highly-skilled plastic surgeon. You will be living with the results of the surgery for many years – you can’t afford to take any chances. Dr. Sadrian is an acclaimed, board-certified plastic surgeon with a reputation for achieving truly excellent results in facelift procedures. His approach involves a thorough evaluation of your current skin quality, the areas that have begun to sag and crease, listening closely to what you hope to achieve. Many patients seeking a facelift have concerns that after surgery, they will look unnatural or be left with a pulled, tight look. Dr. Sadrian is known for his ability to create very natural looking results. We want you to experience increased confidence and quality of life, knowing you look your best.
You have the option to undergo a brow lift or eyelid surgery along with your facelift, so your entire look is refreshed and rejuvenated.
Yes, a facelift can significantly improve marionette lines and laugh lines (nasolabial folds). By lifting and repositioning the deeper facial tissues, a facelift smooths the lower face and reduces the appearance of deep creases around the mouth. In cases where lines are particularly etched, additional treatments like fat grafting or fillers can further soften them for a more comprehensive result.
When performed by a skilled surgeon like Dr. Sadrian, a facelift enhances your natural appearance without changing the way you smile, laugh, or express yourself. Modern techniques focus on lifting the underlying structures rather than pulling the skin tight, which preserves your authentic facial expressions while creating a more refreshed, youthful look.
Both SMAS and deep plane facelifts deliver excellent, natural-looking results, but they differ slightly. A SMAS facelift repositions the supportive tissue layer (the SMAS) for a lifted, rejuvenated look with moderate downtime. A deep plane facelift goes even deeper, releasing and repositioning the tissues beneath the SMAS layer. Deep plane facelifts often achieve more dramatic, longer-lasting, and softer results with less skin tension—and in many cases, patients report faster, more comfortable recovery because less skin is pulled tight.
While a facelift restores structure and contour by lifting sagging tissues, it does not replace lost volume in the cheeks. For patients with significant midface volume loss, combining a facelift with fat grafting or injectable fillers offers the most complete rejuvenation. Adding volume complements the lift, helping to restore youthful fullness and smooth transitions between facial features.
For most patients, combining a facelift with a neck lift creates the most natural and harmonious result. Facial aging doesn’t stop at the jawline, and treating the face without addressing the neck can leave visible signs of aging below the chin. Dr. Sadrian often recommends performing both together for smoother contours, a better-defined jawline, and a more seamless, youthful transformation.
Patient Testimonial
The decision to undergo a cosmetic procedure is extremely personal. If you are considering an enhancement, you want to be confident that your results will appear fresh and natural – and like you. Dr. Sadrian is among the finest plastic surgeons practicing in the San Diego area and has achieved acclaim for consistently achieving natural-looking results. Schedule an appointment to learn more.
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