Can a facelift permanently damage the nerves in your face?
⚠️ Contact your surgeon promptly if you notice these after a facelift
If you experience sudden weakness or drooping on one or both sides of your face, inability to close your eye, loss of feeling that is spreading or worsening, or any signs of infection (increasing redness, warmth, fever, or discharge), contact your surgeon right away. Severe or rapidly changing symptoms warrant emergency evaluation.
Short answer
Yes, permanent nerve damage is possible after a facelift, but it is very rare. A large meta-analysis found the permanent nerve injury rate is less than 0.05% for both motor (movement) and sensory (feeling) nerves. Temporary nerve changes are more common but usually resolve on their own.
What the research shows
A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis covering 15,404 patients and 15,441 facelift procedures found that overall motor nerve injury occurred in about 0.66% of cases and sensory nerve injury in about 0.39% of cases. Crucially, the rate of permanent nerve damage was far lower: roughly 0.047% for motor nerves and 0.045% for sensory nerves [2]. In plain terms, that is fewer than 1 in 2,000 patients experiencing lasting nerve injury.
A smaller older case series noted that paralysis of a specific neck nerve (the accessory nerve) during a facelift is "exceptional" but not impossible, and recovery can take several years [5].
Why nerve injury can happen and how surgeons reduce the risk
The face contains a complex network of motor nerves (which control muscle movement) and sensory nerves (which control feeling). During a facelift, surgeons work in the layers just beneath the skin and within a deeper layer called the SMAS. Research confirms that surgeons focus heavily on identifying safe planes of dissection to avoid accidentally cutting or stretching these nerves [8]. Some techniques, such as the lateral SMASectomy, are specifically designed to achieve a strong lift while reducing the risk of nerve contact compared with deeper SMAS approaches [6].
What this means for you
Permanent nerve damage from a facelift is a real but extremely uncommon complication. Temporary numbness or weakness in parts of the face is more common and often resolves as nerves heal. Before your procedure, ask your surgeon which technique they plan to use, how they protect nerves during that approach, and what their personal complication rates look like. An experienced, board-certified surgeon working in an accredited facility is your best safeguard.
Caveats
The pooled rates in the meta-analysis come from many different surgical techniques and experience levels, so numbers can vary considerably depending on the specific procedure and surgeon [2]. Studies also vary in how they define and report nerve injury, which can affect the true picture. This information is general education and is not a substitute for a personalized conversation with your surgeon.