Can a facelift and laser resurfacing be done on the same day?
⚠️ Contact your surgeon promptly if you notice these warning signs after a combined procedure
Dark or dusky skin color over any part of the face, blistering beyond normal laser healing, spreading redness with warmth or fever, or any area that does not seem to be healing could signal a wound healing problem or infection. Contact your surgeon the same day. If you cannot reach them and symptoms are severe, go to an emergency room.
Short answer
Yes, combining a facelift with laser resurfacing in a single session is a well-studied option. Research shows it can be done safely with high patient satisfaction when the surgeon uses the right technique and laser settings. The key is choosing a surgeon experienced in this specific combination, because certain technical choices significantly affect complication risk.
What the research shows
A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis pooling 17 studies and 1,361 patients found a pooled patient satisfaction rate of 98.1% for same-day facelift plus laser resurfacing. [1] Serious complications were rare: full-thickness skin flap loss occurred in only 0.01% of patients, and skin slough in 0.21%. [1] An earlier meta-analysis of 453 patients reached a similar conclusion, finding that the complication rate was no higher than facelift alone. [2] A cohort study of 86 patients who had a facelift combined with fractional CO2 laser on the same day found no delayed wound healing or skin loss at all. [3]
Why technique matters so much
Not all same-day combinations carry the same risk. The 2026 meta-analysis found that using the same laser energy on skin that was surgically lifted (undermined) as on untouched skin was significantly linked to higher rates of skin slough. [1] Surgeons typically reduce laser energy over the lifted flaps to protect the blood supply. [1] [4] The type of facelift also matters: deeper techniques involving the SMAS layer or two-plane dissection were more likely to cause lasting pigment changes than endoscopic approaches. [1] Fractional lasers, which treat only a fraction of the skin surface rather than the whole surface, appear to offer a favorable safety profile in this combined setting. [3]
What to ask your surgeon
Because technique is so closely tied to outcomes, it is worth having a detailed conversation before committing. Ask your surgeon how many combined facelift-and-laser procedures they have personally performed, what laser settings they use over lifted versus non-lifted skin, and whether a fractional or traditional resurfacing approach is planned for your skin type. [1] [3] Also ask about the expected recovery timeline, since the laser component typically adds redness and skin healing on top of the facelift recovery. [4] This is general education and not a substitute for advice from your own surgeon.