Does older age increase the risk of complications from facelift surgery?
⚠️ When to contact your surgeon after facelift surgery
After any facelift, contact your surgeon right away if you notice sudden or rapidly increasing swelling on one side of your face, difficulty breathing, severe pain, signs of infection such as redness, warmth, or discharge from incisions, or any weakness in your facial muscles. These could be signs of a complication that needs prompt attention.
Short answer
Based on available research, age alone does not appear to be an independent risk factor for facelift complications, even in patients over 75. Factors like male sex, higher BMI, smoking, and combining multiple procedures at once appear to matter more than how old you are.
What the research shows
A well-designed study of 541 facelift patients tracked outcomes across five age groups, from under 60 to over 76 years old. Major complications were very rare overall (0.4%) and did not increase with age. Minor complications occurred in about 7.6% of patients, and again, age was not a meaningful predictor, even for patients older than 75. [1]
A much larger study of 11,300 facelift patients found an overall major complication rate of about 1.8%, which is similar to other cosmetic procedures. The risk factors that did matter were male sex, higher body weight (BMI of 25 or above), and having multiple procedures done at the same time. Age was not identified as an independent risk factor in this analysis either. [6]
What this means for you
If you are older and considering a facelift, you should not assume that your age alone puts you at high risk. Surgeons who carefully screen patients before surgery and use standardized techniques appear to achieve safe results across all age groups. [1]
That said, your overall health, any medical conditions you have, and whether you plan to combine your facelift with other procedures are important conversations to have with your surgeon. These factors may influence your personal risk more than your age does. [6]
Caveats
Most of the available studies come from single experienced surgeons or select patient groups, which means results may not apply to every surgical setting. The study most directly answering this question was a single-surgeon cohort, so the findings reflect one practice's careful patient selection and technique. [1] Larger, multi-surgeon studies with rigorous age-based comparisons are still needed to confirm these findings broadly.
What to ask your surgeon
Consider asking your surgeon: What is your complication rate for patients in my age group? What specific health factors in my case might increase risk? Would combining my facelift with other procedures at the same time raise my risk? These questions can help you make a fully informed decision alongside your care team.