Face & neck lift in Istanbul
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Results of MAYCLINIK patients after a neck lift, deep plane facelift or mid-face lift, photographed once the swelling had settled.
Results vary from person to person. Photos are shared with patient consent.
2–5 hours
Operation time
mini facelift: 1.5–2 hours
2 nights
Hospital stay
then back to your hotel
8–10 days
Total stay in Istanbul
stitches out on day 7–8
After 2–3 weeks
Back to desk work
once bruising has faded
After about 4–6 weeks
Exercise & heavy lifting
6–9 months
Final result
scars fade over 12 months
A facelift (rhytidectomy) treats sagging in the lower two-thirds of the face: jowls along the jawline, loose skin and fat under the chin, and cheeks that have slipped down towards the mouth. Most people who come to us for a facelift in Turkey want to look like themselves again, only less tired. The incision runs in the natural creases in front of and behind the ear and into the hairline, so the scar is hidden once it has healed.
What makes the difference is the layer the surgeon works on. Pulling only the skin gives a tight, short-lived result. Modern techniques lift the SMAS, the firm layer of muscle and connective tissue under the skin, and in a deep plane facelift the surgeon goes beneath it to release the ligaments that hold the cheeks and jowls down.
A facelift does not change the texture of your skin and it cannot stop ageing. Fine lines, sun damage, heavy eyelids or a low brow need different treatments, which can often be done in the same operation.
There is no single “best” facelift. Your surgeon chooses the technique after looking at how much laxity you have, where it is, and whether your neck needs work too.
A short incision in front of the ear tightens the lower SMAS, so the scar is shorter than with a full facelift. Usually done under local anaesthetic with sedation.
Best for: Early jowls in your 40s, good skin quality, little neck laxity
Presentable after: About 1–2 weeks
The SMAS layer is tightened by folding (plication) or by trimming and overlapping it, then the skin is re-draped without tension. The retaining ligaments are usually left in place.
Best for: Moderate jowls and neck laxity, with cheeks that have not dropped much
Presentable after: About 2 weeks
The surgeon works beneath the SMAS and releases the retaining ligaments, so skin and SMAS are lifted together as one layer.
Best for: Heavy jowls, dropped cheeks, deep nose-to-mouth folds
Presentable after: About 2–3 weeks
Deep Plane Facelift in TurkeyTightens the platysma muscle under the chin and removes excess fat and skin, through a small incision under the chin and behind the ears. Often combined with a facelift.
Best for: Loose neck skin, “turkey neck”, visible neck bands
Presentable after: About 1–2 weeks
Lifts the cheek pad through small incisions in the hairline and inside the mouth, without a scar around the ear.
Best for: Hollow under-eyes and flattened cheeks, with little jowling
Presentable after: About 2 weeks
Endoscopic Mid-Face Lift in TurkeyMini facelift
SMAS facelift
Deep plane facelift
Neck lift
Mid-face lift
Times are typical, not guaranteed. Combined procedures take longer to settle.
Age matters less than how your face has changed. Most people who choose a facelift are between 40 and 75.
Your operation takes place in a JCI-accredited partner hospital; the rest of your stay is spent recovering in a 5-star hotel, both included in your package.
JCI-accredited partner hospital
Modern operating theatres, private rooms and intensive-care backup, with specialist nursing care after your operation.
5-star hotel & VIP transfers
Comfortable recovery close to the hospital. Private transfers take you to every appointment and your coordinator checks in with you every day.
You know who will operate on you before you book, and you meet them on video first.
Four commitments that cover your care from the first video call to long after you fly home.
Before surgery
Surgeons are not interchangeable. Each of ours performs certain operations far more often than others, so you are matched to the one whose routine work is your operation. You meet on video before you travel, and the plan is agreed there, not on arrival.
MAYContourIn Istanbul
From the moment you land to the moment you fly home, one team is responsible for you: airport transfers, your hotel stay, hospital admission, a doctor and nurse who visit you at the hotel, and a check on how you are every day, in your own language.
MAYCare+Back home
The hardest part of recovery happens after you get home. For twelve months your aftercare nurse stays with you, reviewing how you are healing, telling you what is normal and what is not, and answering questions through our London and Stuttgart offices.
MAYCheckIf anything changes
Healing is not always a straight line, and a final result can take up to a year to settle. MAYCover is how we handle it, with your surgeon, if something does need revisiting. Ask your coordinator what it covers, before you book, rather than after.
MAYCoverYour price depends on the technique and on whether your neck, eyelids or brows are treated at the same time. You receive a fixed, written quote after your consultation, before you book anything.
A typical plan for a facelift with neck lift. Your coordinator adjusts it to your flights and your surgeon’s plan.
Day 1
VIP transfer from the airport to your hotel. Your coordinator walks you through the week and answers your questions before surgery.
Day 2
Blood tests and an anaesthetic check, then a face-to-face consultation where your surgeon plans the lift with you. Surgery follows.
Day 3
A second night under observation, with nurses on hand day and night. Your surgeon checks your face and the dressing on the ward round.
Days 4–6
Dressing changed, drains usually out, back to your hotel on day 4. Swelling peaks around day 3, then eases. Short walks, head raised.
Days 7–8
Most stitches come out and your surgeon checks the healing. Keep your head raised at night and wear the compression wrap as advised.
Days 8–10
Once your surgeon is happy, a VIP transfer takes you to the airport. Aftercare continues with our teams in London and Stuttgart.
Most people are surprised that a facelift is less painful than they expected. The tightness and swelling are what you notice most.
Days 1–3
The face feels tight and numb. Swelling and bruising peak around day 2–4. Pain is usually mild and controlled with tablets.
Week 1–2
Stitches come out after 7–10 days. Bruising is still visible for about two weeks; make-up can cover it once the wounds have closed.
Weeks 2–4
Most patients feel comfortable being seen after 2–3 weeks and return to desk work. Avoid saunas and strenuous exercise.
Months 1–3
Gradual return to exercise. The face still feels slightly stiff or numb in places.
Months 6–9
The last swelling has gone and scars have faded. Numbness can take 12–18 months to fully settle.
A facelift is a well-established operation with a low complication rate. These are the risks your surgeon will discuss with you.
The most common complication: about 1 in 100 in large studies, roughly twice as often in men. Careful blood-pressure control is the best prevention.
Temporary weakness of a facial muscle happens in around 1–2% and usually recovers within months. Permanent injury is rare, about 1 in 1,000.
Numbness of the cheeks and around the ears is normal, as small skin nerves are divided during surgery. Feeling returns gradually over 12–18 months.
Smoking is the biggest risk factor for poor skin healing. In one study, skin loss occurred in 7.5% of smokers versus 2.7% of non-smokers.
Scars sit in natural creases and fade over the first year. A careful incision plan protects the hairline and the position of the sideburns.
There is no ideal age. It depends on how much laxity you have rather than the number. Most people who choose a facelift are between 40 and 75; younger patients with early jowls are often better suited to a mini facelift.
A facelift turns the clock back but doesn’t stop it. Many patients do not need another facelift for 5–10 years, and studies show most still look younger than before surgery years later. The neck tends to relax first.
The incision follows the crease in front of the ear, goes behind the earlobe and ends in the hairline behind the ear. Once healed, it is hard to see unless you know where to look. Scars fade over 6–12 months.
Most patients describe tightness and pressure rather than pain. It is usually well controlled with ordinary painkillers within a few days.
Most people return to desk work after 2–3 weeks. Some prefer to wait until bruising has gone completely, which can take a little longer.
If you have loose skin, fat or bands under the chin, a neck lift is usually done in the same operation. A facelift on its own improves the jawline but only partly the neck.
Yes. If your cheeks and jawline have held up well and the loose skin, fat or bands are mainly under the chin, a neck lift can be done without a facelift. It works through a small incision under the chin and behind the ears, and you are usually presentable after about 1–2 weeks. If you also have jowls or dropped cheeks, your surgeon may advise combining it with a facelift for a balanced result.
A mini facelift suits early jowls with little neck laxity and has a shorter recovery. With more laxity or a loose neck, a full SMAS or deep plane facelift gives a more complete and longer-lasting result.
Yes. Upper or lower eyelid surgery, a brow lift or fat grafting are often done in the same operation. Your surgeon will tell you what can be safely combined.
It depends on the technique (mini, SMAS or deep plane) and on what is combined, such as a neck lift, eyelid surgery or fat grafting. After a surgeon has reviewed your photos you receive a fixed, written price that includes surgery, hospital, hotel, transfers and aftercare.
Plan 8–10 days. Your stitches are removed and your surgeon checks you before you fly, as UK guidance advises against flying within 7–10 days of facial surgery.
It can be, if your provider is licensed by the Turkish Ministry of Health, your surgeon is named and qualified, you are operated on in an accredited hospital and you stay long enough before flying. MAYCLINIK holds licence AK-0086.
Medically reviewed guides that answer the questions patients ask most about this treatment.
Chest reduction, liposuction, eyelids, nose, hair and facelifts: which procedures men most often consider, how recovery fits around work and training, and what makes a male facelift different.
6 min readRead article Plastic surgeryHow bodies and faces change with each decade, the procedures people typically consider in their 30s, 40s and 50s, and why your health matters more than the number on your birth certificate.
6 min readRead article Planning your tripSmoking, medicines, blood thinners and supplements, travel plans, packing and mental preparation: what to do in the weeks before plastic surgery, including a checklist for the week before a facelift.
6 min readRead articleContact
Send us a few photos of your face and neck. A surgeon reviews them and you receive a personal plan and a written price within 24 hours.
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