Facelift Surgery in the Atlanta Metro Area

As you age, the effects of gravity, sun, and daily stress can affect your appearance. A facelift helps Marietta and Atlanta, Georgia, women and men reduce the signs of aging and provide a more rested, refreshed look. The board-certified plastic surgeon at Plastic Surgery Center of the South will work closely with you to achieve the most natural results based on your individual needs. The expertise, artistry, and skill of Dr. Corey Harkins is sought out by people from Roswell, Brookhaven, and Sandy Springs, GA, and nearby communities who want the best facelift results.

How Much Does a Facelift Cost in Atlanta?

In metro Atlanta, the average cost of a facelift is approximately $12,000 and varies with many factors such as the complexity of the surgery and whether it is combined with other procedures such as a neck lift or brow lift. Other factors include the experience and expertise of the plastic surgeon, anesthesiology fees, and surgical facility costs. Your surgeon will provide you with a customized cost estimate after your consultation.

What Are the Different Types of Facelifts?

A facelift, or rhytidectomy, rejuvenates the face by tightening the underlying facial tissues, reducing or repositioning excess fat, and redraping the loose skin. Volume can be restored to the cheeks and other areas using fat transfer or fillers as needed.

Dr. Harkins is trained in the top, state-of-the-art facelift techniques, as well as time-honored ones. He customizes each procedure based on the individual’s unique needs and physical characteristics, so often he combines or modifies techniques for the best outcome.

Deep Plane Facelift

This technique involves releasing and repositioning the layer of muscle and tissue beneath the skin called the superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS). This is a highly technical approach, which involves going to the “deep plane” beneath the SMAS layer to detach and reposition it. To perform this technique, your surgeon makes incisions along the hairline, following an inconspicuous path that ends behind the ears. A deep plane lift is often recommended for men and women with more severe facial sagging.

SMAS Facelift

For patients whose skin retains some of its elasticity and who have less severe sagging, a SMAS lift can achieve excellent results. Incisions made during the SMAS lift are essentially the same as during a deep plane lift, but the layer of tissue and muscle isn’t released from the deeper layer and moved. Instead, the surgeon tightens the SMAS layer using sutures, redrapes the skin, and trims away any excess.

Short Scar (Mini) Facelift

Many techniques are called short scar facelifts, or mini facelifts. They each feature limited incisions and are options for patients who are usually in their 40s or 50s with more moderate signs of aging. Unlike more extensive versions of the procedure, the incisions used during a short scar facelift don’t extend behind the ear. This technique typically doesn’t address the neck.

What Can a Facelift Accomplish?

Our board-certified plastic surgeon takes pride in tailoring each procedure to the individual patient for one-of-a-kind results. At your consultation, Dr. Harkins will discuss your surgical plan in detail and explain your options thoroughly.

Nonsurgical Facelift Alternatives

Some people who want to minimize wrinkles and fine lines aren’t ready for a surgical facelift. For these patients, Dr. Harkins may recommend a “liquid facelift,” which combines dermal fillers with BOTOX® Cosmetic injections to address their cosmetic concerns. This approach requires periodic touch-up treatments to maintain the results but requires minimal downtime. Another option is ellacor® skin tightening. Ellacor is an innovative treatment that removes “micro-cores” of facial skin without surgery to smooth wrinkles and address concerns like mild jowling.



The results of a nonsurgical facelift won’t be as dramatic as those accomplished by facelift surgery, and not everyone is a good candidate for a liquid facelift. Patients with significant skin laxity, for example, won’t benefit from injectables.

What To Expect During Surgery

Facial plastic surgery is usually performed on an outpatient basis but may include an overnight stay depending on the extent of the procedure. Incisions usually begin above the hairline at the temples and extend within the natural facial contours in front of and behind the ears. If a neck lift is also being performed, a small incision may also be made under the chin.



Through these incisions, a surgeon addresses deeper tissues, redrapes the skin, and reduces excess skin or fat, then closes the incisions with fine sutures. Your head may be bandaged loosely to minimize bruising and swelling.

What Is the Recovery Time for a Facelift?

The recovery period following a facelift varies from patient to patient and depends on the techniques used during the operation. All patients receive detailed instructions to follow when they return home after surgery. Following these instructions closely is essential to the healing process and ensures a more comfortable recuperation.



While individual healing rates vary, your recovery timeline will likely be similar to the one below:

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