A face lift in Los Angeles lifts sagging skin and tissue in the lower face and neck, so you look rested instead of tired. The best facelift surgeon in Los Angeles for you is board certified, works mostly on faces, shows natural results on people like you and tells you honestly what you need.
Most people start thinking about a face lift in a very ordinary moment. A video call. A family photo. A glance in the car mirror at a red light on Sunset.
The jawline looks softer. The neck looks looser. Fillers help less than they used to.
You are not alone in that thought. Surgeons in the American Society of Plastic Surgeons performed 79,058 face lifts in 2024 [ASPS 2024 Procedural Statistics]. In a city like Los Angeles, the hard part is not finding a surgeon. It is picking one.
About Dr. Ardesh
Dr. Ardesh of Beauty Mark MD is a double board-certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon known for delivering thousands of refined, natural outcomes. With an academic background that includes teaching in head and neck surgery, ophthalmology, and dermatology at Loma Linda University, he later transitioned into private practice to focus on patient-centred care. His philosophy emphasises subtle enhancement rather than obvious alteration, earning him recognition as a leading plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills and Newport Beach.
What a face lift does, in plain words
A face lift moves things back to where they used to be. Over the years, the skin and the tissue under it slide down. That is where jowls come from. It is also why the neck loosens and the lines around the mouth get deeper.
During surgery, the surgeon lifts that deeper tissue, trims the extra skin and closes the cuts in the natural creases around the ears. Done well, nobody sees a "new" face. They see you, on a good day.
Who it helps most
The usual candidate is someone who notices:
- Jowls along the jawline
- Loose skin or bands in the neck
- Deep folds from the nose to the mouth
- Fillers that now look puffy instead of fresh
Age matters less than people expect. In 2024, about 18% of face lifts went to patients aged 40 to 54, and about 20% went to patients 70 and older. The right time is when the sagging bothers you, not when you hit a certain birthday.
What it won't fix
A face lift doesn't erase forehead lines, crepey skin texture or tired upper eyelids. Those need other treatments. That is why many people pair a face lift with an eyelid or brow procedure, or keep using Botox and skin care afterward.
Honest expectations are half the result.
How to spot the best facelift surgeon in Los Angeles
There is no official ranking. Anyone can call themselves "the best" on a billboard. So skip the slogans and check four things instead.
Board certification
Look for certification from the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery or the American Board of Plastic Surgery. It takes about two minutes to check online. Do it before the consultation, not after.
A practice focused on the face
A surgeon who operates on faces most days knows the anatomy by heart. That shows in small details, like where a scar lands or how the earlobe sits after surgery.
Results that look like real people
Before and after photos tell you more than any review. Look for patients your age, with sagging like yours. Check the neck and the ears too, not only the jawline. If everyone in the gallery looks tight and a little surprised, keep looking.
Straight answers
The right surgeon tells you what will help and what won't. Sometimes that means "you don't need this yet." A long list of add ons before anyone has examined your face is a warning sign.
Here is a quick way to compare the surgeons on your shortlist:
|
What to check |
Good sign |
Red flag |
|
Credentials |
Board certified in facial plastic or plastic surgery |
Only "cosmetic surgeon" with no board named |
|
Focus |
Most of the practice is face and neck |
Faces are one item on a long menu |
|
Photos |
Natural results on patients like you |
Same tight look on everyone |
|
Consultation |
Time with the surgeon, clear plan |
Rushed, mostly a sales pitch |
|
Reviews |
Patients say "I still look like me" |
Complaints about pressure or upselling |
What a face lift in Los Angeles feels like, start to finish
The process is simpler than most people imagine. Three stages, roughly.
The consultation
The surgeon looks at your skin, your jawline and your neck, asks what bothers you and explains what they recommend. Bring old photos from ten or fifteen years ago. They help both of you agree on what "refreshed" means for your face.
Surgery day
Most face lifts are outpatient, so you go home the same day. Some surgeons, Dr. Ardesh included, offer face lifts under local anesthesia for suitable patients, which skips general anesthesia altogether. You'll need someone to drive you home and stay with you the first night.
Recovery
Everyone heals at their own pace, but the general pattern looks like this:
|
Time after surgery |
What it's usually like |
|
First few days |
Swelling and tightness, lots of rest with your head raised |
|
About 1 week |
Stitches come out, bruising starts fading |
|
2 to 3 weeks |
Many people go back to work and dinners out |
|
4 to 6 weeks |
Exercise slowly returns |
|
3 to 6 months |
The result looks settled and natural |
The honest truth is that week two is the hardest week mentally. You feel fine but still look puffy. Give it time.
What a face lift costs, and why cheap gets expensive
Nationally, the average surgeon's fee for a face lift ran from about $12,000 to $19,000 in the last few years. That figure leaves out anesthesia, the facility and medications. In Los Angeles, total costs usually land higher than the national average.
What changes the price
- Whether the neck is lifted at the same time
- Extra procedures, like eyelids or a brow lift
- Local or general anesthesia
- The surgeon's experience and where the surgery takes place
The price of a redo
Here's the thing nobody puts on a billboard. Fixing a face lift that went wrong costs more, takes longer and is harder on you than doing it right the first time. A slightly higher quote from a surgeon you trust is usually the cheaper choice over ten years.
Ask for a written, all-in quote after your consultation. Then compare surgeons on results first and price second.
Where Dr. Ardesh fits in
Dr. Farhad Ardesh is a board-certified facial plastic surgeon with offices on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and in Newport Beach His practice is built around the face and neck, and his stated aim is simple: enhance your natural features while keeping you recognizably you.
Patients often mention the same things in reviews. He takes time to explain. He doesn't push extra procedures. And people say they look rested, not changed [Ardesh Facial Plastic Surgery]. If you want to see what that looks like, his before and after gallery is a good place to start.
The bigger picture
A good face lift is quiet. Friends say you look well and can't explain why. Your neck stops bothering you in photos. That's it.
So when you search for the best facelift surgeon in Los Angeles, look past the loudest ads. Look for the surgeon whose patients you'd never guess had surgery. Once you find that person, the rest of the decision gets much easier.
