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Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Center  ·  Santa Monica, Beverly Hills & Los Angeles

Facelift Surgery in Los Angeles

Mini facelift, SMAS facelift, deep plane facelift & neck lift — natural-looking facial rejuvenation by UCLA-trained double board-certified plastic surgeon and scar expert Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian at Kare Plastic Surgery in Santa Monica

Call (310) 998-5533 Request a Consultation
UCLATrained Plastic Surgeon
FACSDouble Board-Certified
ScarExpert & Revision Specialist
20+ YrsFacial Surgery Experience
RealSelf 100Top Surgeon

Facial Rejuvenation & Restoration

 

Facelift Surgery in Los Angeles: Surgical Precision. Natural Results. No Compromises.

A facelift — performed correctly, by a surgeon with formal plastic surgical training in facial anatomy and the full spectrum of lifting techniques — is the single most transformative procedure available in facial rejuvenation. Not Ultherapy, not radiofrequency, not thread lifts, not injectable volume accumulation: a surgical facelift performed at the right anatomical depth, in the correct tissue plane, with incisions placed with the precision of a scar expert, produces a decade of facial rejuvenation in a single operation that no non-surgical alternative can replicate or compete with.

At Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Center on 7th Street in Santa Monica, UCLA-educated double board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS offers the complete spectrum of surgical facial rejuvenation — from the limited-incision mini facelift for early-stage aging in patients in their early 40s, through the traditional SMAS facelift for comprehensive lower face and neck restoration, to the deep plane facelift for patients with more advanced facial aging requiring release of the facial retaining ligaments for genuinely natural, long-lasting midface and jawline correction. His results are distinguished by their naturalness: patients who look rested, refreshed, and a decade younger — not operated on.

As a nationally recognized scar expert with formal training in wound healing science and scar revision surgery, Dr. Karamanoukian brings an additional dimension to his facelift practice that most Los Angeles plastic surgeons cannot match: the ability to plan facelift incisions with the same precision he applies to scar revision — hiding the access points within the natural architecture of the ear, hairline, and skin creases so completely that even close inspection at one year reveals no trace of surgery. This scar expertise extends to his revision facelift practice, where patients who have had unsatisfactory outcomes at other Los Angeles and Beverly Hills practices — visible scarring, hairline disruption, distorted earlobe position, or the windswept appearance of over-tensioned skin — seek correction of these stigmata of poor surgical technique.

Facelift Procedures at Kare Plastic Surgery

  • Mini facelift (short-scar SMAS lift) 
  • Traditional SMAS facelift — comprehensive lower face & jawline
  • Deep plane facelift — advanced aging, midface, nasolabial folds
  • Extended deep plane facelift — comprehensive facial restoration
  • Neck lift with platysmal plication and submentoplasty
  • Brow lift combined with facelift
  • Blepharoplasty combined with facelift
  • Fat transfer to the face combined with facelift
  • Revision facelift — correction of prior surgery 
  • Facelift without General Anesthesia
  • Facelift scar revision — correction of visible or distorting scars

Surgeon Expertise

 

Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian: Facelift Expertise and Scar Guru

Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian’s facelift practice is built on three pillars that distinguish him from the majority of plastic surgeons in the Los Angeles facelift market: formal UCLA academic plastic surgery training that encompassed the full breadth of facial cosmetic and reconstructive surgery; a nationally recognized subspecialty expertise in wound healing science and scar management that directly informs the quality of his facelift incision planning and closure; and a significant revision facelift practice that has given him intimate clinical knowledge of what constitutes a failed facelift — knowledge that shapes every decision he makes in primary facelift surgery.

His UCLA plastic surgery residency provided training in every facelift technique — from the simplest limited-incision SMAS plication to the anatomically complex deep plane release — under the supervision of attending surgeons who operate at the academic frontiers of facial rejuvenation. This breadth of training is essential for a surgeon who must honestly match the technique to the patient’s anatomy rather than applying a single preferred approach to every case. A patient with early jowling and good skin elasticity in their early 40s is best served by a mini facelift; a patient with significant midface descent, deep nasolabial folds, and loss of jawline definition requires a deep plane facelift with retaining ligament release. Recommending the right operation for the anatomy presented — rather than the operation the surgeon is most comfortable performing — is the hallmark of a properly trained plastic surgeon.

His scar expert designation — earned through his nationally recognized practice in keloid management, hypertrophic scar revision, and surgical scar correction — translates directly into facelift outcomes. Every facelift incision he plans is designed with the same discipline he brings to scar revision: the pretragal vs. retrotragal tragal approach selection based on skin type, the temporal hairline incision design that prevents hairline elevation, the posterior auricular incision placement that avoids earlobe distortion, and the post-auricular extension into the occipital hairline that conceals the posterior scar completely. Patients whose previous facelift results are disfigured by visible, hypertrophic, or distorting scars come to Dr. Karamanoukian for reconstruction of these surgical stigmata — an experience that continuously sharpens his commitment to perfect scar planning in every primary case he performs.

“The most important facelift decision is not which technique to use — it is choosing the right technique for the right anatomy in the right patient. A deep plane facelift is not better than a SMAS facelift; it is better for patients who need deep plane. My job is to assess your anatomy accurately and recommend what your face actually requires, not what is easiest to perform or most impressive to describe.”

— Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS — Kare Plastic Surgery, Santa Monica

UCLAeducated at UCLA school of medicine
FACSDouble board-certified, Fellow ACS
ScarNationally recognized wound healing expert
RevisionFacelift correction & scar repair

Understanding Facial Aging

 

The Anatomy of Facial Aging: Understanding Facelifts

Facial aging is not a single process — it is the simultaneous deterioration of five anatomical systems that interact to produce the visible signs of an aging face. Understanding which systems are affected in each patient guides the surgical plan more precisely than any surface observation alone.

Volume Loss & Bony Resorption

The bony skeleton of the face loses volume progressively with age — the orbital rim recedes, the malar eminence flattens, the maxilla resorbs superiorly, and the mandible loses posterior height. This bony volume loss creates the skeletal deflation that makes the overlying soft tissue appear excessive and descended even before significant skin laxity has occurred.

Fat Compartment Descent

The face contains multiple distinct fat compartments — the malar, buccal, submalar, nasolabial, and jowl fat compartments — that descend inferiorly and posteriorly with age as the retaining ligaments that anchor them to the facial skeleton weaken. This descent creates the nasolabial fold deepening, cheek hollowing, and jowl formation that are the most recognizable signs of middle-age facial aging.

SMAS Descent & Ligament Laxity

The superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS) — the fibromuscular layer that connects the facial muscles to the overlying skin — descends with age as the zygomatic, masseteric, and mandibular cutaneous retaining ligaments that anchor it to the underlying periosteum elongate and weaken. SMAS descent is the primary driver of jowl formation and the loss of jawline definition that characterizes the aging lower face.

Skin Laxity & Collagen Depletion

The dermis loses approximately 1% of its collagen density annually after age 20 — a process accelerated dramatically by UV exposure from the Los Angeles lifestyle — producing progressive loss of skin elasticity, thickness, and the ability to retract after stretching. By the time significant facial laxity is visible, the dermis has lost 20–30% of its collagen scaffold and can no longer mask the SMAS descent and fat compartment migration occurring beneath it.

Platysmal Banding & Neck Aging

The platysma muscle of the neck separates along the midline with age, creating the characteristic vertical neck cords (platysmal bands) visible when the neck is tense. Concurrent loss of the cervical fat pad, skin laxity of the neck, and descent of the submandibular glands produces the “turkey neck” and loss of the cervicomental angle that is one of the most revealing signs of facial aging — and one that requires surgical correction that Ultherapy and non-surgical devices cannot provide.

Periorbital & Brow Descent

The brow descends with age as the forehead skin loses elasticity and the frontalis muscle can no longer counteract the weight of the brow fat pad and skin. Brow ptosis produces lateral hooding of the upper eyelid, a tired or heavy-lidded appearance, and deepening of the glabellar and forehead rhytides. Brow lift — endoscopic or temporal — combined with facelift addresses this component of facial aging that facelift alone cannot correct.

What facelift corrects — and what it does not: A facelift addresses the lower face and neck components of aging: SMAS descent, jowl formation, jawline loss, nasolabial fold deepening, neck skin laxity, and platysmal banding. It does not correct brow descent (brow lift), upper or lower eyelid aging (blepharoplasty), or facial volume loss (fat transfer or fillers). Dr. Karamanoukian evaluates all facial aging dimensions at consultation and recommends whether facelift alone, or facelift combined with brow lift, blepharoplasty, and fat transfer, will produce the most comprehensive and harmonious rejuvenation for each patient’s specific anatomy.

Facelift Techniques

 

Facelift Options: Matching the Right Procedure to Your Anatomy

Dr. Karamanoukian performs the full spectrum of facelift techniques and selects the most appropriate approach at consultation based on each patient’s degree of facial aging, anatomy, skin quality, and goals.

01
Early Aging 

Mini Facelift (Short-Scar)

The mini facelift uses a limited incision confined to the area immediately around the ear — from within the temporal hairline, around the tragus and earlobe, and a short distance behind the ear — to access, tighten, and reposition the SMAS layer of the lower face and early neck without extending the incision into the posterior hairline. The limited dissection field produces a faster recovery than a full facelift (7–10 days from social activities) and a shorter, less extensive incision that heals with a minimal scar hidden within the ear and hairline anatomy.

The mini facelift is ideally suited for patients with early to moderate jowling, mild midface descent, early neck skin laxity, and sufficient skin elasticity that the limited skin excision possible through a short-scar approach produces adequate improvement without leaving the skin under tension. It is Dr. Karamanoukian’s preferred operation for patients in their late 30s to early 50s who want meaningful surgical improvement with the fastest return to professional and social activity. Many mini facelift patients are surprised by the degree of improvement achievable through such a limited access.

Ideal For: Early jowling and jawline loss, patients 38–52 with good skin elasticity, those wanting faster recovery (7–10 days), first facelift with limited anatomical change, local anesthesia candidates
02
Moderate Aging 

SMAS Facelift (Traditional Facelift)

The traditional SMAS facelift is the comprehensive facial rejuvenation procedure that has defined modern facelift surgery since the SMAS layer was formally described by Mitz and Peyronie in 1974 and its surgical implications defined in the landmark literature of the 1980s and 1990s. The incision runs from within the temporal hairline, around the ear in a carefully planned path that avoids hairline disruption and earlobe distortion, and into the posterior hairline — allowing access to the full lower face and neck SMAS from the malar eminence to the platysma.

The SMAS is tightened by plication (suturing the SMAS to itself in a folded configuration) or by SMASectomy with imbrication — Dr. Karamanoukian selects the specific SMAS management technique based on the anatomy encountered during surgery. The overlying skin is then advanced under minimal tension in a superoposterior vector, excess skin is excised conservatively, and the wound is closed in meticulous layers with fine absorbable sutures throughout. Recovery is 2–3 weeks from social activities. Results last 8–12 years in most patients with appropriate skin protection and weight maintenance.

Ideal For: Moderate to significant jowling, neck laxity, early platysmal banding, patients 48–62, comprehensive lower face restoration; the gold standard procedure for most facelift candidates
03
Advanced Aging 

Deep Plane Facelift

The deep plane facelift is the most technically sophisticated facelift technique available — operating beneath the SMAS in the deep plane between the facial muscles and the overlying SMAS-skin unit to release the facial retaining ligaments (the zygomatic cutaneous ligament, the masseteric cutaneous ligament, and the mandibular cutaneous ligament) that tether the descended facial soft tissue to the underlying periosteum. By releasing these ligaments, the deep plane facelift allows the SMAS and its overlying skin to move as a single composite unit in a natural superior-posterior vector — without the skin-SMAS separation that requires tension at the skin surface to produce equivalent lift in a traditional SMAS approach.

The clinical advantages are significant and well-documented in the published literature: the deep plane facelift produces more comprehensive correction of the nasolabial fold (which is released from below rather than pulled from the side), more durable midface elevation, a more natural-appearing result without the lateral skin pull associated with skin-only or SMAS-only techniques, and longer-lasting results — typically 10–15 years — because the fundamental anatomical tethering that drives facial aging has been surgically corrected rather than simply overwhelmed by tension. Dr. Karamanoukian’s UCLA training and extensive facelift experience make him one of a relatively small number of Los Angeles plastic surgeons who perform the true deep plane technique with full ligament release rather than a labeled “deep plane” that is actually a high SMAS approach.

Ideal For: Advanced aging with significant midface descent, deep nasolabial folds, significant jowling, patients 55–72 seeking the most comprehensive and durable facial rejuvenation available; revision after prior inadequate facelift
04
Neck Correction — All Facelift Candidates

Neck Lift with Platysmal Plication

The neck is addressed as an integral component of every facelift Dr. Karamanoukian performs — not as a separate, optional add-on. The aging neck involves a combination of platysmal banding (visible vertical neck cords from midline platysmal muscle separation), skin laxity producing jowl-to-neck skin excess, loss of the cervicomental angle from fat accumulation and platysmal descent, and submandibular gland prominence. Each of these components requires specific surgical management within the facelift.

Platysmal plication — suturing the separated medial platysmal edges together at the midline through a short submental incision beneath the chin — recreates the muscular floor of the neck and eliminates the platysmal banding that is one of the most revealing signs of neck aging. Submentoplasty (lipectomy of the pre-platysmal fat through the same incision) removes the fat pad responsible for loss of cervicomental angle definition. The combination of platysmal plication, submentoplasty, and the SMAS-to-platysma connection tightened through the facelift incision produces the dramatic neck rejuvenation that is typically the most striking and most patient-appreciated element of the overall facelift result.

Ideal For: Platysmal banding, loss of cervicomental angle, jowl-to-neck skin excess, submental fat excess — performed as an integral component of all facelift procedures at Kare; the most transformative component for many patients
05
Complex Cases — All Ages

Revision Facelift & Scar Correction

Revision facelift — the surgical correction of unsatisfactory results from a prior facelift procedure — is one of the most challenging operations in facial plastic surgery and a specialized component of Dr. Karamanoukian’s practice. The most common revision presentations include: visible or hypertrophic facelift scars (particularly pre-tragal or post-auricular); hairline disruption with visible temporal or occipital hair loss at the incision site; earlobe distortion (the “pixie ear” deformity from over-tension at the lobule); the windswept or skeletonized lateral face from overly aggressive skin tension; inadequate lift from SMAS undercorrection; and platysmal banding recurrence from incomplete or absent platysmal plication at the primary surgery.

Dr. Karamanoukian’s nationally recognized scar expertise is the foundation of his revision facelift practice — the ability to reconstruct distorted ear anatomy, reposition scarred hairlines, correct pigmentary changes at incision lines, and revise the broad, hypertrophic scars that result from over-tensioned facelift closures by surgeons without adequate scar management training. Patients seeking second opinions on revision facelift from Beverly Hills and Los Angeles are evaluated with the same thoroughness and clinical objectivity as any primary facelift consultation.

Ideal For: Visible facelift scars, hairline disruption, earlobe deformity, windswept appearance, inadequate prior lift, platysmal banding recurrence; patients seeking second opinion on prior facelift results
06
Combination Procedures

HIDEF Facelift

Many patients presenting for facelift have aging changes in the periorbital region, brow position, and facial volume that a facelift alone cannot correct. Dr. Karamanoukian addresses all facial aging dimensions in a single comprehensive operative session when anatomy and patient goals indicate: endoscopic or temporal brow lift for brow ptosis and forehead rhytides; upper and/or lower blepharoplasty for eyelid skin excess and lower lid fat herniation; fat transfer to the temples, midface, and perioral region to restore the volume that descending tissue has depleted; and fractional CO2 or Erbium laser resurfacing of perioral or periorbital rhytides performed either at the time of surgery or in the post-operative period.

This comprehensive facial restoration approach — addressing lifting (facelift), periorbital aging (blepharoplasty), brow position (brow lift), and volume (fat transfer) simultaneously — produces the most complete and harmonious facial rejuvenation available and eliminates the need for staged procedures at different time points.

Ideal For: Patients with aging changes across multiple facial regions; those seeking comprehensive one-session facial restoration; combined with brow lift for periorbital aging, blepharoplasty for eyelid surgery, fat transfer for volume

Patient Selection

 

Who Is a Good Candidate for Facelift Surgery in Los Angeles?

✓ Ideal Candidates for Facelift Surgery at Kare Plastic Surgery

  • Adults with visible jowling — the descent of lower facial fat and soft tissue across the jawline — who have been frustrated by the inability of non-surgical treatments including Ultherapy, Morpheus8, and fillers to produce meaningful, durable correction of this specific anatomical change
  • Patients with platysmal banding — the visible vertical neck cords that appear when the neck is tense — which can only be permanently corrected by platysmal plication through a surgical approach; no energy device or injectable can approximate separated platysmal muscle edges
  • Those with significant loss of the cervicomental angle — the definition between the chin and neck that produces the youthful, angular neck profile — from fat accumulation, platysmal descent, or skin laxity that has not responded to non-surgical fat reduction or skin tightening
  • Patients in their late 30s to early 70s in good general health without significant cardiovascular, pulmonary, or metabolic conditions that increase anesthetic risk, assessed by pre-operative medical clearance
  • Non-smokers or patients who have stopped smoking for a minimum of 4 weeks before and after surgery — smoking dramatically increases the risk of skin flap necrosis (skin death) after facelift by impairing the perfusion of the elevated skin flap
  • Those with realistic expectations about what facelift achieves: meaningful, long-lasting improvement in lower facial and neck aging that produces a more rested, youthful, and defined appearance — not a return to age 25, and not a “done” appearance that announces surgical intervention to every observer
  • Patients at a stable, healthy weight for at least 3–6 months — significant weight fluctuation after facelift can alter the facial soft tissue volume and skin laxity in ways that affect the durability and appearance of the result
  • Those who have consulted with non-surgical providers and been told that their degree of facial aging is beyond what energy-based treatments can meaningfully improve — or who have had multiple non-surgical treatments without achieving the degree of improvement they seek
  • Patients seeking revision of a prior facelift performed elsewhere with unsatisfactory results including visible scarring, hairline disruption, earlobe deformity, insufficient lift, or the windswept appearance of over-tensioned skin closure
  • Individuals with deep nasolabial folds and midface descent that have not responded adequately to filler volume restoration — a finding that suggests structural ptosis of the malar fat pad requiring deep plane release for comprehensive correction

Your Surgical Experience

 

The Facelift Process at Kare Plastic Surgery in Santa Monica

 

Comprehensive Facial Aging Assessment

Dr. Karamanoukian evaluates all five dimensions of facial aging at consultation: bony resorption, fat compartment descent, SMAS laxity, skin quality, and platysmal/neck anatomy. He assesses the degree and distribution of jowling, the nasolabial fold depth, the malar fat pad position, the cervicomental angle, the extent of platysmal banding, and the quality and elasticity of the facial skin — all factors that determine which technique will produce the best result. He evaluates the entire face, not just the lower face, identifying periorbital, brow, and volume changes that a facelift alone would not address, and discussing whether combining facelift with brow lift, blepharoplasty, or fat transfer would produce a more complete result.

 

Incision Planning & Scar Design

The facelift incision is planned with the same precision Dr. Karamanoukian applies to scar revision surgery — a process that begins with the specific anatomy of the patient’s ear, hairline, and skin creases rather than a standard template. The pretragal vs. retrotragal tragal incision is selected based on skin type and the risk of skin bunching. The temporal hairline incision is designed to avoid elevation of the temporal hairline. The posterior auricular incision is planned to avoid earlobe distortion. The postauricular extension into the occipital hairline is placed to avoid visible hair parting or hairline disruption. Standardized clinical photographs are taken under consistent lighting conditions for baseline documentation and outcome comparison.

 

Surgery Under General Anesthesia or Sedation

Full SMAS and deep plane facelifts are performed under general anesthesia administered by a board-certified anesthesiologist in Kare Plastic Surgery’s accredited Santa Monica surgical facility. Mini facelifts are frequently performed under local anesthesia with intravenous moderate sedation. The planned facelift technique is executed systematically: the skin flap is elevated in the subcutaneous plane, the SMAS is addressed by plication, imbrication, or deep plane release as planned, the platysmal plication and submentoplasty are performed through the submental incision, and the skin is advanced under minimal tension, excess is excised conservatively, and the wound is closed in multiple layers with fine absorbable sutures. A compressive facial dressing is applied at the conclusion of the procedure.

 

Recovery & Post-Operative Care

The facial dressing is removed at 24–48 hours. Drainage tubes, if placed, are removed at 24–48 hours based on output. Most patients take 2–3 weeks away from social and professional activities. Bruising and swelling peak at days 3–5 and resolve progressively over 2–4 weeks. Sutures are removed at 5–7 days for facial and earlobe sutures, 10–14 days for posterior auricular and scalp sutures. Strenuous exercise is restricted for 4–6 weeks. Sleep with the head elevated at 30–45 degrees is recommended for the first 2 weeks to minimize swelling. The scar management protocol begins at 3–4 weeks post-operatively, with silicone gel application, sun protection, and massage instruction for optimal scar maturation.

 

Results, Scar Management & Long-Term Care

The final facelift result is fully visible at 3–6 months when post-operative swelling has completely resolved and the new facial contour has settled into its permanent position. Facelift scars mature from pink to white over 12–18 months; Dr. Karamanoukian’s structured scar management protocol — silicone gel sheeting, SPF 50+ sun protection, and early Vbeam or fractional laser for any persistent redness — accelerates this maturation and produces the finest possible scar quality at every incision site. Annual skin health maintenance with non-surgical modalities (Ultherapy, Morpheus8, Clear + Brilliant) can extend the longevity of the surgical result and address any new surface aging changes in the years following surgery.

Common Questions

 

Frequently Asked Questions: Facelift Surgery in Los Angeles

What is the difference between a deep plane facelift and a SMAS facelift?

A SMAS facelift tightens the superficial musculoaponeurotic system by plicating or imbracting it with permanent sutures, producing excellent lower face and jawline improvement but not releasing the facial retaining ligaments that anchor the descended midface tissue to the underlying periosteum. A deep plane facelift operates beneath the SMAS, releasing the zygomatic, masseteric, and mandibular cutaneous retaining ligaments, and repositioning the SMAS-skin composite unit without separating the two layers. This produces more comprehensive nasolabial fold correction, more natural midface elevation, longer-lasting results, and less surface skin tension — at the cost of greater surgical complexity. Not every patient needs a deep plane facelift; Dr. Karamanoukian recommends the technique based on the anatomy presented at examination, not on trend or marketing preference.

What makes a facelift look natural rather than pulled or “done”?

A natural facelift result comes from three principles: tissue repositioning in the correct anatomical vector (superiorly and posteriorly, not laterally), minimal skin tension at the incision lines (achieved by placing the tension on the deep SMAS rather than the skin), and incision placement that is completely hidden within the natural architecture of the ear and hairline. The windswept, pulled, or “done” appearance results from over-resection of skin, lateral rather than vertical vector of pull, and insufficient SMAS tightening that forces the surgeon to rely on skin tension for the lift. Dr. Karamanoukian’s approach consistently closes facelift incisions under no skin tension, with the entire lift provided by the SMAS and deep plane tissue management — producing results that are recognizable only by how natural and well-rested the patient appears, not by any sign of surgery.

How long does a facelift last?

A well-performed traditional SMAS facelift typically produces results lasting 7–10 years before the patient may consider a secondary procedure. A deep plane facelift, with its comprehensive retaining ligament release and composite tissue repositioning, produces results lasting 10–15 years in most patients. The natural aging process continues after surgery, but from the new rejuvenated baseline established at operation, meaning the patient continues to look younger than they would have without surgery throughout the years following the procedure. Annual maintenance with non-surgical treatments including Ultherapy and Morpheus8 can extend the longevity of the surgical result further.

Can a facelift be performed under local anesthesia?

Mini facelifts can be performed under local anesthesia with optional oral or intravenous sedation in selected patients who prefer to avoid general anesthesia. The limited dissection of a mini facelift is achievable under local anesthetic field block, and the reduced anesthetic burden is a meaningful advantage for patients with medical contraindications to general anesthesia or those who prefer a shorter operative experience. Traditional SMAS facelifts and deep plane facelifts require general anesthesia due to the extent of dissection and the patient comfort requirements of the procedure. Dr. Karamanoukian discusses the appropriate anesthesia approach at consultation based on the planned procedure and patient health history.

What is a revision facelift and can previous surgical mistakes be corrected?

Revision facelift addresses the surgical stigmata of a prior facelift that has healed with unsatisfactory results. The most common corrections sought at Kare Plastic Surgery include: visible or hypertrophic facelift scars requiring scar revision; earlobe distortion (the “pixie ear” deformity from over-tension at the lobule) requiring earlobe reconstruction; temporal hairline disruption creating visible hair loss at the incision requiring hairline scar revision; insufficient lift requiring re-elevation and re-tensioning of the SMAS; and the windswept or lateral skin-pull appearance from over-resection of skin. Dr. Karamanoukian’s nationally recognized scar expertise makes him uniquely qualified to address the scarring and anatomical distortion components of revision facelift that general plastic surgeons without scar subspecialty training may not be able to correct.

How much does a facelift cost in Los Angeles?

Published facelift pricing in the Los Angeles and Beverly Hills market for traditional SMAS facelifts typically ranges from $15,000 to $35,000+ including surgeon, anesthesia, and facility fees, depending on the technique, complexity, and whether concurrent procedures are included. Deep plane facelifts command a premium over traditional SMAS facelifts due to their greater surgical complexity and time requirements. A personalized all-inclusive cost estimate is provided at consultation once Dr. Karamanoukian has assessed the anatomy and planned the appropriate procedure. Financing through CareCredit and other patient financing programs is available for qualified patients. All facelift procedures are considered elective cosmetic surgery and are not covered by health insurance.

Schedule Your Facelift Consultation in Los Angeles

Experience the most honest, anatomically precise facelift consultation in Santa Monica — with a UCLA-trained, double board-certified plastic surgeon who will tell you exactly which technique your anatomy requires and deliver results that look natural, never operated on. Contact Kare Plastic Surgery today.

(310) 998-5533 Request a Consultation

Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Center  ·  804 7th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90403  ·  (310) 998-5533

Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS — Double Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon  ·  UCLA-Trained  ·  Scar Expert  ·  Mini Facelift & Deep Plane Facelift  ·  RealSelf 100  ·  Santa Monica