Beautification by Facelift

dissecting the surgical "glow-up"

I recently wrote about the rise of the “beautification facelift” for Allure. I know, I know—like we need another made-up term muddling the literal definition of a facelift. But I’ve seen numerous doctors and influencers using this phrase, usually in the context of younger people getting what’s typically thought of as an older-person operation, so I felt compelled to explore the phenomenon further.

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Many of you are well-versed in facelifts. You know that they classically address the lower face along with the neck. And that certain kinds of facelifts can more reliably elevate the mid-face. But generally, with a facelift, we’re talking about resuspending the skin, fat, and SMAS/platysma, from cheeks to collarbones.

With the so-called beautification facelift, surgeons aren’t just putting fallen tissues back in place. They’re repositioning (some say “sculpting”) and supporting the canvas of the face while finessing other features, as well, with separate procedures: brow lifts, eyelid lifts, canthopexies/plasties, nose jobs, lip lifts, facial implants, jawline slimming, deep neck sculpting, fat grafting, laser resurfacing, chemical peels, and so forth. The facelift, however modest, serves as a centerpiece and the assorted ancillary treatments are customized to the individual. Surgeons are often making a series of millimeter-level adjustments for the sake of symmetry and balance. Still, it’s a lot.

Regardless of one’s age, gender, or starting point, the goal is to elicit a sort of unprecedented appeal by enhancing the architecture of the face without exaggerating features or robbing identity. When done carefully, with the utmost restraint, on appropriate candidates, patients can not only look better now, but age more gracefully in the future, surgeons say.

As I explain in Allure,

Since “beautification facelift” isn’t exactly a textbook term, every surgeon has a different take on it. And the line between rejuvenation and beautification can be a bit blurry, given that the former often contributes to the latter. But Ariel Rad, MD, PhD, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Washington, DC, sees a clear-cut distinction: “A traditional facelift aims to restore what has faded through time while a beautification facelift builds what may have never been there to begin with: sharper angles, better proportions, more facial harmony,” he says. “It isn’t strictly about age—it’s about anatomy and intent.”

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Why now are we talking about this? The facelift has been around for over 100 years, so why the sudden shift from anti-aging to beautification? A few reasons, it seems (mostly conjecture). More now than possibly ever before, the public is intrigued by facelifts—the deep plane versus SMAS debate, the sometimes-shocking price tags, the trademarked versions, and the ever-expanding roster of celebrities who appear to have gone under the knife (or actually admit to having done so by naming their surgeons). Subtle refinements on already-striking (and, frequently, already-youthful) faces seem to inspire the greatest outpouring of praise. As facelift techniques have steadily evolved, garnering these quieter, more credible results, cross-generational interest has grown, helping to normalize what’s long been deemed a taboo procedure and to rebrand it as a more inclusive beauty enhancement.

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The GLP-1s are also fueling this trend, allowing people who’ve been heavy all their lives to slim down and see themselves through fresh eyes. Some undergo surgery after losing weight to address the loose skin that remains when fat melts away. In these cases, the facelift presents an opportunity for an aesthetic upgrade. These patients, whatever their age, are often aiming for more than rejuvenation. They want their post-Ozempic face (and body, for that matter) to look objectively better than any previous iteration. They want the fabled “glow-up” to complete their weight-loss journey.

The Allure article delves deeper into all of this (plus the financial and ethical aspects), so please do give it a read.

What I’m pasting below was cut from the story, but provides more insight into patients’ mindsets and motivations, particularly in the context of weight loss and menopause. I found it interesting and perhaps you will too.