Facelift in Boston

Refresh your appearance and achieve a rested, youthful look with a customized facelift in Boston. Dr. Ashley Lonergan carefully designs every facelift to honor your unique features and subtly enhance your face without overpowering your identity.

Rediscovering a More Rested You

Facelifts remain one of the most requested procedures for patients in Boston seeking to address sagging skin and volume loss without looking like a different person. In her work at the Boston Center for Plastic Surgery, Dr. Lonergan approaches facelift surgery with an emphasis on subtlety, using her fellowship training to create results that feel like a natural extension of who you already are.

What Is a Facelift?

A facelift is a surgical procedure that repositions underlying facial tissue and removes excess skin to address sagging along the mid and lower face. It’s most commonly used to correct the visible effects of aging that skincare and nonsurgical treatments can no longer fully address. While every patient has their own motivation for seeking surgery, many come to Dr. Lonergan for the following benefits:

Reduced jowling
A younger, more rested look
Softer nasolabial folds and marionette lines
Improved jawline definition
Increased confidence in personal and professional settings

Why Choose Dr. Ashley Lonergan?

With facelifts, technique and judgment matter just as much as surgical skill. Dr. Lonergan’s fellowship training under Dr. Edwin Williams and Dr. Keimun Slaughter at The Williams Center for Plastic Surgery focused heavily on facial rejuvenation, giving her direct experience with the nuances that separate a natural facelift result from one that reads as obviously surgical. She’s also the only female facial plastic surgery specialist practicing at the Boston Center for Plastic Surgery, which shapes the candor with which she discusses aging, timing, and expectations with her patients.

Dr. Lonergan will tell you directly if a facelift is not the right procedure for your face, whether the concern is timing, a better-suited alternative, or a goal that surgery alone cannot achieve. Her practice philosophy remains focused on achieving natural-looking results for patients through customized, anatomically aligned procedures.

What to Expect From Your Facelift in Boston

A Personalized Surgical Plan

Every facelift begins with an individualized plan based on your specific facial anatomy, skin quality, and aging pattern. During your initial consultation, Dr. Lonergan will map out exactly where tissue needs to be repositioned and how much correction is needed to restore balance without overcorrecting any single area.

Designed for Your Comfort

Facelift procedures are typically performed under general anesthesia or deep sedation, depending on the extent of correction needed and your overall health. Dr. Lonergan will walk you through the specific approach chosen for your case well before your surgery, so you’ll know what to expect on the day of your procedure.

Strategic Incision Placement

Dr. Lonergan will carefully place your incisions within the natural curves of the face, typically along the hairline and behind the ear, to minimize visible scarring once healing is complete. This placement allows Dr. Lonergan to access and reposition deeper facial tissue while keeping any resulting scars well hidden.

Tailoring Your Treatment

Many patients choose to pair their facelift with a complementary procedure, such as a neck lift or brow lift, to achieve more balanced results in a single recovery period. Dr. Lonergan will discuss whether combining procedures is safe and appropriate based on your goals and anatomy.

Patient-First Recovery

Recovery after a facelift in Boston typically involves swelling and bruising during the first one to two weeks, which should gradually improve as healing progresses. Depending on your needs, she may provide you with a compressive head or neck wrap to help reduce swelling, encourage fluid drainage, and support healing tissues during early recovery. Most patients feel comfortable returning to non-strenuous activities and light social settings within two to three weeks. You’ll need to avoid intense exercise, including running and weight lifting, for at least six weeks to allow your body adequate time to heal.

Your Post-Op Process

After your procedure, Dr. Lonergan will provide you with a personalized recovery plan tailored to your body’s needs. This plan may include the following:

Incision site care and cleaning protocols
Supportive garment guidance, if applicable
Activity limitations
Sleep position restrictions
Hygiene recommendations
Sun protection and exposure requirements
Swelling and pain management strategies
Side effects to monitor

Dr. Lonergan will schedule regular follow-up visits at her Boston office to monitor progress and address any questions as they arise. There, she’ll also review what to expect if complications occur, ensuring you feel supported rather than left to navigate recovery alone.

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Natural-Looking Results

Your facelift results will continue to refine over several months as swelling fully resolves and your tissues settle into their new position. The goal is never a dramatic transformation, but a version of you that looks rested, balanced, and authentic to your true self.

Woman sitting in a chair | white flowers

Facelift Frequently Asked Questions

At what age should someone consider a facelift?

There’s no single age that determines candidacy, since facial aging varies significantly from person to person. Dr. Lonergan evaluates each patient individually based on skin quality, volume loss, and personal goals rather than age alone.

How long do facelift results typically last?

Facelift results commonly last 10 years or longer, though this varies based on genetics, skin quality, and lifestyle factors like sun exposure. To maintain your results over the long term, Dr. Lonergan recommends sticking to a consistent skin care routine and receiving regular non-surgical treatments.

Will a facelift address my neck as well?

Dr. Lonergan’s facelifts in Boston primarily address the mid and lower face, though they can improve some neck laxity depending on your anatomy. For more significant neck concerns, Dr. Lonergan often recommends pairing a facelift with a dedicated neck lift to rejuvenate both areas.

Is a facelift painful?

Most patients in Boston report discomfort that’s manageable with prescribed medication rather than significant pain. Swelling and tightness are more common during the first two weeks than sharp or severe pain.