Natural facial rejuvenation that restores what time has quietly altered — without replacing the character and individuality that makes you, you.
Overview
Of all the procedures in a plastic surgeon's repertoire, the facelift carries the most mythology — and the most misunderstanding. To many people, the word still conjures images of tight skin, startled expressions, and the unmistakable appearance of having had "work done." That look is the result of a specific technical error: pulling skin under tension. It is not inevitable. It is not what Dr. Newman does.
A well-executed facelift works entirely below the surface of the skin. The structural layer of the face — the SMAS, or superficial musculoaponeurotic system — is a sheet of fibromuscular tissue that connects the facial muscles to the skin. With age, this layer descends. The jowls that form along the jaw, the hollowing in the midcheeks, the deepening of the nasolabial folds — all of these are, in large part, the result of that descent. Dr. Newman addresses them directly, by repositioning the SMAS back to where it once sat.
The skin, released from having to do any structural work, lies effortlessly and naturally over the newly repositioned tissue. There is no tension. There is no distortion. There is simply a face that looks refreshed, restored, and entirely like the person it belongs to.
Both deep-plane and SMAS facelift techniques address the underlying facial structure rather than merely the skin — but they differ in how they approach it. A traditional SMAS technique lifts and tightens the SMAS layer while treating the overlying fat compartments separately. A deep-plane technique goes deeper still, releasing the SMAS and the overlying fat as a single, unified unit, allowing both to be repositioned together. This approach produces particularly natural results in the midface and cheek area, and is especially effective for patients with significant midface descent, prominent nasolabial folds, or heavier facial structure.
Dr. Newman selects his technique based on your anatomy and the degree of aging present — not on a preference for one approach over another. The two are tools, not philosophies, and the right tool depends entirely on what needs to be accomplished.
The face ages as a system, and the most natural-looking results often come from addressing it that way. A facelift addresses the lower face and midface beautifully — but the neck, the brows, and the eyelids each age on their own timeline. Many of Dr. Newman's patients choose to combine a facelift with a neck lift, brow lift, or blepharoplasty to achieve a result that harmonizes across all zones of the face. This combination approach requires only one anesthesia event and one recovery period — and the result is balanced in a way that isolated procedures rarely achieve.
Volume loss is another dimension of aging that a facelift alone does not fully address. The cheeks, temples, and under-eye area hollow with time, and no amount of lifting restores what has been lost. Fat transfer — harvesting small amounts of fat from elsewhere on the body and reinjecting them into depleted areas — is a complementary technique Dr. Newman uses frequently to restore that youthful fullness without adding foreign material.
Dr. Newman has been performing facelift surgery in Beverly Hills since 2007. In that time, he has refined his technique through thousands of procedures on patients of every age, background, and facial structure. His Georgetown fellowship training gave him an unusually rigorous foundation for facial surgery. His experience as a UCLA faculty member keeps him actively engaged with the current literature and the next generation of techniques. And his Beverly Hills practice has given him a patient population that demands — and receives — the most discerning standard of care in the world.
If you are considering a facelift, we invite you to schedule a consultation with Dr. Newman. He will take the time to understand your goals, assess your anatomy honestly, and give you a genuine answer about what a facelift can and cannot achieve for you specifically. There is no pressure. There is no template. There is only the question of what would make you feel most like yourself again.
Am I a Candidate?
Candidacy for facelift surgery is based on anatomy and overall health — not age alone. Many patients are surprised to learn they are good candidates earlier than they expected, or that their age does not disqualify them. Dr. Newman evaluates each patient individually. Typical candidates share several of these characteristics:
The Process
Every facelift at Dr. Newman's practice follows a thoughtful, carefully managed process. Here is what the experience looks like from beginning to end.
Dr. Newman examines your facial anatomy in detail — skin quality, tissue descent, bone structure, volume loss — and discusses your goals. He explains what a facelift can achieve, what complementary procedures might be appropriate, and gives an honest, unembellished assessment of the realistic outcome.
Surgery takes place at a fully accredited outpatient facility under general anesthesia administered by a board-certified anesthesiologist. You are monitored throughout. Dr. Newman performs a careful preoperative marking of the planned incisions, which are positioned to be concealed within the hairline and natural skin creases.
Incisions are made, the skin is elevated, and the SMAS layer (and, when appropriate, the deep plane) is released, repositioned, and secured. Dr. Newman takes considerable time with the structural layer because this is where the result lives. The skin is then redraped without tension and closed with meticulous suturing.
You go home the same day with a light dressing. Bruising and swelling peak in the first week and largely resolve by weeks 2 to 3. Most patients feel comfortable appearing in public — with light makeup — by the end of week 2. Final results become fully apparent over 3 to 6 months as residual swelling resolves completely.
Gallery
A selection of Dr. Newman's facelift results. All patients are real patients who have consented to share their photographs.
*Each patient is unique. Results may vary. Photos are shown with patient consent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Take the First Step
Meet with Dr. Newman in his Beverly Hills office to discuss your goals, understand your options, and leave with an honest, expert assessment of what facelift surgery can do for you. Consultations are private, unhurried, and without obligation.