Face+ Signature Facelift

Dr Scott J Turner is a Specialist Plastic Surgeon (FRACS) practising in Sydney with over a decade of experience specialising in facial aesthetic surgery. As a Sydney-based facial plastic surgeon, Dr Turner has developed the Face+ Signature Facelift—his most advanced and comprehensive surgical offering for patients seeking complete facial rejuvenation.

Facial ageing is a complex process affecting multiple anatomical layers simultaneously. While individual facelift procedures can address specific concerns, comprehensive facial rejuvenation often requires a coordinated approach to restore balance across all facial regions. The Face+ Signature Facelift is a bespoke combination procedure designed to address the entire face and neck in a single comprehensive operation.

Dr Turner’s signature approach combines advanced deep plane face and neck lift techniques with upper face procedures (browlift and upper blepharoplasty), lower eyelid surgery, upper lip lift, and strategic volume restoration through facial fat grafting. This integrated approach addresses multiple signs of facial ageing in a single procedure that would otherwise require multiple separate operations, staged over months or years.

Understanding the Face+ Signature Facelift

The Face+ Signature Facelift is not simply a collection of procedures performed simultaneously—it is a carefully orchestrated surgical plan where each component enhances and complements the others. By addressing the forehead, brows, eyelids, midface, jawline, lips, and neck in a single operation, Dr Turner creates comprehensive facial harmony that respects your natural anatomy while reversing the visible signs of ageing.

What Makes This Facelift Approach Different?

Traditional facelift surgery typically focuses on the lower two-thirds of the face and neck. While effective for jowls and neck laxity, this approach leaves the upper face—including the brows, eyelids, and forehead—untreated. Similarly, individual procedures performed in isolation may create an imbalance, where one region appears refreshed while adjacent areas remain aged.

The Face+ Signature Facelift philosophy recognises that facial ageing is not isolated to a single region—it occurs simultaneously across the entire face. Descended brows create upper eyelid hooding, descending midface tissues deepen nasolabial folds, and the upper lip elongates as volume gradually depletes from the temples and cheeks. When only one or two areas are addressed in isolation, the overall rejuvenation remains incomplete.

The Seven Components of Comprehensive Rejuvenation

The Face+ Signature Facelift integrates seven distinct but interconnected procedures:

1. Deep Plane Face Lift
Releases deep facial ligaments and repositions the SMAS layer along with overlying skin as a unified composite unit, providing powerful correction of midface descent, nasolabial folds, and jowling.

2. Deep Plane Neck Lift
Addresses both superficial and deep neck structures through platysmaplasty (muscle tightening), deep fat contouring, excess skin removal, and cervical fascia management for a refined neck contour.

3. Temporal Browlift
Elevates descended lateral brows to their natural position, reducing forehead wrinkles and upper eyelid hooding while creating a more open, alert facial expression.

4. Upper Blepharoplasty
Removes excess upper eyelid skin and, when indicated, reduces upper eyelid fat to define the eyelid crease and eliminate hooding.

5. Lower Blepharoplasty
Corrects under-eye bags by repositioning or removing lower eyelid fat pads and addressing excess skin to eliminate shadows and create smooth transitions between eyelid and cheek.

6. Upper Lip Lift
Shortens the distance between nose and upper lip through a bullhorn incision, creating a fuller lip appearance with increased dental show and improved facial proportions.

7. Facial Fat Grafting
Restores youthful volume to depleted areas, including temples, cheeks, tear troughs, and any other regions requiring volumetric enhancement, using fat harvested from your own body.

Am I a Suitable Candidate?

The Face+ Signature Facelift is Dr Turner’s most comprehensive facial rejuvenation procedure, designed for patients seeking complete transformation rather than isolated improvements. This extensive surgery is appropriate for carefully selected individuals who meet specific criteria.

Ideal Candidate Characteristics for Comprehensive Facelift Surgery

You may be a suitable candidate if you:

• Present with facial ageing across multiple regions (brows, eyelids, midface, lower face, and neck) requiring coordinated correction
• Desire a dramatic yet balanced improvement in a single surgical procedure rather than staging multiple operations
• Have realistic expectations about surgical outcomes, recovery requirements, and the natural healing process
• Can commit to substantial recovery time, including 3-4 weeks away from professional obligations and 6-8 weeks avoiding strenuous activity
• Are emotionally prepared for a significant change in facial appearance
• Have adequate support systems during the recovery period

Health and Medical Requirements

Physical Health:
Optimal physical health is essential for this extensive procedure. You should have no uncontrolled medical conditions, particularly cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or bleeding disorders. 

Weight Stability:
You should be at or near your target weight and have maintained a stable weight for at least six months. Significant weight fluctuations following surgery can compromise aesthetic outcomes.

Non-Smoking Status:
Smoking or vaping catastrophically impairs healing and dramatically increases complication risks. Absolute cessation for a minimum of eight weeks before and after surgery is mandatory—this is non-negotiable for this extensive procedure.

Psychological Assessment:
As mandated by Australian regulations effective July 1, 2023, all patients considering cosmetic surgery must undergo a psychological evaluation to ensure emotional suitability and realistic expectations.

Who May Not Be Suitable

The Face+ Signature Facelift may not be appropriate for patients who:

• Have only isolated concerns in a single facial region
• Prefer less extensive intervention
• Cannot commit to the required recovery period
• Have medical conditions precluding extended surgery
• Are unable to cease smoking completely
• Have unrealistic expectations about surgical outcomes
• Are not emotionally prepared for significant change

During your consultation at Dr Turner’s Sydney practice, a thorough evaluation will determine whether this comprehensive approach suits your specific needs and circumstances, or whether alternative, less extensive procedures would better serve your goals.

How is the Face+ Signature Facelift Performed?

The Face+ Signature Facelift is always performed under general anaesthesia in a fully accredited private hospital in Sydney with continuous monitoring by a qualified anaesthetist. Given the comprehensive nature of this surgery, the procedure typically requires 6+ hours of operative time. Dr Turner recommends patients remain in the hospital overnight for observation and comfort management before being discharged the following day.

Pre-Operative Planning and Marking

Surgery begins with meticulous surgical planning while you are awake and upright. Dr Turner marks all incision locations, tissue vectors, and treatment zones:

• Temporal and pretrichial incisions for brow access
• Upper eyelid crease positions
• Lower eyelid incision placement (subciliary or transconjunctival approach)
• Facelift incision paths around the ears and into the hairline
• Submental (under chin) access for neck work
• Bullhorn lip lift pattern at the nasal base
• Areas requiring volume enhancement through fat grafting
• Critical anatomical landmarks, including nerves and vascular structures

Surgical Sequence: A Systematic Approach

Dr Turner follows a systematic surgical sequence designed to optimise tissue handling and surgical efficiency:

Stage One: Upper Face Rejuvenation

Browlift:
Through temporal incisions, the periosteum is elevated, and the descended brow tissue is released from restrictive ligaments. The lateral brow is repositioned to restore its natural arch position above the orbital rim, secured with bone tunnels or tissue fixation techniques.

Upper Blepharoplasty:
Precise incisions are created in the natural upper eyelid crease. Excess skin is measured and excised, and when indicated, upper eyelid fat is conservatively repositioned or reduced. The crease is reconstructed with fine sutures to create a defined eyelid architecture.

Stage Two: Lower Eyelid Refinement

Lower Blepharoplasty:
Depending on your anatomy, Dr Turner uses either a subciliary approach (just below the lashes) or a transconjunctival approach (inside the eyelid). Protruding fat pads are repositioned or carefully reduced. Excess skin, when present, is conservatively trimmed. The orbicularis muscle may be tightened, and the lower eyelid supported to prevent post-operative malposition.

Stage Three: Deep Plane Face and Neck Lift

Facial Incisions:
Incisions extend under the temporal hairline, following the natural curves of the ear (pre-auricular and post-auricular), continuing into the posterior hairline.

Submental Access:
A small incision beneath the chin provides access to the neck structures.

Neck Lift:
Working through the submental incision, Dr Turner performs comprehensive neck contouring:

• Liposuction of superficial and, when indicated, subplatysmal fat excision
• Platysmaplasty (muscle tightening) suturing separated platysma bands in the midline
• Transection and repositioning of the platysma for enhanced neck definition
• Removal of deep structures when necessary, like submandibular glands and tail of parotid gland

Deep Plane Face Lift:
The facial skin and subcutaneous tissue are elevated to expose the SMAS layer. Dr Turner then dissects beneath the SMAS into safe anatomical planes, releasing the retaining ligaments. The SMAS and overlying skin are elevated as a composite unit, repositioned in a vertical vector, and secured to stable anatomical points.

This deep plane technique provides powerful, long-lasting correction of:

• Descended midface and cheek tissue
• Deep nasolabial folds
• Marionette lines
• Jowl formation

Stage Four: Lip Enhancement

Bullhorn Lip Lift:
A precisely measured strip of skin at the nasal base is excised. The bullhorn pattern follows the natural curves of the nostril base and columnella. The remaining lip skin is advanced upward and sutured, shortening the upper lip length to approximately 14-16mm while increasing vermillion (red lip) show and creating a more defined lip appearance.

Stage Five: Volume Restoration

Fat Harvesting:
Fat is gently harvested via small incisions from a donor site (typically the abdomen, flanks or inner thighs) using low-pressure liposuction techniques that preserve adipocyte viability.

Fat Processing:
The harvested fat undergoes centrifugation and cleansing to separate viable fat cells from damaged cells, blood, and tumescent fluid.

Strategic Fat Grafting:
Dr Turner meticulously injects purified fat in small aliquots using a layering technique to restore volume in:

• Temporal hollows
• Lateral brow and upper eyelid sulcus
• Tear troughs and infraorbital regions
• Cheeks and midface
• Nasolabial folds
• Marionette lines
• Jawline (when appropriate)
• Any other areas requiring volumetric enhancement

Final Stage: Skin Redraping and Closure

With all deeper structures repositioned and volume restored, the facial and neck skin is carefully redraped without tension. Excess skin is conservatively trimmed, and meticulous layered closure is performed using fine sutures that minimise scarring.

Surgical drains may be placed temporarily to prevent fluid accumulation. Dressings and a supportive compression garment are applied.

Recovery and Aftercare After Facelift Surgery

Facelift recovery demands careful adherence to Dr Turner’s post-operative protocols. Following your Face+ Signature Facelift procedure, you’ll remain in hospital overnight for comprehensive monitoring and initial wound management before discharge the following morning. The first fortnight involves swelling and bruising that typically peaks around day three, with expected tightness throughout the face and neck. During this crucial early phase, continuous head elevation, restricted facial movement, and complete rest are mandatory. Suture removal occurs progressively across the first two weeks, whilst patients maintain soft food diets and minimize talking to support undisturbed tissue healing.

The recovery trajectory continues evolving through distinct phases, with most individuals returning to non-strenuous work around weeks two to three, though noticeable post-surgical appearance persists. By the fourth to sixth week, swelling reduction becomes more pronounced and regular daily activities can generally resume, though high-impact exercise remains off limits. The comprehensive transformation achieved through your Face+ Signature Facelift becomes increasingly evident between three to six months as residual swelling completely resolves and incision lines continue maturing. 

For detailed information about each recovery milestone, including specific care instructions and strategies to optimize your healing experience, please visit our comprehensive resource:

Your Facelift Recovery Journey

Risks and Complications of Facelift Surgery

Understanding the potential risks associated with facelift surgery is essential for making an informed decision about your procedure. While modern surgical techniques and careful patient selection have significantly improved safety outcomes, all surgical procedures carry inherent risks that must be carefully considered. Dr Turner prioritizes transparent communication about both common and rare complications, ensuring every patient enters surgery with realistic expectations and comprehensive knowledge of potential outcomes.

Most patients experience predictable, temporary effects including swelling, bruising, and mild discomfort that resolve naturally during the healing process. However, potential complications may include infection, bleeding, unfavorable scarring, temporary or permanent changes in skin sensation, and asymmetry. Less common but more serious risks include nerve injury affecting facial movement, delayed wound healing, skin irregularities, and reactions to anesthesia. Dr Turner employs meticulous surgical techniques, comprehensive pre-operative assessment, and detailed post-operative protocols to minimize these risks and optimize your safety throughout your facelift journey.

For comprehensive information about specific risks, preventive measures, and what to expect during recovery, please visit our detailed guide on: 

Risks and Complications After Facelift Surgery