Face lifts and neck lifts are therefore designed to restore the natural contours of the face by lifting the loose tissue back into place. Procedures of this kind are able to smooth out such off-putting features and also have a rejuvenating effect on the face. With today's surgical techniques, the emphasis is on achieving the most natural results possible. The grotesque, understandably ridiculed and completely unnatural looking "mask-style makeovers" are thankfully a thing of the past.

Face/neck lift: Key facts at a glance

Op. length: about 3 to 4 hrs

Anaesthetic: general

Clinic stay: 1 or 2 nights

Post-op. treatment: plaster and stitches removed 1 or 2 weeks after surgery

Back in circulation: after 3 weeks

Sport: resume after 4 to 6 weeks