A facelift in Islamabad with Dr. Umbreen Munir Minhas lifts the deeper tissues of your cheeks and jaw back into place, so you look rested and like yourself, only fresher.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Umbreen Munir Minhas, MBBS, FCPS (Plastic Surgery). Last updated October 2026.
A facelift, medically called rhytidectomy, is face lift surgery that repositions sagging tissue in the lower two thirds of the face. It lifts the firm SMAS layer, so the skin is never simply pulled tight.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons lists its main targets as sagging facial skin, deep folds beside the nose and mouth, fallen cheek fat and jowls.
As ligaments in the lower face stretch, skin and fat slide below the jaw bone and form jowls. The clean line from chin to ear blurs, and no cream or exercise can lift it back.
When the cheek pad drops, it gathers beside the nose and deepens the nasolabial fold. Filler can soften the line, but lifting the cheek treats the reason the fold formed.
Fat pads that once sat high on the cheekbones slowly descend with age. The midface looks flat and the under-eye area hollow, even when your weight has not changed at all.
Major weight loss, from dieting, surgery or weight-loss injections, can age the face. Skin stretched for years may not shrink back, so it needs removal rather than tightening.
The SMAS layer is tightened with stitches or a small strip is removed, then the skin is redraped without tension. It suits moderate jowls and cheek sagging in most patients.
The surgeon works beneath the SMAS and releases the ligaments that hold tissue down. This moves the cheek and jowl as one unit and suits heavier sagging.
A shorter incision around the ear lifts early jowls and a softening jawline. It suits patients with good skin quality and very little loose skin on the neck.
This raises the cheek pads back onto the cheekbones through incisions near the temple or lower eyelid. It targets flat cheeks and the hollow between eye and cheek.
In a JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery study, independent raters judged patients about 3 years younger after surgery than before. Most people look refreshed rather than different. Photos below are shared with patient consent.
Dr. Umbreen assesses your skin elasticity, bone structure and how far the cheeks and jowls have dropped. She also checks your eyelids, brows and neck, since they age alongside the face.
Smoking starves lifted skin of blood, so stop 4 to 6 weeks before surgery. Stop aspirin, fish oil and herbal supplements 2 weeks before, and arrange help at home for the first days.
It takes about 2 to 3 hours under general anesthesia or local with sedation. Incisions run from the temple hairline, in front of the ear, around the earlobe and behind the ear.
Most patients stay one night with a soft head dressing. A small drain may be placed to remove fluid and is usually taken out the next morning before you leave.
| Time After Surgery | What to Expect |
|---|---|
| Days 1 to 2 | The face feels swollen, tight and numb. Keep the dressing dry. |
| Days 7 to 14 | Stitches are removed in clinic. |
| Week 2 | Bruising is still visible but fading. |
| Weeks 2 to 4 | Most people return to work and normal social life. |
| Months 6 to 9 | Swelling has fully settled and the final result is clear. |
Sleep on your back with your head raised for 2 weeks. Avoid saunas, facial massage and heavy lifting until your stitches are out and swelling eases.
Dr. Umbreen explains every risk before you sign consent. The two that matter most are bleeding under the skin and weakness of the facial nerve.
It will not change your basic features or stop your face from ageing. Heavy eyelids, low brows and fine sun-damaged lines need their own treatment, alone or alongside the lift.
Your fee is confirmed after consultation, once the technique and any added procedures are agreed. Ask for one written estimate covering surgeon, anesthesia and hospital stay.
| Factor | How It Affects Your Fee |
|---|---|
| Technique | A mini facelift costs less than a deep-plane facelift. |
| Added neck work | Including a neck lift adds operating time. |
| Other procedures | Eyelid surgery or fat grafting in the same session raises the total. |
| Hospital stay | An overnight stay with nursing care is part of the fee. |
Published facelift cost in Pakistan varies by several hundred thousand rupees, so compare what is included, not just the figure.
A facelift depends on handling deep tissue and the facial nerve with care, skills built through reconstructive surgery. As a female surgeon, Dr. Umbreen understands patients who want a lift that nobody notices.
Thread lifts and HIFU tighten without surgery, but neither removes loose skin or repositions deep tissue.
| Feature | Facelift | Thread Lift | HIFU |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suited to | Moderate to heavy sagging | Mild early sagging | Mild laxity and firmness |
| How it works | Lifts deep tissue and removes skin | Barbed threads hold tissue up | Ultrasound heat tightens collagen |
| Removes loose skin? | Yes | No | No |
| How long it lasts | About 10 years | Threads dissolve in about 6 months | About 12 to 18 months |
| Anesthesia | General or sedation | Local injection | Usually none |
In one study of 160 thread lift patients, the lift had largely faded by the end of the first year.
Dr. Umbreen sees patients privately at Omer Diagnostic & Specialist Clinics (ODC), 12-A, LG Floor, CBC Plaza, G-8 Markaz, Islamabad, Monday to Friday, 3:00 to 5:00 PM.
Bring a list of your medicines, your blood pressure readings and 2 photos of yourself from 10 years ago.
Most patients describe tightness and soreness rather than sharp pain. Prescribed painkillers usually control it, and the numbness around the ears actually dulls much of the discomfort in the first week.
No. The lift lasts for years, but your face keeps ageing from its new starting point. Most patients still look younger than they would have without surgery.
There is no fixed age. Skin elasticity matters more than birthdays, though most patients are in their 40s to 60s. Younger skin tends to hold a lift for longer.
Yes. A neck lift, blepharoplasty or brow lift is often done in the same session. You recover once, though the operation takes longer and the fee changes.
Often yes, once both are well controlled. High blood pressure raises the chance of bleeding under the skin, so it must be stable for several weeks before surgery.
Allow at least 6 weeks before a major event. By then bruising has gone, stiffness has eased, and makeup and hair can cover any remaining marks near the ears.
Patient guides on facelift and facial lifting from Dr. Umbreen’s blog.
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