Who is a candidate for Face & Neck Lift?
Smoking matters more for a facelift than for almost any other procedure, because the result depends on skin flaps healing.
Ideal BMI
18.5 – 32.0
Maximum BMI
35.0
Minimum age
35
What gets checked
Each of these changes either whether the operation can be done or how it has to be planned.
Height and weight
Used to work out your body mass index, which is the single biggest factor in whether body surgery is safe to perform.
Age
Some procedures have a lower age limit because the area is still developing.
Do you smoke or vape?
Nicotine narrows the small vessels that feed healing tissue. It is the most common reason a wound breaks down.
Do any of these apply to you?
These do not necessarily rule surgery out, but they change how it is planned and where it can be performed.
This is a screening tool, not a medical opinion. It cannot examine you, read your notes or see your photographs, and a surgeon who does any of those things may reach a different conclusion. Nothing here should delay you seeing your own doctor.
What stops it, and why
The reasons a surgeon would ask you to wait. They are worth reading even if none of them apply to you.
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Height and weight | Your BMI is your BMI. Most surgeons will not perform this procedure above 35, because the risk of wound and clotting complications rises sharply. Reaching 32 first makes both the surgery and the result better. |
| Height and weight | Your BMI is your BMI, which is workable but above the ideal range for this procedure. Losing a few kilograms beforehand noticeably reduces the complication rate. |
| Height and weight | Your BMI is your BMI. There may not be enough tissue to work with, which changes what the procedure can achieve. |
| Age | This procedure is normally performed from age 35. Before that the area is still changing. |
| Do you smoke or vape? | Smoking has to stop at least four weeks before and four weeks after surgery. This is not negotiable for procedures that rely on skin flaps healing. |
| Do any of these apply to you? | Your medical history needs review by the anaesthetist before this is booked. Most conditions are manageable; they just have to be known in advance. |
| Do any of these apply to you? | Blood thinners need a managed pause arranged with the doctor who prescribed them, before a date can be set. |
| Do any of these apply to you? | See your own doctor about the untreated condition first. Elective surgery should not come before a diagnosis. |
