(858) 247-2933
Book
Book a consultation
Facelift, La Jolla & San Diego
A facelift (rhytidectomy) repositions the deeper tissues of the lower face and neck, including the SMAS layer, and removes excess skin to improve jowls, a softened jawline, and loose neck skin. At your La Jolla consultation, Tim Sayed MD examines your face and neck, discusses whether a mini lift, SMAS facelift, or deep plane facelift fits your anatomy, and discusses when a non-surgical option or a smaller operation may be the better choice.
The La Jolla consultation office is in University City, at 4510 Executive Drive, Suite 210, San Diego, CA 92121. Consultations and follow-ups take place here. Surgery is performed only in accredited operating rooms separate from both consultation offices, not at the University City office.
Office
For your La Jolla facelift consultation and follow-ups, use the University City office's San Diego postal address.
Confirm your appointment time when scheduling. On Mondays, this office opens at 9:00 AM, half an hour later than Newport Beach. Call the shared practice number, (858) 247-2933.
Facelift recovery involves several early checks, and those visits take place at the office where you had your consultation. Choose the office you can return to during the first weeks, when bruising and swelling are most visible.
Monday: 9:00 AM–4:30 PM. Tuesday–Friday: 8:30 AM–4:30 PM. Saturday–Sunday: Closed. Hours are Pacific Time.
Tim Sayed MD, La Jolla / University City
Address
4510 Executive Drive, Suite 210, San Diego, CA 92121
Phone
(858) 247-2933
Hours
Mon 9:00 AM–4:30 PM; Tue–Fri 8:30 AM–4:30 PM PT; Sat–Sun closed
Surgery
Accredited operating rooms only, separate from both consultation offices
La Jolla Village
5 min
University City / UTC
4 min
Del Mar
12 min
Carmel Valley
13 min
Carlsbad
35 min
Encinitas
25 min
Consultation details for La Jolla · Compare the Newport Beach consultation office
A facelift does not freeze your face or change who you are. Done well, it turns the clock back several years and still looks like you, only rested and refreshed.
What it treats
Jowls, deep folds from the nose to the mouth, a heavy or blunted jawline, and loose neck skin and bands. A facelift addresses the lower face and neck; it does not lift the brow or treat the eyelids on its own.
Who it is for
Healthy adults, most often in their 40s to 70s, with visible sagging of the lower face or neck and realistic goals. Good general health and not smoking matter more than a specific age.
Techniques
From a short-scar mini lift to a full deep plane or SMAS facelift, often combined with a neck lift. Dr. Sayed matches the technique to how much laxity you have.
Anesthesia and time
Usually general anesthesia or deep sedation, about 3 to 5 hours depending on whether a neck lift or other procedures are combined.
Downtime
Most people take about two weeks before being social. Bruising and swelling settle over 3 to 4 weeks, and the result keeps refining for several months.
How long it lasts
A facelift does not stop aging, but most patients enjoy the result for roughly 10 years. Sun protection and good skin care help it last.
Why a facelift
Signs a facelift may be worth discussing:
- Jowls that blur the jawline
- Loose neck skin or vertical bands
- Fillers or skin tightening no longer giving the result you want
The practice's current range is about , covering the surgeon's fee, anesthesia, and facility fees. A mini lift is typically at the lower end; a deep plane facelift with a neck lift is higher. The same range applies at both consultation offices. Your exact quote follows an in-person examination. Ask what it includes, such as follow-up visits, and what combined procedures like eyelid surgery or fat transfer would add. Cosmetic facelifts are not usually covered by insurance. Practice pricing information for La Jolla patients · Financing information for La Jolla patients
Questions worth asking:
- Which technique do you recommend for my face, and why?
- Do I need a neck lift, and would eyelid or brow surgery or fat transfer change the plan?
- Where will the incisions be, and how will they heal?
- What anesthesia is used, and should I stay overnight in a supervised setting?
- When can I return to work and social plans?
A facelift improves sagging of the lower face and neck: jowls, a heavy or blurred jawline, deep folds near the mouth, and loose neck skin or bands when combined with a neck lift. It does not stop aging, change your bone structure, or resurface the skin. Fine lines, sun damage, and under-eye concerns need other treatments.
When skin quality or lost volume is the main concern, Dr. Sayed may recommend fat transfer, skin treatments, or eyelid or brow surgery, alone or with a lift.
There is no single facelift. The right choice depends on how much laxity you have, where it sits, and your tolerance for recovery and scars.
What it treats
A facelift carries the risks of anesthesia and surgery, including bleeding or a collection of blood under the skin (hematoma), infection, poor wound healing or skin loss, visible scars, hair loss near incisions, prolonged numbness, asymmetry, and, less commonly, injury to a facial nerve branch, which is usually temporary. Nicotine use, high blood pressure, and some medications raise the risk of complications. Seek urgent care for sudden one-sided swelling, worsening pain, chest pain, or shortness of breath.
A facelift may not be the right next step if your main concern is skin texture or volume, or if your health makes elective surgery unwise.
The procedure
Incisions usually follow the hairline and the natural creases in front of and behind the ear; a neck lift may add a small incision under the chin. The deeper SMAS layer is tightened or repositioned, and in a deep plane lift deeper attachments are released so tissue moves as a unit. When the neck is treated, the platysma muscle may be tightened. The skin is redraped without excess tension, the extra skin is trimmed, and the incisions are closed. Operating time depends on the technique and on any combined procedures.
Cost
Your exact quote follows an in-person examination. Ask what it includes, such as follow-up visits, and what combined procedures like eyelid surgery or fat transfer would add. Cosmetic facelifts are not usually covered by insurance.
The practice's current range is about $15,000–$30,000 or more, covering the surgeon's fee, anesthesia, and facility fees. A mini lift is typically at the lower end; a deep plane facelift with a neck lift is higher. The same range applies at both consultation offices.
Recovery
Expect swelling, bruising, tightness, and numbness. Keep your head elevated as directed and take short walks. Many patients feel comfortable in public after about two weeks, though bruising and swelling vary; the face continues to settle for several months. Exercise and heavy lifting require individual clearance.
Arrange an adult to drive you home and help during the first days. Do not drive while taking sedating medication or until your surgeon clears you. Ask about drains, hair washing, scar care, and sun protection.
Your follow-ups are at the same University City office where you had your La Jolla consultation. Ask when each examination is needed and how to reach the team outside office hours. The office hours above are not an emergency-care schedule.
Surgery day
Outpatient, home within a few hours with a light dressing. Expect tightness and mild soreness, controlled with medication.
Days 2 to 7
Bruising and swelling peak then begin to ease. Keep your head elevated and take short, frequent walks. Sutures and any drains usually come out this week.
Weeks 2 to 3
Most people feel presentable and return to desk work and social plans, covering any residual bruising with makeup. Driving once you are off prescription pain medication.
Weeks 4 to 6
Light cardio resumes, then fuller activity and exercise once Dr. Sayed clears you. Numbness around the ears and neck keeps improving.
Months 3 to 6
The last swelling resolves, scars continue to fade, and the final, settled result shows.
Bring a list of medications and supplements, including blood thinners, and details of any prior facial surgery, fillers, or energy-based treatments. Tell Dr. Sayed about nicotine use, high blood pressure, and any bleeding or clotting history, since these affect safety and healing.
Questions worth asking: • Which technique do you recommend for my face, and why? • Do I need a neck lift, and would eyelid or brow surgery or fat transfer change the plan? • Where will the incisions be, and how will they heal? • What anesthesia is used, and should I stay overnight in a supervised setting? • When can I return to work and social plans?
Hair and makeup. You can usually wash your hair within a few days and cover residual bruising with makeup by week two.
Working out. Walking from day one, light cardio around four weeks, full exercise once cleared near six weeks.
How you look early on. Tight, swollen, and a little numb at first. This is normal and eases over weeks, not days.
Will it last. A facelift does not stop aging, but most patients enjoy the result for roughly a decade, longer with sun protection and good skin care.
Dr. Sayed is certified by both the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery, and he has been recertified in both after ten years. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
He earned his medical degree at the UCSF School of Medicine, completed general surgery training at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard, and returned to UCSF for his plastic surgery fellowship.
Tim Sayed MD built his practice around a simple idea: the surgeon you meet is the surgeon who operates and the surgeon who sees you through recovery.
Ask about facelifts similar to the one proposed for you and how complications would be managed.
Bring the changes that concern you and the result you hope for. Dr. Sayed will examine your face and neck and explain which approach fits.
Read Google reviews for the Tim Sayed MD practice. These reviews cover the whole practice, not a separate rating for the La Jolla office.
Questions
The practice's current range is about $15,000–$30,000 or more , depending on the technique and whether a neck lift or other procedures are combined. Your exact quote follows an in-person examination.
A facelift does not stop aging. Results are long-lasting for many patients, but how long depends on your skin, genetics, sun exposure, and weight stability.
Through incisions along the hairline and around the ear, the deeper SMAS layer is lifted or repositioned, the neck is tightened when needed, and the skin is redraped and trimmed.
A deep plane facelift releases deeper attachments in the face so tissue can be repositioned as a unit. It may suit more pronounced midface and jowl descent, and it involves more extensive dissection.
A mini lift uses shorter incisions for early jowling and mild laxity, with a lighter recovery. A SMAS or deep plane facelift addresses more laxity and usually involves longer incisions.
Candidacy depends on laxity and general health rather than a specific age. Not using nicotine and controlling medical conditions improve safety.
The goal is to reposition deeper tissue and close the skin without excess tension, which helps avoid a pulled look. Results vary, and your consultation should cover realistic expectations.
Often, if the neck has loose skin or bands. The face and neck are assessed together at your examination.
Incisions are placed along the hairline and ear creases, and under the chin if a neck lift is added. Scars fade over months but do not disappear.
Many patients describe tightness and soreness more than sharp pain in the first days, managed with medication. Numbness can last weeks to months.
It does not resurface skin or erase fine lines, sun damage, or under-eye concerns. Fat transfer, eyelid or brow surgery, or skin treatments may be discussed for those.
For mild laxity, injectables, energy-based skin tightening, or fat transfer may help. Once tissue has descended significantly, surgery is usually needed to reposition it.
The office is in University City at 4510 Executive Drive, Suite 210, San Diego, CA 92121. Hours are Monday 9:00 AM–4:30 PM and Tuesday–Friday 8:30 AM–4:30 PM, Pacific Time; closed Saturday and Sunday. Confirm your appointment time when scheduling. Call (858) 247-2933.
Follow-ups take place at the same University City office as your consultation. Surgery is performed only in accredited operating rooms separate from both offices. Get the facility address before arranging your ride.
Bring a list of medications and supplements, including blood thinners, and details of any prior facial surgery, fillers, or energy-based treatments. Tell Dr. Sayed about nicotine use, high blood pressure, and any bleeding or clotting history, since these affect safety and healing.
Questions worth asking: - Which technique do you recommend for my face, and why? - Do I need a neck lift, and would eyelid or brow surgery or fat transfer change the plan? - Where will the incisions be, and how will they heal? - What anesthesia is used, and should I stay overnight in a supervised setting? - When can I return to work and social plans?
There is no single facelift. The right choice depends on how much laxity you have, where it sits, and your tolerance for recovery and scars.
OptionTypical useTrade-offsMini (short-scar) liftEarly jowling, mild laxityShorter incisions and lighter recovery; less change in the neckSMAS faceliftModerate lower-face and jawline laxityLifts the deeper layer, not just skin; longer incisions around the earDeep plane faceliftMore pronounced midface and jowl descentReleases deeper attachments; more extensive dissection
Many patients benefit from a neck lift at the same operation. Dr. Sayed recommends the least extensive operation that meets your goals. How long the result appears to last varies with your skin, genetics, sun exposure, and weight stability.
Ask to see facelift cases relevant to your anatomy and the technique being proposed. The same practice gallery is used for both offices; these are not location-specific results. Photographs are shared with patient consent and do not guarantee your outcome.
Patient Reviews