Natural. Passionate. Specialized.

Q: Are there special facelift considerations for me if I am a man?

Yes, including incision placement and the fact that you cannot shave for two weeks following surgery. Most men actually heal faster than women due to a richer blood supply in the beard area.

Q: I am a person of color; is there a higher risk of seeing my facelift incisions?

Theoretically, yes, but Dr. Lam has never seen this outcome in his own surgical experience because he pays meticulous attention and doesn't allow tensioned closures.

Q: I have heard of using glues instead of drains. Why does Dr. Lam not use glues?

These glues use human blood products and haven't been shown to minimize risks or speed healing. Drains provide the fastest route to minimal swelling and bruising by the second week, and Dr. Lam now only uses drains in most cases for one night.

Q: What if I have keloids? Can I still get a facelift?

The answer depends on whether you truly have keloids and their severity, as 80-90% of people incorrectly use "keloid" to describe hypertrophic scars.

Q: Does Dr. Lam ever perform thread lifts?

Absolutely not, as these procedures offer no benefit and only make future facelifts harder to perform. Dr. Lam highly recommends against thread lifts.

Dr. Sam Lam’s preservation facelift restores a refreshed, age-appropriate version o f your own face – never overdone, never pulled.

The Details

Length

3-5 hours

Anesthesia

General

Recovery

10-14 days

Often Paired With

Eyelid / Neck / Fat Graft

Options for Natural-Looking Rejuvenation

If you’re considering a facelift in Dallas, Dr. Sam Lam uses only the safest and most effective techniques. These involve elevating and rejuvenating the midface (cheek area), jawline, and neck. A deep neck lift can also be performed in addition to (or sometimes instead of) a facelift.

Facelift surgery does not automatically include brow lifting, blepharoplasty, or fat grafting, which rejuvenate the upper third of the face. A facelift does not improve skin texture and wrinkles, which may require skin therapies like MesoBotox or fillers.

Today, with shorter recoveries and improved outcomes, the Dallas facelift has become much more accepted in individuals in their late 30s to early 50s who may only show signs of early aging.

What Kind of Facelift Does Dr. Lam Perform?

The simplest categorizations of facelift types are SMAS and deep plane. For the first decade of his practice, Dr. Lam performed SMAS facelifts, which showed good but not excellent results. In the past decade, he has entirely switched to deep plane for every procedure, with far superior results without adding recovery time, swelling, or discomfort.

The deep plane facelift involves releasing ligaments that attach the SMAS (Superficial Musculo-Aponeurotic System) layer of tissue to the underlying parotid gland beneath it. There are four ligaments that prevent good tissue elevation if not released, so a deep plane facelift allows for better outcomes and longer-lasting results.

Dr. Lam performs a preservation facelift meaning he does not significantly undermine the skin, which allows for better skin elevation, increased safety, very little bruising and recovery time. His preservation technique is part of his standard deep plane and deep neck lift. Watch this video for more information about his technique and the reason for it.

View Dr. Lam's Bio

The Benefits

Reduces Visible Signs of Aging

Smooths sagging in the mid-face, jowls, and neck. Softens deep folds around the mouth and creases on the cheek

Restores Youthful Contours

Re-elevates the cheek, sharpens the jawline, and redefines the neck angle without an overdone, pulled look.

Preserves Natural Expression

The preservation facelift technique maintains the subtle movement and identity of your face. You look like you – just rested.

Long-Lasting Results

A well-executed deep plane facelift can deliver results that last 10 or more years with proper skin care and sun protection.

Corrects Skin Laxity

Removes excess skin and tightens the underlying SMAS layer to restore structural firmness, not just surface smoothness.

Integrates Fat Grafting

Dr. Lam combines repositioning with micro-fat grafting to restore volume lost with age — a truly three-dimensional result.

Real Patients. Real Results

These patients are real. Their results are six months to one year out. No filters, no retouching — just Dr. Lam’s work.

Patient A · Age 53

Deep-plane facelift with upper and lower blepharoplasty· 6 months post-op

Patient B · Age 54

Deep-plane facelift and necklift with Botox · 5 months post-op

Patient C · Age 63

Facelift + chin implant · 6 months post-op

View Full Gallery (120+ Cases)

Deep Neck Lift

Patient A · Age 72

This 72-year-old patient appears to have neck fullness but, in fact, just has sagging muscle and skin. She underwent a standard neck lift along with a deep-plane facelift procedure.

Patient B · Age 58

This 58-year-old woman underwent a deep neck lift/deep-plane facelift with some removal of deep neck fat and without any removal of superficial fat in the neck (liposuctionable fat).

Patient C · Age 64

This 64-year-old woman underwent a combination of a deep-plane facelift and a deep neck lift, with fat removed in the deep neck as well as in the superficial, subcutaneous plane.

What Kind of Incisions Does Dr. Lam Use?

The key is that facelift incisions must be long enough to remove excessive, unwanted skin without tissue bunching, and also permit access to perform the procedure. However, they need to be short enough that the incisions do not cause hair loss or visibility in exposed facial areas.

The graphic below shows the standard facelift incisions Dr. Lam performs in green. In red are the ones he believes are unacceptable, either because they’re too long and can be visible (left diagram) or go into the hair-bearing areas, which can lead to a hairline that is repositioned backward (right diagram). The latter is the worst of the two bad options.

Dr. Lam meticulously creates incisions with no tension (so they should not stretch back). That is because tension would lead to a visible incision. He never pulls the skin.

In addition, the incisions are meticulously curvilinear (not straight) and hidden in areas where your eye won’t see them. Other attributes of his incisions include thinning down the tragal region (in front of the ear) so that it looks natural. Dr. Lam also does a trichophytic incision, intentionally cutting through a row of hairs to allow them to grow through the incision to further camouflage and mask it.

For more information on Dr. Lam’s facelift incisions, please see the below diagrams and videos:

Incision Videos

Incisions Close Up

Incisions 1 Year Post-Op

Incisions - How Long, Where, Why

Your Dallas Facelift Procedure

95% of Dr. Lam’s facelift procedures are performed in his office at Lam Facial Plastics, which has a state-of-the-art Joint Commission-accredited surgical facility. After 20 years of running his surgical center, he completely tore down the entire facility and rebuilt it from scratch to further enhance the safety and quality of healthcare delivery.

After a thorough workup with Dr. Lam (which his staff will guide you through), you will most likely qualify to have your procedure performed at his surgical facility. If not, he also does about 5% of his facelifts in the nearby Texas Presbyterian Health Hospital, where he has been on staff for the past 23 years.

The procedure is performed under sedation or general anesthesia. You won’t need to stay overnight in the office or the hospital. For out-of-town patients, you’ll come in the day before to meet with Dr. Lam and his staff, and then typically stay for a few days to a week after the procedure.

His staff can recommend many local hotels if need be. If you do not have a companion traveling or staying with you the first night after the procedure (as required by law), we can assign you a care provider at a small extra cost.

Major limitations include: no driving for 7-10 days, only light workouts after 10 days, and no exercises causing excessive neck stretching for 6 weeks.

Facelift Procedure

Facelift 1 Day Out

Facelift Recovery

Is A facelift right for you?

Good Candidate If

You’re in good general health and a non-smoker (or willing to quit 4+ weeks prior)
You have visible sagging in the mid-face, jowls, or neck
Your skin still has some natural elasticity
You have realistic expectations — better, not different
You’re able to take 10–14 days off social activity

Risks to Understand

Swelling and bruising (2–3 weeks)
Temporary numbness along incision lines
Hematoma (rare, <2% of cases)
Scarring — minimized by Dr. Lam’s hairline incision placement
Asymmetry requiring revision (very rare)

Your Recovery

Week 1: Rest at home, sutures removed around day 7
Week 2: Makeup usually possible; back to light work
Weeks 3–4: Most swelling resolves; social activity resumes
Month 3: Near-final appearance visible
Month 6–12: Final refined result

Frequently Asked Questions

K

L

Are there special facelift considerations for me if I am a man?

Yes, including incision placement and the fact that you cannot shave for two weeks following surgery. Most men actually heal faster than women due to a richer blood supply in the beard area.

K

L

I am a person of color; is there a higher risk of seeing my facelift incisions?

Theoretically, yes, but Dr. Lam has never seen this outcome in his own surgical experience because he pays meticulous attention and doesn't allow tensioned closures.

K

L

I have heard of using glues instead of drains. Why does Dr. Lam not use glues?

These glues use human blood products and haven't been shown to minimize risks or speed healing. Drains provide the fastest route to minimal swelling and bruising by the second week, and Dr. Lam now only uses drains in most cases for one night.

K

L

What if I have keloids? Can I still get a facelift?

The answer depends on whether you truly have keloids and their severity, as 80-90% of people incorrectly use "keloid" to describe hypertrophic scars.

K

L

Does Dr. Lam ever perform thread lifts?

Absolutely not, as these procedures offer no benefit and only make future facelifts harder to perform. Dr. Lam highly recommends against thread lifts.

Schedule Your Consultation Today

If you’re considering a facelift in Dallas, Texas, the first step is meeting with Dr. Lam to discuss your goals and determine the best approach. During your consultation, he will evaluate your anatomy, discuss treatment options, and create a personalized plan that delivers natural, long-lasting results. Contact Lam Facial Plastics today to schedule your consultation.

Call us: 972.312.8188 Schedule Consultation